A bouffant (pronounce /buːˈfɑːnt/) is a type of hairstyle characterized by hair piled high on the head and hanging down on the sides. It was a mainstream hairstyle in the mid-to-late 17th century in western Europe. In modern times, the bouffant was popular in Western culture in the 1960s, when it was created with the help of back-combing and large amounts of hair spray.