Why the ’90s Blowout Is 2025’s Most Photogenic Hairstyle

By: Shawn Peppin, Creative Director and Trainer for JCB & Bounce Salons

The ’90s blowout is back in full swing in 2025, and it is not a nostalgia trip so much as a perfect

answer to how we live, post, and show up today. Big glossy movement photographs beautifully on

every camera, it reads as polished in meetings, and it feels celebratory without being theatrical. What

made it iconic three decades ago still holds, the bounce, the shine, the face-framing lift but now it has

new relevance because it works across reels, stills, and live moments with equal ease. In a year

defined by short-form video and image-led platforms, the most photogenic hair is the one that moves,

catches light, and keeps its shape. The blowout does all three.

Photogenic hair is about optics as much as style. Modern phone lenses and studio-bright screens

exaggerate flyaway and flatten volume, which is why a smooth, lifted finish looks superior in feed and

in stories. The ’90s blowout delivers root height, rounded ends, and controlled movement that creates

dimensional highlights in motion. Every turn of the head throws a soft arc of shine across the layers,

every step sends a ripple through the lengths, and the camera reads that as vitality. Where ultra-

straight hair can look static on video and tight curls can lose definition under compression, a classic

blowout sits in the sweet spot defined yet soft, structured yet fluid.

The trend is also a response to how content is made now. Get-ready-with-me formats reward visible

transformation, and nothing delivers a satisfying start-to-finish arc like a round brush blowout set from

damp to glossy dry. Transition videos that cut from rough dried roots to finished roll-outs land because

the visual payoff is immediate. Even a simple elevator selfie gets more saves when hair has contour

and light play. Influencers have embraced day-one to day-three blowout diaries for exactly this

reason: the style evolves gracefully over seventy-two hours and generates multiple content beats

without a heavy restyle.

Industry behaviour mirrors that momentum. Salons have expanded express styling menus, adding

thirty-minute power blowouts between colour and cut appointments, and positioning them as pre-

meeting, pre-event, or pre-shoot services. Education has shifted too, with teams doubling down on

brush work, roller sets, and cool shot setting so the finish lasts through climate and commute.

Packaging this know-how into signature looks think soft layers with a curved money piece or a central

part with graduated roundness gives clients a nameable result and salons a repeatable service story.

Memberships that include one weekly blowout are becoming a smart retention tool because they

convert a trend into a habit.

The product ecosystem around the blowout has matured as well. Volumising primers that stay

lightweight, modern mousse that works with heat tools without crunch, heat protectants that guard

and gloss, and anti-humidity topcoats that seal without stiffness are now routine. Tools have followed

suit, with hot brushes and interchangeable barrel stylers making the round brush technique easier at

home. The photogenic payoff gets stronger with each layer of this system prep for root lift, tension for

polish, cool set for memory, finish for reflection. The result is camera-friendly hair that reads as

expensive and effortful, even when the routine is efficient.

Social media has turned the blowout into a community learning loop. Micro creators share brush

angles and section maps, pros duet with corrections and quick saves, and audiences stitch their

attempts for iterative progress. The algorithm rewards educational storytelling, which in turn

keeps the visual language of the blowout circulating. There is also a values shift in play. After seasons

of extreme styling and quick trend cycling, many consumers want longevity from their beauty routines.

A blowout can anchor multiple looks across the week, sleek on day one, relaxed on day two, pinned

into a soft half-up on day three, which aligns with a more mindful approach to getting ready.

So why does the bob keep returning to the spotlight alongside the blowout? Trends are cyclical, but

their resurgence is rarely accidental. Cultural nostalgia plays a role as women look back at iconic

looks and reinterpret them in ways that feel current. These trends are resurfacing now more than ever

due to the easy maintenance and time-saving appeal of the bob, combined with the rapid influence of

social media, where past styles are rediscovered and amplified by influencers, celebrities, and

everyday users alike. The constant visual feed encourages a reimagining of classics, and the bob

timeless yet endlessly adaptable, fits perfectly into this moment.

Lifestyle shifts also influence the trend. Modern women are juggling professional commitments, social

lives, and personal wellness, creating a demand for haircuts that are versatile, low maintenance, and

instantly stylish. Salons first noticed the resurgence around early 2022–2023, mainly after the

lockdown, as people had been experimenting with their hair during isolation. A noticeable increase in

clients requesting bobs indicated a renewed appetite for bold, transformative haircuts, especially as

people emerged craving visible, empowering changes that aligned with evolving lifestyles. The post-

pandemic period accelerated this momentum, with almost a 30–40% increase in bob requests in cities

like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad urban centres where global trends, professional

demands, and social calendars collide.

The modern bob is sharper, more tailored, and infused with movement and texture. Sleek and

polished, it works for professional settings. Tousled and layered, it radiates casual sophistication.

Accessorized, it reflects personality and mood. The trigger point came from a confluence of factors:

celebrity transformations, viral TikTok and Instagram reels showcasing dramatic before-and-after

haircuts, and a broader lifestyle shift post-pandemic where self-expression and low-maintenance

beauty took center stage. Whether social media influence, celebrity trends, or lifestyle changes, this

collective shift has made women more adventurous in their choices, encouraging them to embrace

cuts that make a statement without being high maintenance.

From a creative direction standpoint, both the blowout and the bob share appeal. They frame faces,

support makeup stories, and allow fashion to lead without hair overwhelming the narrative. They read

as premium on camera yet remain familiar enough to feel wearable. For brands and salons, they are

dream trends: iconic yet adaptable, visually impactful yet rooted in practicality. Both styles anchor

multiple looks, deliver across reels and campaigns, and answer the cultural mood of

2025—confidence, presence, and versatility.

The bigger picture is simple. In an image-saturated year, the most photogenic hairstyles are the ones

that work hard under lights, survive a commute, flatter a face on every lens, and can be learned and

repeated. The ’90s blowout and the modern bob check every box. They give creators narrative arcs,

give brands full ecosystems to activate, give salons services that scale, and give consumers reliable

routes to feeling dialled in. Nostalgic, but not stuck in the past. Glamorous, but not impractical.

Precise, yet forgiving. That’s why they lead the feed in 2025 and why they’ll keep doing so as long as

hair that moves, shapes, and shines remains the universal language of looking your best.