One green vegetable is making a comeback, but not in the way you might imagine.
Broccoli, often relegated to the side of the dinner plate, has inspired a surprising hairstyle from teenage boys who are mimicking the look of the vegetable’s florets with their own stalks.
PopSugar reports that the style, which is a mix between a taper fade and a bowl cut, has been dubbed “broccoli hair” because of its resemblance to a flower bud, while Marie Claire reports that some people are getting perms to keep their hair “curly and messy” on top and “tapered and tidy” on the bottom.
“It’s achieved by cutting the hair short in uneven layers, like broccoli florets,” the star’s hairstylist Renée Frith told PopSugar. “The sides can be shaved completely short or very close to the scalp, like a fade.”
While the broccoli hair comeback is fairly recent, the unique hairstyle has been trending online and often becoming a meme since at least 2021. According to KnowYourMeme, the hairstyle was first mentioned online in a 4Chan post, where a user mocked the look of the “hairdo” and called it a “Zoomer perm.”
Demand for broccoli hair is so high, boys as young as 12 are rushing to their local hair salons to copy the look of their peers, influencers, and even Superman.
Broccoli hair has become ‘very attractive’, says stylist
Jasmine Burnside, another celebrity hairstylist, told Marie Claire in June that one of the reasons broccoli hair has become “super popular” is because it “looks good on so many different people” — it’s versatile and easy to personalize.
“Whether you’re looking for a quirky and fun style or a trendy, stylish cut, the broccoli cut can be tailored to suit a variety of genders, hair types and personal styles,” Burnside said. Popular TikTok users and celebrities are also driving the trend online, making the cut “highly appealing” to teens and young adults, Burnside said.
The broccoli hair look has also evolved over time, with teens opting for looser perms rather than the trademark curls, TikTok influencer Chris Grippo told GQ.
“The broccoli cut became a meme, and since then — I don’t want to be a meme,” Grippo said, telling GQ that “the super tight, super curly look isn’t cool anymore.” According to Grippo, the broccoli haircut is here to stay, albeit with some modifications.
That’s because it suits most face types.
“It suits everyone. It doesn’t matter if you have a round face or a thin one. Even if you have a big forehead, it can make you look attractive. And if you’re not sure about your face, it can cover up half of it,” concludes Grippo.
Broccoli hair’s biggest haters are online
Although the broccoli hairstyle is popular among the young male demographic, some online (not surprisingly) are not too fond of the hairstyle, as it is often the subject of controversy and ridicule, and some people still don’t understand why the hairstyle has become so popular.
Below, take a look at what people are saying and what they are saying about the broccoli haircut.
