Are Bumpit Hairstyles Making A Comeback?

Growing up in the South, you repeatedly hear the saying, “the higher the hair, the closer to heaven.” Now, does teased hair really relate to scripture? Not particularly. Did I still believe it? Perhaps a little. From the sky-high bouffants of the 1960s—with teased-high hair icons like Priscilla Presley and Jackie Kennedy—to the pinned bang poufs of the 2000s, big hair has always been a trend that comes back around. Last year, velcro rollers were the hottest “new” thing to pop back up on the hair scene. For many Southern women, they never went out of style in the first place. 

Unsurprisingly, another reincarnation is already amongst us, whether we like it or not. There’s been rumblings of a hair accessory sent to the graves of “trends gone wrong” from the early-to-mid 2000s—one that many swore to forget forever: the Bumpit. 

The long-retired daytime television infomercial is easy to remember, demonizing flat hair and perpetuating our desire to have voluminous hair. With the help of a half-moon-shaped piece of self-gripping plastic, you could give your hair a major boost with no one the wiser, as it would simply disappear beneath your strands. Looking back, we should have known it would come back to haunt us, as soon as other hair accessories such as the claw clip and scrunchie made their returns.

So, are bumpits really making a comeback? Judging by the modern fascination with mimicking retro looks from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, as well as not-too-distant trends from the 1990s and 2000s, it isn’t the wildest prediction. Modern-day renditions include Adele’s vintage bouffant styles and Dolly Parton’s gasp-worthy wig ‘dos, and it-girls like Bella Hadid and Matilda Djerf have put a stamp of approval on the bumpit look recently.

This begs the question if the accessory actually lives beneath those strands or not, but the aesthetic intent is certainly there. Before the bumpit, big hair was achieved only through teasing with a comb, which remains a popular way that stylists create updos and volumized ponytails that won’t fall flat.

As for Southern women, we love big hair and anything that might help a flat-haired friend out. Just proceed with caution and act with a sound mind. Bumpits require an art of subtlety to pull off. 

You can even find bumpit-esque hair accessories on Amazon as proof of the existing remnant fandom, or if you feel like trying it out for yourself. However, you might still need that teasing comb. Big hair is officially back.