Is bleaching your hair peroxide blonde the new middle class boys trend?

Scientists around the world are saying humans have stopped evolving. But I've got big news for them, because last time I checked, middle class are still very much evolving and and so is their overall aesthetic.

First came the hipster beard, then the shaved head and now they're all deciding to bleach their hair. It's a tough world out there and it's equally as tough to understand what would compel men to bleach all of their hair.

But everyone is doing it. Celebrities are doing it. Footballers are doing it. Art students are obviously doing it. Even trolls on Twitter are doing it. And now the trend is spreading, the everyman is suddenly turning into a bleachboy and we need to know why.

Maybe they want to re-live the early 90s or pretend they're in a depressing indie band like The Drums. Or maybe it might be a way of standing out from the crowd and looking like the end of a highlighter is a sure way of doing that. Some cynics will say that men are simply choosing to dye their hair to act as a facade that hides their dull personalities. Or you know, it might be a desperate cry for help.

Whatever the reason behind it is, it seems like most people are falling for it:

The type of guy at uni that bleaches his hair definitely sports a Patagonia rain coat, sleeps with the fittest girls you know and hangs out in club smoking areas. He's cool, calm and collected and never gets that pissed. But the minute you mention Berlin, his ears will prickle up and he'll tell you about all the mad times he was "fuuuucked." He exclusively smokes American Spirit and the bone structure of his face will be as sharp as a razor.

But I decided to get to the bottom of this, so I spoke to some ordinary British men and asked them why they decided to bleach their hair.

Jake, 22, said: "It's not the first time I've done it but this time it was more just like a fuck it kind of thing. I haven't been ribbed endlessly about it by friends. They were more upset about the fact I sometimes top-knot as opposed to it being a different colour." His inspiration is "king of daytime TV himself, Phillip Schofield."

Drew, 21, on the other hand was inspired by Frank Ocean. He told me that the first time he bleached his hair was two years ago. "I tried a few semi perm colours and blond dye and it never really went how I wanted, so I thought I’d just strip all the colour out."

He continued: "I wouldn’t say it changed my life, but i think it helps me amplify parts of myself I want to express and move away from things I don’t want to deal with anymore. It’s definitely made me feel a lot better and confident in myself, I think that’s probably translated."

Joe, who is 20, bleached his hair because he "got bored of the same hair colour" and his mate told him he should do it one day.

He told me that his life hasn't really changed "apart from the occasional compliment on the hair." He said: "I suppose I may have felt very slightly happier in general, but nothing major."

"Celebrity inspiration? Pewdiepie."

While Simon who is a dancer based in London was "just bored of brown hair" and his mate was a hairdresser and convinced him to do it. He changed it up so he had "more of a unique look."

It seems that all of the boys I spoke to didn't know why they bleached their hair but the over-arching theme was of happiness and confidence since their makeovers. But it still doesn't solve the mystery of why everyone has decided to look like Slim Shady.

So I contacted Nathan Dell, a hairdresser based in London and he weighed in on the issue:

"Boys bleaching their hair recently has become the latest fashion trend. Salons have become booked up with appointments with men of all shapes and sizes wanting to bleach their hair to the whitest possible shade.

"I believe this is due to celebrities in the media doing this also. I also think the process, risk and spontaneous aspect of making such a drastic decision to such a major part of someone’s appearance makes the client have a new lease of life. Men feel enlightened, daring and carefree. Is this making them more attractive to women or men? I think they feel it does."