School is back and officially in full swing. We’ve reunited with school friends and have gotten to see how everyone has changed over the summer, from new outfits to shoes, and, sometimes most shockingly, new haircuts. Don’t tell me that you’ve never seen someone on the first day of school and didn’t immediately text a friend asking if they’ve seen so and so’s new haircut. In our society ridden with gossip, I’m sure you’ve done just that, or at least something similar. We’ve been on summer break for two months, and summer is the perfect time for experimenting with new looks and styles. I’m a big supporter of this type of self-expression. I think everyone should wear their hair as they please, and while I’m never one to tell somebody to do something just to appeal to others, people should be aware of the repercussions of the hairstyle they choose. It’s time to debrief some of the hairstyles that are popular these days and discuss some pros and cons. I’ll be rating these haircuts on whether they are a hair-DO: beautiful, wonderful, would recommend! Or a hair- DON’T: grow it back and try something different.
Starting with the one I like the most, a recent style that is taking teenage boys by storm: the slightly overgrown fade, or, the long on top, short underneath, whatever you want to call it. This one seems to be a safe bet for lots of hair types and textures. This style can work great because it looks clean even as it grows out. Men can embrace the length on the top while still keeping the underside maintained. It can be worn with a middle part, or no part at all. Anything in that realm of long on top and shorter on the bottom is definitely a hair-do.
Next is the buzz cut, and here’s where it starts to get dicey. A buzz cut is a big commitment, and I’ll commend the bravery because deciding to go nearly bald takes courage. By the time that man finds himself in the barber’s chair or with his head dangling over the kitchen sink with an electric razor poised above his scalp, he’s likely considered not only the shape of his head but also the rate of his receding hairline. Then, he may have wondered whether or not he’d be able to handle the vulnerability it takes to be exposed like that until all his hair grows back. There are a lot of big things to consider when buzzing off all of your hair.
The buzz has become more of a fashion statement of sorts since the days of elementary school, when they served as an efficient form of lice termination. Today, it’s common for a guy to rid his head of hair, maybe bleach the remaining fuzz, and sometimes even paint bright, colorful patches all over such as leopard spots, flames, and polka dots. Hair that short is a canvas for creativity, and I applaud some of the colorful patterns people have chosen to adorn their heads with. Still, I’m not the biggest fan of this particular style.
The buzz isn’t always bad; some people are full supporters. I took it up with members of the Franklin High School (FHS) community, and the reviews were mixed. “I feel like there’s definitely a certain brand of boys that can really pull off the buzz cut, […]when they do, it works,” says Sy’asia Lloyd, a senior at FHS. But others, like FHS Junior Beatrix Brandau, seem to be less fond. “It’s such a big change, like you didn’t really need to do that; you’ll always look better with actual hair. [A buzz cut is] so hard to get done right,” she comments. I have similar thoughts.
To me, it’s the initial shock of seeing someone who once had a luscious head of hair appear one day, centimeters from baldness, that causes my adverse reaction to someone showing up at school with a fresh buzz cut. Then, of course there’s growing it out, the most unappealing part in my opinion. Anyone who has had bangs can attest to the struggle of facing all the stages of growth, and the story is the same with the buzz cut. At first, your head is less fuzzy, but then the hair begins awkwardly growing back. After that, the mad-scientist look takes shape, and the hair grows in all directions as if it forgot how to grow properly since it was totally eliminated months before.
The grow-out phase is inevitable, unless you want to shave your head every three months for the rest of your life. So consider the long-term commitment. Despite my numerous critiques, I reluctantly deem this as a hair-do. You can do it by yourself at home, or enlist a trusted friend to do it for you. Maybe getting a buzz is the move if you’re looking for a redo. See what happens when you start from scratch. Embrace the egghead and live your buzz cut life.
We’re rounding it out with the scariest one. Business in the front, party in the back: the mullet. A hairstyle that has been making a considerable comeback in recent months. The teenage boys of the 21st century are loving this ‘80s style. Kids who are trying to achieve that skater look are pairing it with a t-shirt that has some beer company name on the back, and a pair of jeans that once belonged to a construction worker. You may think the mullet is a safer option than, say, a buzz cut. Less drastic, lower commitment. But I think it’s perhaps an even scarier decision because if something goes wrong, you’ll have to shave it. Then you will have gone from your regular style to a mullet to a buzz cut, and do you really want to be forced through all those stages in such rapid succession? That seems like an intense journey for you, your hair, and everyone involved.
It’s safe to say that unless you’re Brad Pitt, I am skeptical of your mullet. However, the mullets we’re seeing now stray a bit from the quintessential bootstrapping cowboy mullet or whatever weird situation that David Bowie had going on. Now, the look is more tame and uniform, but I can’t say that everyone I’ve seen has pulled that off. “[Mullets] only work for certain guys. Personally, it’s too honky tonk country for my taste,” says Lloyd. I don’t think I could’ve said it better myself. The aggressive Billy Ray Cyrus mullet situation is too much. If you’re going to do it, it should be subtle, neat, and not too long. “I’m not a fan of the country blocky mullets; it’s gotta have some shag,” agrees Brandau. Ultimately, I am going to have to rate this as a hair-don’t. It’s too risky and easily botched. Let’s keep all our hairs closer to the same length.
At the end of the day, hair is just hair, and the coolest thing about it is that it grows! Don’t listen to silly people like me who say you shouldn’t embrace your inner cowboy by sporting a beautiful, chunky mullet, if that’s what you want to do. Hair is many people’s make or break when it comes to feeling confident and put together. So wear your hair however you like.
