Steve Harrington’s hair has its own fan following separate from Steve himself, separate from actor Joe Keery, and arguably separate from Stranger Things as a whole. It became internet shorthand for the show’s entire 1980s aesthetic within weeks of the first season’s release, and nearly a decade later, Keery still can’t escape questions about it.
Table of Contents
- The in-show explanation for Steve Harrington’s hair
- What actually went into styling it on set
- How the look evolved across the show’s seasons
- Why Joe Keery has grown tired of the attention
- Frequently asked questions about Steve Harrington’s hair
The in-show explanation for Steve Harrington’s hair
Steve Harrington’s hair gets its own in-universe origin story in season 2, when Steve reveals his secret to Dustin Henderson: Farrah Fawcett hairspray, paired with Fabergé Organics shampoo and conditioner, applied in a specific ritual of “four puffs” to achieve the volume. The gag was a nod to a real product line — Fabergé Organics genuinely did release a line of Farrah Fawcett-endorsed haircare products in the 1970s and 1980s, including a “wheat germ and honey” shampoo the company was known for at the time.
The joke became real enough that fans went looking for the actual discontinued product on eBay following the episode’s release, with bottles fetching bidding wars upward of $60 for what amounted to old, mostly-used hairspray — a testament to just how thoroughly the show’s prop gag had crossed over into genuine collector territory.
What actually went into styling it on set
Steve Harrington’s hair on set had nothing to do with Farrah Fawcett products at all. According to Sarah Hindsgaul, the show’s hairstylist, actor Joe Keery never wore extensions or a wig for the role — every version of the look was achieved using his own naturally thick hair, which she’s described as difficult to manage precisely because “it does what it wants.” The actual process involved blow-drying with a round brush and Rene Furterer mousse, followed by a dry wax called Kevin Murphy Night Rider worked through the back and sides for texture, a light application of Oribe Texture Spray for extra grit, and a heavy final coat of R+Co hairspray to hold everything in place.
Hindsgaul has said the full process took around 30 minutes each shooting day, and that Keery couldn’t wash his hair the day before a styling session for the look to hold correctly. She’s also said finding the right combination of products wasn’t immediate — she reportedly tested around 15 different products before settling on the final routine used throughout the show’s run.
“It was a proud project that happened there — big and blow-dried back with that kind of obnoxious piece hanging down,” Hindsgaul said of the hairstyle’s early design.
How the look evolved across the show’s seasons
Steve Harrington’s hair changed subtly from season to season as the character himself evolved from Hawkins High’s antagonistic golden boy into one of the show’s most beloved heroes. Hindsgaul has said the team looked to vintage photos of Brad Pitt and George Clooney, along with the music video for a-ha’s “Take On Me,” as visual references while developing the character’s signature volume and shape.
Season 2’s version of the hairstyle added noticeably more texture compared to season 1, which Hindsgaul described as relying more heavily on plain hairspray without the same gritty, “rockstar” quality later seasons introduced. That front piece — the strand hanging loosely near Steve’s forehead — was deliberately preserved across seasons specifically to create visual continuity between each year’s slightly evolving take on the same core look.
Why Joe Keery has grown tired of the attention
Steve Harrington’s hair became such a fixture of pop culture conversation around the show that Joe Keery has spent years fielding questions about it in nearly every interview, regardless of what project he’s actually promoting. Early on, Keery treated the attention with humor, telling Esquire he didn’t do anything special to his real hair and joking that “it’s mostly just my parent’s hair,” while pointing curious fans toward eBay if they wanted to track down the fictional Farrah Fawcett spray for themselves.
By 2022, with a music career under the name Djo and other acting roles including “Fargo” season 5 gaining momentum, Keery’s patience had visibly worn thinner. “It’s really ridiculous. It’s not something I have control over,” he told The Daily Beast, describing the ongoing hair questions as “internet fodder that’s carried over and is now attached to me.” Even so, he’s acknowledged the trade-off is a fair one, adding that the attention helped build the career he now has — a “who cares” shrug delivered by an actor who, whatever his feelings on the subject, will likely be asked about his hair again in his very next interview.
For more on the character behind the hairstyle and how his arc concluded, Read more: Steve Harrington’s Fate covers whether he survives the series. And for another real-world product tie-in that became just as inseparable from the show, Read more: Running Up That Hill breaks down the Kate Bush needle drop that became a genuine chart phenomenon.
Refinery29’s full interview with hairstylist Sarah Hindsgaul goes deeper into the exact products and technique used each season, and it’s worth reading in full here.
Stranger Things 5 | Official Trailer | Netflix
Frequently asked questions about Steve Harrington’s hair
Did Joe Keery wear a wig for Steve Harrington’s hair? No. According to the show’s hairstylist Sarah Hindsgaul, Joe Keery never wore extensions or a wig — every version of Steve Harrington’s hair was styled using his own natural hair.
What products were actually used to create Steve Harrington’s hair? The real process used Rene Furterer mousse, Kevin Murphy Night Rider dry wax, Oribe Texture Spray, and R+Co hairspray, rather than the fictional Farrah Fawcett spray referenced in the show itself.
Is Steve Harrington’s Farrah Fawcett hairspray a real product? Yes and no. Fabergé Organics genuinely released Farrah Fawcett-endorsed haircare products in the 1970s and 1980s, but the specific “Farrah Fawcett spray” referenced by Steve in the show was largely a fictionalized homage to that real product line.
How long did it take to style Steve Harrington’s hair each day? According to hairstylist Sarah Hindsgaul, achieving Steve Harrington’s hair took approximately 30 minutes per shooting day, and required Keery to avoid washing his hair the day before.
Does Joe Keery still get asked about his Stranger Things hair? Yes. Joe Keery has said in multiple interviews that questions about his hair follow him into nearly every promotional interview, regardless of the project he’s currently working on.
