Since its introduction in 1972, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ look has been iconic: short shorts, fringed vest, knotted top.
Equally iconic: the cheerleaders’ hair. The squad’s dance routines, including Thunderstruck, which has gone viral in the wake of the Netflix docuseries America’s Sweethearts, involve hair flips and shoulder shimmies that send the sweethearts’ curls bouncing.
Hair is so imperative to the cheerleaders’ overall aesthetic that salon makeovers are a required part of the squad audition process. As featured in the Netflix series, hairstylist Kevin Ozowski, of North Texas’s Tangerine Salon, oversees DCC hopefuls as they have their locks transformed to “better suit” their skin tones and face shapes. On the show, he and his colleagues notably deepen the sole redhead’s scarlet locks and take New Jersey blonde Kelly Villares back to her dark roots. Ozowski also serves on the panel of judges, helping to make the ultimate call on who makes the squad.
A native of Coppell, a suburb north of Dallas, Ozowski grew up in a family of Dallas Cowboys fans. “The game was always on,” he tells me. Seventeen years ago, after finishing cosmetology school, he took a job at Tangerine Salon, the “trusted salon” of the DCC squad and the setting of team makeovers for the past eight seasons. In 2016 Ozowski became the lead stylist for the cheerleaders’ Rhythm & Blue team, a secondary rookie squad, before transitioning to stylist and auditions judge for the main group.
Ozowski describes the iconic DCC hairstyle as “very classy.” With some exceptions, the cheerleaders wear their hair in long and loose curls, forever shiny and polished despite the long days and constant movement. “The new term that I like to use is ‘quiet luxury,’ ” he says. “That’s kind of what I try to envision.”
Most importantly: the hair is voluminous, in a nod to the state the women are representing. “Big hair is always better when it comes to the cheerleaders,” says Ozowski. “They love the volume.” He of course knows the Texan hair idiom by heart: “ ‘The higher the hair, the closer to Jesus’ is what they say here.”
Thus, peak DCC hair is also peak Texas hair. Below, the DCC hairstylist shares five products that help him and his clients achieve big Texas hair, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders way.
Aveda Thickening Tonic
Step one in achieving the flowing, loose signature curls of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is a volumizing product, applied to damp, towel-dried hair. Ozowski explains that the thickening tonic helps lift each hair cuticle for a fuller look from root to tip.
Aveda Heat Relief Thermal Protector & Conditioning Mist
Ozowski’s overall number one MVP pick for big Texas hair is this Aveda heat-protecting product, which guards hair from damaging heat and also moisturizes and conditions dry hair. Ozowski’s cheerleader clients curl their hair three or four times on one game day, but even the average Texan doing a once-daily curl needs to protect their locks from frying.
Curling Iron
To achieve the trademark DCC bounce, Ozowski suggests a quality barrel curling iron at one and a half inches wide. (I, for one, recommend the José Eber barrel, which I’ve been using faithfully since my bright, blond University of Texas coed days.)
Velcro Rollers
Ozowski also recommends using velcro rollers of a similar width to set the volume created by the heat of the iron. After styling each barrel curl, roll it into a velcro piece and clip the lock into place, leaving the roller in for at least twenty minutes. Any brand will do, and Amazon has cheap options starting at $10.
Aveda Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray
Hair spray was always going to make the team. The product is a necessity in Texas’s humid climate—even more so for the professional squad members, whose workdays sometimes last from sunup to sundown. After all that work, it’d be a shame to let those curls wilt in the sun. In addition to providing longevity, Aveda’s strong-hold formula helps lock in that big, big volume.
