We're all probably a week or two away from doing something traumatic to our hair. D.I.Y. haircuts? Box dye? Bangs? They're tempting. Your fingers might be itching to pick up those blunt scissors you have sitting in a drawer.
But rather than do that, now might be the perfect time to let your hair grow long and luxurious onto your shoulders.
That's right, gentlemen (and ladies) - a mullet.
Though it sounds simple, there's still technique to growing out the hair before a professional cut. Indigo the Salon stylist Rachel Frank recommends starting by tucking your hair behind your ears if it's long enough. That way, you can see a faint picture of what a mullet might look like. If it's not long enough to tuck, a hat or a headband could also do the job.
Essentially, you just want to see the edges peeking out.
What should you do if it's long enough and you don't want to wait anymore?
If you have the patience, wait. If you have scissors, cut.
Frank, like many other stylists, won't outright suggest doing it yourself. (Remember the days of those botched, straight cut D.I.Y. bangs that make you look like Spock from "Star Trek?") But if you're desperate, start small.
"If they actually want to cut it themselves, clipping hair out of the way and making clean sections would be super helpful," Frank said. "And what tool to use would depend mostly on how short they really want the sides. Clippers for super short sides, scissors for 'finger length.'"
And don't fret if you mess up - when it comes time to visit your stylist, there's "almost always something that could be done to help fix it," Frank said.
Now, you might be asking, why in the world would I want to grow a mullet? Isn't that something we ought to leave in the past?
It depends on who you ask. Despite its popularity in the '80s and '90s, followed by the quick turnaround to frantically deny we ever thought it was a good idea, the mullet is making a comeback. Much of its popularity in 2020 can be attributed to people being bored with the current styles.
"A lot of it is just a defiant attitude conveyed through a haircut," Frank said. "Some of it is also just a sense of humor in a way."
The movement toward a bit of hair freedom has been headlined by Hollywood stars known for changing up their looks more than the average person can afford to: Miley Cyrus and Halsey, "Euphoria" star Barbie Ferreira, Billie Eilish (although Eilish previously said her version of the mod mullet was a hair dye accident) - even Korean boy band BTS from across the globe have sported baby versions of the style. And among soccer fans, the "soccer mullet" is nothing new.
What's different this time around is how it's spilled into high schools and local salons across the nation. While high school wrestlers often grow out their hair during wresting season, some athletes now wear the style well past the season if they can.
It might be in part attributed to the presence and availability of social media.
Frank said the style's splashes across social media have possibly helped people ease into it instead of producing knee-jerk reactions. And in the Midwest, "we're also surrounded by a lot of small towns and by people who have been doing mullets for a long time," she said - albeit not necessarily in the way it's currently resurfacing.
Frank, who has been in the hair business for nearly 12 years and has seen trends come and go, said she never would have expected the mullet to come back.
"I really didn't - not at all," she said. "But it's fun that people want to play and do something different than what everyone else is doing, even though that in itself becomes a trend."
Over the years, she's had a handful of clients request the style. She remembered how one client came in and specifically asked for a soccer mullet then attended the Daytona 500 with his extra hair in tow.
"He said that was the best time," Frank said. "People would stop him or give him a thumbs up just because of his haircut."
Another got his hair cut and then did a photo session. Yet another friend Snapchatted his entire mullet/salon experience "laughing hysterically the entire time," Frank said.
Now, when people go in for a cut, they request the style by name: the modern mullet.
The mullet also has a newfound variety. Frank said the modern 'do is less about feathering and more about using the clipper on the sides to create a dramatic effect. And, if you're really curious, Men's Hair offers 145 ways to wear a mullet in 2020 and "get away with it."
But mention mullets in a group chat or on your personal Facebook page and you might still be met with groans and expressions of horror, maybe an "smh" or two. It turns out the style has a rich history some folks aren't letting go of anytime soon. Even hairstylists aren't all happy about its resurgence.
"It's kind of a generational thing," Frank said. "Some of the stylists who have been doing hair for about 30 years are not excited to see the mullet comeback, like 'Ugh, not this again.' In the '80s, it was extremely popular, and that was probably during a time when they were in their prime as a hairstylist, too."
If you're not completely sold on the idea, that's OK. But you might still end up with a "Missouri Compromise," as a "Jeopardy!" clue in 2016 read, whether you're intending to or not: "The hair in back has gotten too long & now I'm sporting this hairstyle, aka the Missouri Compromise."