Elvis Presley's Rockabilly Hairstyles

Elvis Presley's hairstyleElvis Presley's hairstyles changed quite dramatically throughout his life. When he first exploded onto the scene in the 1950s he was unorthodox in more ways than one. His smouldering, almost latinesque, good looks were accomplished by hair dye! Yes, it is absolutely true! Unlike most young men of the time, Elvis took the courageous step of dyeing his mousy blond hair.

Born among the white working families of the American Deep South, he used both black and white influences to shape his much copied and remembered style. Because he admired Tony Curtis, another smouldering sex symbol of the time, he changed his brown hair to black and shaped it in the ducktail style popular at the time. But Elvis kept his style a bit longer and sweeped it into a high pompadour at the front.


Over the years, many people, both men and women, have copied this sexy, flattering look. It can be a neat, manageable daytime look, or a wild, outrageous evening do. It is said that Elvis himself used three types of hair wax so that his hair would be able to swoop in front of his eyes when he wanted it to. Along with the curling lip, this drove the ladies wild!


Hairstyle photo by Elvis.com.
Let us not forget that many other young men of the day had this rockabilly look. One of the most famous of course, is James Dean. These legends broke the old, twee mould of the time and imposed their own styles onto the teenage scene which were then copied across ice cream parlours and coffee shops up and down the land.

Elvis Presley rockabilly hairstyle

Elvis' hair certainly was part of the complete look. There was national mourning (in certain teenage hearts) when he had it all shaved off for the army. Even so many years after his death, his hairstyle can be recognized and is copied by the rich and famous. What a fantastic legacy to leave the hairdressing world!

Getting The Perfect Elvis Presley Hairstyle

There are a lot of people around the globe that are looking for ways to get the Elvis Presley hairstyle for themselves. There are some things that need to be taken into consideration if you are to get this kind of look.

one of the first things that needs to be done is regarding the color of the hair. Choosing a dark color from the drug store is a popular option that people use when it comes time for them to select the color they want. Remember that Elvis used a blue-black color for his hair and something along this line would be the best route to take.

He also had hair that had a bit of natural wave in it. To get look he had you would be best to take a picture of the King himself to the hairstylist so that they can have a visualization of what they think needs to be done with your hair. Now they can cut your hair in a similar manner.

Once the cut is complete there is the need to have styling products on hand. Gel or pomade of some sort are the best options that can be used to get the look. Be sure not to use too much of this as it will not help your attempts in achieving the look that you are after.

Now the comb comes into play. This is crucial when it comes to getting the hair in the perfect position that you want. Combing the sides of the hair straight back in the direction of the back of the head. The top section of the hair needs to be combed upwards and flipped loosely back to get the pompadour effect that Elvis was famous for.

By following these steps you will find that you are well on your way to getting the perfect Elvis Presley hairstyle. If you have problems getting the look then try starting all over until you eventually get the look you want to obtain.