The 80's big short hair was wild looking and the sides were usually shorter than the back, otherwise known as the bi-level.
Curly perms were all the rage and if you wanted to be cool in this decade, you got yourself a salon permanent. The smell was awful but it was worth it to get the big look. Lots of strong hold hair gel was used to get the roots to stand up and then shellac-like hairspray was used.
Notice the shoulder pads in the top. Most all women's clothes had these to broaden the look of top portion of the body thus making the bottom portion appear smaller. Ha ha what a concept.