The crowning glory of every scene queen: towering stacks of vibrant scene hair, straightened, teased and coiffed to perfection. If you’re willing to put maintain such a style then you’ll be repaid in the masses of attention you crave! The order of the day is BIG, and we mean really big! Not since the 80’s has hair styling seen such a craze, in fact, scene hair draws considerable influence from crazy teen hair of the past four decades, borrowing the teased height of the 60’s, the wild, glam volume of the 70’s, the mullet layering of the 80’s and the razor cutting of the 90’s. The result of the past fifty years of hair-do engineering is the scene hair style embraced by attention loving teens today. And here’s how to get scene hair!

The CUT

First and foremost your hair will need to conform to the right cut. The typical scene style incorporates a reverse mullet structure, requiring hair to be longer and heavier to the front, falling across the face, with shorter, spiky sections on the crown. The more glamorous take on scene hair also incorporates long, razor cut tendrils which are frequently enhanced with extensions.

If you’re not an experienced hair cutter yourself then it is advisable to seek assistance from a professional at a salon. A talented stylist will be able to recreate styles from photos, so be sure to take along pics of what you want to achieve. If possible, put your ear to the ground to find a good stylist by word of mouth, seek out scene kids in your area and ask them where they get their hair cut.

More experienced scene hair fans may feel more confident in cutting their own tresses. It’s best to start from the bottom layers and work upwards, constantly checking the length and paying particular attention to how the hair lays. Razor cutting is the best way to achieve the choppy, spiky texture of scene hair, either using a razor comb or a bic type razor. This simple cutting method can look so effective but does require care and skill, so if in doubt, please consult a professional instead!

The COLOUR

As a rule, scene hair (as opposed to the closely related emo hair) is brightly coloured and experimental. If the aim of the scene hair is to express individuality and turn heads, then what better way to grab attention than with loud colours! The exact colour is a matter of personal choice. You may simply wish to colour your hair according to your own favourite colour(s), or you may want to emulate the look of your favourite scene queen idol. Remember though, that scene hair is all about expressing your own inimitable style, and the most reverred scene queens derive respect from having pioneered their trademark looks.

Bright colours can only be achieved by dying very light coloured hair, so if your hair isn’t very light naturally, you will first need to bleach your hair with a strong peroxide based bleach such as Flash Lightning by Manic Panic. Once your hair is sufficiently lightened you will then be able tone your hair to your taste. If you want to achieve a white-blond finish, then it’s advisable to apply a toner such as Manic Panic’s Virgin Snow. This will counteract the yellow tones typically left after bleaching. If you want a more colorful look then you have the option of applying a bright colour to your newly lightened hair. Manic Panic produce a vast range of colours, ranging from Cotton Candy Pink to Atomic Turquoise, so you’re sure to find one among their range to suit your taste! Colour can be applied in solid blocks or in streaks, where you also have the opportunity to mix it up a bit – contrasting colours look sensational when streaked on adjacent strands!    

A n extnsive range of Manic Panic hair bleach and colours can be found in the awesome eBay shop Violent Delights! 

The EXTENSIONS

To be really big and ultra busy, your scene hair will benefit from the addition of extensions. As well as being a great way to experiment with new colours, and to add desired volume, extensions allow you to temporarily jazz your hair up in the most versatile of ways. Most extensions can be cut to length and are simply clipped into your own hair near the root. They come in a vast array of colours and also patterns such a stripes and leopard prints so you can get really creative with your barnet!

The STYLING

True scene hair needs styling – and lots of it! Scene hair styles are typically straight – poker straight is the best texture to create the spiky-choppy feel associated with scene hair. So, straighteners at the ready! – and don’t forget lashings of heat protection spray! You’ll need to maintain your scene hair in more ways than one – daily styling will take its toll if you don’t take care of your hair. Ensure that you use plenty of good quality conditioner and never scrimp on the protection. Once your hair is straightened you will be ready to add volume at the crown. This is done by teasing/back combing the hair and holding it in place with ample lashings of hair spray. The heavy fringe of the scene hair style also needs to be coaxed into place, and this can be done easily with straighteners and hair spray after blow drying.

The ATTITUDE

You have been warned, this is not a style for the faint hearted or shrinking violets! In your sexy skinny jeans and totally scene tshirt top, or when you step out for the night in your totally scene mini dress, wear your scene hair with pride, knowing that you every bit a scene queen!
Where to buy great scene gear

For an awesome range of scene clothing and accessories by Criminal Damage, Living Dead Souls, Celebrity Babe and Poizen Industries, check out our shop, the Scene Dead Store!

For an extensive range of manic Panic Hair colours, check out Violent Delights!