Poufs are back... and we knew this day would come.

Holy, no. But the pouf is back. And, pls. DO NOT SPEAK TO ME OF THE OLD MAGIC.

In any case, the hairstyle has been popping up on the heads of celebrities. Lots and lots of celebrities. And as with almost everything in the beauty and fashion world, it was only a matter of time before it trickled its puffy little way back into the mainstream population, making a full-blown return to haunt the top of our heads, once again.

And honestly, it kind of checks out.

The millennial fringe has made a comeback. Concealer lips. Low-rise jeans. Ballet flats. French manicures. We could go on!

What a time to be alive (again).

Watch: Speaking of hair trends, here are six facts about body hair that'll surprise you. Post continues below. 

If you're a sweet young lamb who is not privy to the pouf (bless you!), because between the years of 2002 to 2009, it was just how your hair was supposed to be. It was ubiquitous with the times. A little puffed-up bouffant is something almost every girl, everywhere, wore at the front of their heads in high school.

Why did we do the poufs? Hard to say. 

But celebrities LOVED it. From Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan and Beyoncé, this was a hairstyle that defined a decade. Oh, and Gwen Stefani, too. And Snooki! Gosh. She really brought it home towards the end.

At the time, we all had these very glorious side-swept fringes. And straightened the living HELL out of the rest of our hair — so a sniff of volume, somewhere, was just very necessary. 

Also, we thought it looked hot.

Is the pouf making a comeback?

It is! It really is. And quite understandably, not everyone is happy with the return of the pouf. 

While Allure said the trend "slaps", other titles weren't so enthusiastic about the revival. 

For example, Grazia hopes the trend "never rears its ugly head again." New York Times editor Iva Dixit wrote on X that the style "should be the real target of your mockery."

So, why exactly is it doing the rounds again if everyone (respectfully) despises it?

Is it because a whole wave of younger people are now learning what happens when you get a curtain fringe (thanks, Sabrina Carpenter) and they're trying desperately to either grow them out or get them off their face? Perhaps. 

But, then — this isn't really a sudden comeback. Our 'research' shows that the return of the pouf has actually been a very slow burn — it's something that's been bubbling under the surface for a while now.

It all started in 2019 when Florence Pugh debuted a very familiar hairstyle amidst her promo of Little Women.

See here:

.@LittleWomen hive, assemble! I interviewed Saoirse Ronan and @Florence_Pugh about playing Jo and Amy, and why women often seem to identify so strongly with one or the other. https://t.co/vleINvQbok pic.twitter.com/wAkOXdnQhJ

— Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA) October 31, 2019

It's giving Lauren Conrad.

Anyway, everyone was confused about Pugh's intentions for single-handedly trying to bring back the pouf, and then COVID happened, and we forgot about it again.

But now it's 2024, and precisely EVERYTHING you once wore and loved in the naughties is very much trending again — including the pouf. The good news? It's (somewhat) evolved.

Meet: The modern pouf. It's a little smoother, more subtle and there's way less height going on. It's almost like a half-up, half-down look (but not).

Here's Bella Hadid wearing it:

Image: Instagram/@bellahadid.

And Nicola Peltz Beckham giving it a go:

Image: Instagram/@nicolaannepeltzbeckham.

And... oop! Here we have Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, showing us how it's done:

Image: Instagram/@rosiehw

See? Less offensive. No Bumpit! or excessive hair teasing required.

Although, if you really wanna go there on the volume front, you most certainly can. Here's Victoria's Secret model Nadine Leopold giving it a little more height:

Image: Getty.

And Simone Ashley working in some cute blue hair clips to compliment her curly and voluminous pouf:

Image: Instagram/@halleybrisker.

There was also Queen of Good Hair Matilda Djerf, who literally broke the Internet when she posted this pic of her iconic fringe swept back in a pouf and secured with a cute barrette:

Image: Instagram/matildadjerf.

I mean, we could just keep going:

Image: Instagram/@jennychohair

Need we say more? It's a thing again, friends. Sorry.

How to do the pouf.

The good news about this style is that it's actually super easy to do and works on all hair types and lengths — which is honestly a really nice change of pace. 

If your muscle memory and years of practice have served you well and you're keen to jump back on the wagon, go forth. But if you're looking for a refresher, allow us to explain. (Is this actually happening right now? Are we explaining the pouf? Life is weird).

All you need to do is gather a section from the middle of your hairline. Twist the hair and push the pouf to your desired level of height and use bobby pins, a claw clip or a nice bow (it's the perfect style to show off some cute accessories) to secure it in place. Then, add some kind of styling spray to smooth and hold.

Easy as pie.

Whether you're ready to go OC-style Alex Kelly height (REMEMBER, THOUGH) or you're more partial to the modern pouf a la Nicola Peltz Beckham — you do you! Just let's leave the dress-over-jeans combo in 2002, yeah?

Tell us... would you break out the pouf style again? Why/why not? Let us know in the comments.

Feature image: Getty.