Growing up, I’ve always parted my hair on the side for many reasons. Sometimes, I’d do it to hide my face’s shape, and other times to match the outfit I was wearing. But whenever my friends saw me do it, they’d question why. One day, I remember meeting with my aunt, and she made me part my hair in the middle for the first time — it felt so uncomfortable. Fast forward to today, times have changed, and the middle part has been embraced.
While browsing through TikTok, many Gen-Zers are rebelling against the side part and opting to part their hair differently. Sure, they’re trying to be “the cool kids” by doing the complete opposite of Millennials, but what’s behind this beauty trend? After some investigation, I found out five reasons why Gen-Zers are ditching the side parts:
1. Middle parts are perceived as ‘classy’ and ‘trendy’ — and have been in the past.
As you might have guessed, the middle part trend is recycled. Back in the 1920s, women would cut their hair into bobs and part them in the middle. Thirty years later, the middle part was making waves again, as more people wore it. Most recently, the 70s were full of celebrities wearing the hairstyle. During those times, some people wore side parts, but no one thought of them as a sign of royalty. In fact, the kings and queens of royal families parted their hair in the middle. And some of them still do it.
2. Middle parts provide more ‘symmetry.’
Middle parts divide your hair at the center of your head, so many people suspect that middle parts will bring out the symmetry of the face. When looking at pictures of celebrities, it seems that middle-parted hair tends to bring out their features more. If the focus is on the center of the hair, the emphasis may shift to the center of the face, creating symmetry.
3. Side parts can lead to quicker hair loss.
According to experts, parting your hair on one side for an extended period can lead to hair loss since it creates tension among the hair follicles and ultimately leads to breakage and balding. Bald spots are, unfortunately, difficult to deal with. However, when you part your hair in the middle, the risk of balding is lower, and you won’t have to deal with hair loss on one side of your head.
4. Middle parts make it easier to change your hairstyle throughout the day.
We all know the need to put our hair up in a ponytail or bun quickly. Having a middle part makes that process much easier since the sections are already equally divided. If you’re feeling extra sassy, you can put each side of your hair in space buns. If you had parted your hair on one side, you’d perhaps have to spend an extra minute flattening and smoothing out the loose ends and another extra minute organizing your hair.
5. Middle parts are more versatile than you thought.
Not only can you wear them with cute, straight bangs, but you can also layer, curl, and angle them easily. Sure, you may argue that side parts work for all of those hairstyles, but then, layering your hair with a side part will be much more difficult. Not only will you look like you traveled to the early 2000s, but the symmetry of the hairstyle may be off. Therefore, if you prefer sleek, classic, yet versatile hairstyles, the middle part is the way to go.
Regardless if it was because of a scene or emo phase (or a look you’ve stuck with for years), parting your hair in the middle may have never crossed your mind. However, having a middle part may be a blessing of some sort, especially if you love to change up your look.
Overall, Gen-Zers are known to be experimental and adventurous, and they made the middle-parted hairstyle the newest trend. But the primary cause of it may have been a sort of ‘revert’ against the side parts. In the end, you don’t need to listen to trends to determine what suits you. I’ll choose the side part but wear the middle part occasionally.
Photo by Julian Myles on Unsplash
