What's New In High School Boys' Hair?

While some teen haircuts may seem extreme to older folks like parents or teachers, they are probably no more unconventional than those worn by previous generations. Here are some of the looks that many teen boys are sporting these days:

1. Highlighted tips. What their grandparents used to call "frosted hair," today's teen boys call highlighted tips. Relatively normal shadings of blond, red, or black, though perhaps brassier than the shades used for an overall hair dye, can be tinted into the top part of the hair ends of a typical short hairstyle. The overall effect blends the natural hair color into increased lighter or darker tips for an eye-catching appearance.

2. Flam buoyant hues. Green, blue, purple, and other non-traditional hair colors are sometimes adopted for short-term use or special events. Girls use this technique as well. The idea is to push the envelope in terms of creating an individualistic style that draws attention. Sometimes the colors are mixed or contrasted for special effects.

3. Mixed shadings. Guys with facial hair can opt to shade their moustaches, beards, or goatees one color and their hair another, usually a contrast of black and blond. Occasionally the beard will be primarily one color tinged with its contrasting hue.

4. Longer lengths. While most teen boys no longer wear shoulder-length hair, some still do, with a few growing hair down their backs for a pony tail or wavy look. Other lengths include a short-cropped athletic look, classically popular, and a slight over-the-ears cut that harks back to the early 1960's. Many boys sport a classic short above-the-ears style.

5. Waves are in. Natural or cultivated waves are back for boys. Loose waves rather than tight ringlets appear to be in vogue, often worn about the face and reaching to chin level.

In general, an unusual combination of traditional versus contemporary hairstyles are being worn by today's teen boys. More apt to visit a hair salon, as opposed to a barber, than their forebears, they are more likely as well to permit a stylist to experiment with a variety of cuts, styles, lengths, and colors than ever before. Related to hairstyles, many teen boys now wear earrings in both ears, versus one in recent years, and many opt for multiple ear piercing, along with tongue, labret, eyebrow, and other body parts. Body fashion, including hair, enjoys great popularity with today's teen boys, and likely is here to stay.