Elvis' hair was an aspect of his style that changed some over time but was always a symbol of his uniqueness and apathy for being part of mainstream culture.

1950s

Elvis took his hair and sideburns style from poor Southern white truck drivers (The Elvis Reader: Texts and Sources on the King of Rock 'N' Roll, 98). Soon into his career, he began dying his hair jet black, which would later, he believed, make him look better on film.  According to Stanley Booth, Elvis' (and his Memphis Mafia's) long sideburns were unfashionable and expressed the group's "contempt for the American dream they were too poor to be part of." (The Elvis Reader: Texts and Sources on the King of Rock 'N' Roll, 165).  In 1955, Elvis had a hair regimen using three different types of wax simultaneously to make his hair greasy and to make it fall during performances. (Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, 172).  As Elvis grew more confident, so did his hair, becoming more sculpted and less greasy, evident in his last appearance on the Dorsey brothers television show in 1956. (Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, 257).

1960s

In the movies, Elvis' hair was often a hard perfectly sculpted mass, matching his stiff appearance and dress at the time.  While it was relatively conservative, it was definitely unique.  In the late 1960s, beginning with the 1968 Comeback Special, Elvis began to perform on stage again and was looking back to his earlier music and performance roots.  His hair became loose again, falling down during shows.

1970s

 Elvis' hair, like in the late 1960s, was greasy and fell down during performances.  But, in keeping up with the times, his hair was longer, allegedly reaching his shoulders at times. Also note the ever-growing size of his sideburns, yet another thing he is still remembered for.