Take a second to remember your most drastic hairstyle change. Maybe you got bangs during quarantine. Maybe your dad shaved your head at the last possible second before school one morning because you forgot that ROTC inspection was that day. The occasional regrettable hairstyle is essential to the teenage experience.
However, we’ve stumbled upon an entirely different phenomenon: Liberty hallways and classrooms are recently filled to the brim with students with bleached blonde hair. If it was just one or two students, it could be chalked up to the impulsive nature of teenagers. However, this batch of bold blondes- nicknamed the “Frosted Hair Boys” (or FHBs) by Mr. Woffinden- makes us all ask the question: why??
When I took this article, I was fully prepared to poke fun at this hairstyle. I’ve spoken with many who compared it to alpacas, wall insulation, and cupcake frosting.
Everything changed when I learned the FHBs’ origin story. Senior Eleanor Briggs explained that frosted hair, most common amongst Liberty athletes, is used as a sign of unity amongst sports team members. Bleaching hair is a way for athletes to bond with their comrades- often when reaching a team-wide achievement like going to playoffs, winning against a rival school, or making it to state competitions.
This tradition is even more wholesome when you consider how it’s (unfortunately) less socially acceptable for guys to experiment with hairstyles. It’s often considered “girly” to do your hair or go to a salon. When getting a haircut, there are oodles of options for girls, but you’d rarely ever see options like curtain bangs, face-framing layers, or keratin-strengthening treatments targeted at guys.
That’s exactly what makes the FHBs so unique. They took something traditionally less common and turned it into a way to lift each other up and promote a sense of comradery.
Although I’ve only recently started noticing the FHBs, this frosted phenomenon has been around for decades, most commonly in universities. The fact that there are now FHBs popping up in our very own Liberty highschool indicates that this positive aspect of sports culture is only growing.
Every FHB has a story. Maybe they made it to state on the swim team, or maybe they want to show their gratitude and support for a friend who made an amazing touchdown during last week’s football game. Or maybe, they just like the look.
Regardless of why students choose to bleach their hair, my advice is this: if you see a FHB’s bottle-blonde head bobbing down the hall, appreciate the fact that you go to a school with people who support each other instead of bringing each other down.
