How to Style Your Hair (Male)

Reviewed by Jasmin Todd

Last Updated: January 25, 2024 Fact Checked

Is your hairstyle boring or have you grown tired of the same old look? Are you ready to try a new style, but don't know where to begin? Whether you're vying for a new haircut, or are simply trying to mix things up a bit, there are all sorts of techniques and products you can try out. Keep your facial shape, your hair, and your styling needs in mind and you'll find a great hairstyle!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Changing Your Hairstyle

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Determine your facial shape. It's generally understood that not every hairstyle will look good on everyone. This largely has to do with facial shape and features. A useful way to find your facial shape is to stand in front of a mirror and
mark the outline of your face (not including your hair or ears) using a bar of soap or makeup pencil.
You should be able to see a definitive shape.
Once you have determined your face shape, try to find a hairstyle that suits the shape. This may require patience, as you may find that you need to grow your hair longer in order to style it appropriately. Here are suggestions for styles based on your face shape:

Face Shapes
Oval face: Choose almost any hairstyle, but bangs or fringe will make your face appear rounder.^{[1]
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Square face: Choose a softer style around your hairline. Short, tight hairstyles will play up your sharp features. Avoid parting your hair in the center.^{[2]
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Oblong face: Choose a balanced style. Short sides and a long top will make your face look even longer. Keeping some hair styled onto your face can help balance your facial length.
Round face: Avoid sharp bangs or lots of hair swept onto the face.^{[3]
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Diamond-shaped face: You may want to choose longer hairstyles. Avoid sharp haircuts near the ears and straight hair.^{[4]
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Heart-shaped face: Choose longer hair. Facial hair, such as a beard, mustache, or goatee, will also help balance the lower part of your face.^{[5]
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Triangular face: Choose a style that adds width and volume at the top.^{[6]
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Figure out your hair type. Is your hair wavy, straight, textured, or curly? Is it fine, medium, or thick? Certain hairstyles will work better with your hair's natural tendencies and can make styling easier.
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Pick a hairstyle that matches your hair type. While some of these styles work with any hair texture, most work best with a specific hair type.
Evaluate what your hair naturally tends to do
and find a hairstyle that complements those tendencies.
- If you have straight hair of any consistency, consider choosing the Prohibition High-and-Tight, let it grow out (as long as it isn't fine), flow and comb it, or crop it.
  - The Prohibition High-and-Tight features very short sides while fading hair shorter into your nape and sideburns. The top should be a little longer, about an inch and a half. To style, use a gel to keep the top combed into place. Don't choose this look if you have wavy or curly hair.
  - To let your hair grow out for a messy look, simply let your hair grow past your shoulders. Styling is simple, just towel dry your hair and apply a little texture cream.
  - The flow and comb starts with a square cut, but is longer on the sides and the top. Apply a mousse to your wet hair, then comb the hair back. Avoid this if you have curly hair.
  - Cropped hair is essentially cut short evenly across the sides and the top. You don't really need styling products with this low-maintenance cut.
- If you have curly or wavy hair, consider choosing a pompadour, let it grow out, or crop it.
  - The pompadour is simply a classic haircut. The blended cut should be done to a ratio of 2 to 1, top to sides. This basically means that you should leave the sides shorter than the top, but not drastically shorter. Style with a pomade and comb the top into place. Avoid this look if you have very fine, straight, or thin hair.
  - To let your hair grow out for a messy look, simply let your hair grow past your shoulders. Styling is simple, just towel dry your hair and apply a little texture cream. For more of a bed-head look, ask your stylist to add texture and style with a hair gel.
  - Cropped hair is essentially cut short evenly across the sides and the top. You don't really need styling products with this low-maintenance cut.
- If you have a receding hairline, just keep your hair short. If you're feeling adventurous, you could shave everything off and possibly grow a beard or goatee.
There is no hard and fast rule about hairstyle. While these suggestions may help, you should ultimately find a style that makes you feel comfortable and like yourself. Don’t be afraid to try out different styles every month or so until you find one that you really like.
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Choose a sideburn length. The
average length of classic sideburns is the middle point of your ear,
but this can be adjusted according to your facial features and head shape. Whatever length you choose, the sideburns should match your hairstyle. So, if you have short hair, the sideburns should be kept short and well trimmed. Sideburns can be longer and thicker with a longer, looser hairstyle.^{[7]
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- Longer sideburns can actually make your face look narrower, while sideburns that are shorter than mid-ear length can have the opposite effect. Typically, shorter sideburns work well with longer faces, while longer sideburns can elongate shorter faces.^{[8]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Doing Everyday Styles

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1
Consider your situation. If you are choosing a new everyday style, it’s best to keep details about your life in mind. Consider the needs of your workplace, how much time you have to style your hair, and how much effort you are willing to put in to your daily look.
- Regardless of the hairstyle you choose, it should work with your personality. You'll need to be comfortable with your new style, so don't pick a style that doesn't match your own personal tastes. If your stylist recommends a hairstyle that you don't feel comfortable with, politely tell them how you feel and find something else.
It helps if you can go to a stylist that you're already familiar with, but if you need to find a new stylist, ask friends or coworkers for recommendations or check the internet and look at the ratings and reviews for local salons.
Bring photos of hairstyles you like and ask the stylist if the look would work with your facial shape.

Haircut Suggestions
When you get your hair cut, remember the name of the style that you got, so that you can remind the stylist at future appointments or ask for something slightly different. If you like the cut, be sure to tip well. You should also ask your stylist for maintenance and styling suggestions. They'll be able to tell you which products to use and how often to get trims.
Possible styles:
Fade: Sometimes called a “taper,” a fade is a cut done with clippers in which the hair on the side of the head is gradually cut shorter as it gets closer to the neck. There are several variations of this style (afro cut, bald/skin fade), so ask your stylist about what option would look best on you.
Crew cut: Crew cuts feature a short, even trim on the top of the head — around 1 in (2.5 cm) in length — and a tapered, even shorter trim on the sides of the head.^{[9]
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Pompadour: The pompadour is an undercut hairstyle featuring short cuts on the sides of the head, but longer hair brushed back over the highest point on the head. It was popularized by Elvis Presley.
Quiff: This style is similar to the pompadour, except the hair is brushed forward instead of towards the back of the head.
Buzz cut: Buzz cuts consist of hair cut very close to the scalp. They’re low-maintenance, but still stylish.^{[10]
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Part your hair. When you're deciding where to place your part, think about your face shape and your natural part. If you have a round face, don't part your hair in the middle - it will emphasize the roundness. If you have a sharp jaw and high cheekbones, a part that's far to one side will highlight these qualities. In general,
a part that's a few inches off-center works well for most people.
Experiment to see what you like best.
- You can use your fingers or a comb to part your hair. Keep in mind that finger-combing will result in a wavier, more natural look, while using a fine-toothed comb will make your hairstyle more sleek and structured.
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Comb your hair. Unless you're spiking your hair out in every possible direction, you'll notice that most hairstyles have one primary direction in which the hair is combed. You can comb it forward, back, up, to the side, or straight down. Experiment with a few different ways and see what works best for you.
- Note that
  most men only style and comb the top portion of their hair,
  unless their hair is on the long side of medium or longer. The back and sides of most men's haircuts are short enough that they don't require much day-to-day styling.
Unfortunately, most of us need more than water and a comb to style our hair. Start off with less expensive brands while you're experimenting with different types of products. When you find something you like (such as hair clay), then you can try to find the right brand for you. Here are a few possible products you can purchase, as well as the sort of look they'll help you achieve:

Products to Try
Serums or creams: These can help you tame fly-aways or de-frizz curls without making your hair stiff and immovable.
Mousse: Use hair mousse to add volume and shine to your hair, with minimal hold. Mousse is also good for defining curls and waves if you have hair that is 3 in (7.6 cm) or longer. For best results, apply to wet hair and allow your hair to dry.
Gel: Unlike pomade, gel contains alcohol that dries out hair and makes for a stiffer hold. For the strongest hold, apply gel to wet hair.
Pomade, hair wax, or hair clay: Use these products to mold your hair into difficult-to-achieve shapes, such as pompadours or curls (for naturally straight hair). Be aware that it can take several washes to remove these products, so apply them lightly. A pea-sized amount should be plenty if you have short, medium or thin hair. Use pomade or hair wax for a shiny, wet look; use hair clay for a matte, natural tone.
Hair glue: Ever wonder how some people get their mohawks to stand straight up? They're probably using some variation of hair glue (it's not actually glue, just a type of hair gel), which provides the strongest possible hold. Be wary of product build-up, however, and wash your hair thoroughly between applications.
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Apply the appropriate styling products and set with hairspray (optional). Depending on the product and hairstyle, you may want to apply the styling product before you comb your hair. If you're worried about your hair drooping or losing its structure throughout the day, mist it with hairspray as soon as you're finished styling. You can choose a product with light or strong hold
(just remember that "strong hold" means "more alcohol," which can make your hair look more brittle).
- Be sure to keep the hairspray at least six inches away from your hair when spraying it. Avoid spraying too much or your hair might clump together and look hard.
- Hair wax is also a simple way to set your hairstyle. Just rub a little bit of wax between your fingers until it softens and then pinch it between strands of hair to work it in.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Styling for an Event

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1
Consider your styling needs and situation. Why are you styling your hair? Are you going to prom? Meeting your girlfriend's parents? Just want cool hair? Make the look match the situation.
- Keep in mind that
  formal events call for more traditional hairstyles.
  Your cousin may not want you to wear a high Mohawk to her wedding.
- It may be best to choose a style that is close to your everyday style for an important event; this will help you feel more comfortable during the event.
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Use quality products. If you started using cheap products for your daily style, you may want to consider springing for better quality products for your special occasion.
Cheap products are more likely to cause build-up or undesired effects such as making your hair look either too dry or too oily.
- Be sure to use the products a couple of times before the special occasion so that you know how your hair reacts to the product.
If you are going to a formal event, such as prom or a wedding (as a guest or a member of the wedding party), you may want to ask someone for styling help for the event. A professional stylist, a parent, or even your date may be able to offer suggestions for what would look nice on you.
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Make everything crisp and neat. The most important aspect of your special-event hairstyle is that it should look like you spent time trying to make your hair look perfect.
- Your part should be made with a comb so that it looks sharp.
- You should use product to keep the hair where you intend for it to be.
- A quality hair product that adds a bit of shine or a wet look often works for events.
If the event that you are attending is going to last more than an hour or two, you may need to refresh your hair to keep it looking neat. This can be as simple as keeping a small comb in your inside jacket pocket, wetting it in the men’s room, and running it through your hair. This will likely re-activate your styling product (particularly hair gel) and can help you make it to the end of the event still looking snazzy.

Expert Q&A

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Question

I want my hair to stand up; what should I do?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Apply styling wax and use a hair dryer to sculpt into desired shape. Set with the cool shot button on the dryer and finish with a light mist of hair spray.

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What are some styles I can pull off with curly hair?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

It depends on your hair length, face shape, and the size of your curls, but generally curly hair works best with layers if longer, and in barbered styles like fades if shorter.

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Question

I have a big nose and my face shape is oval. Which hairstyle will suit me?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Because you have an oval shaped face, you can choose almost any hairstyle. If you wear a part, part your hair off to the side rather than the middle because a middle part may draw more attention to your nose.

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Tips

Avoid using too much hair product which can lead to build-up and make your hair unhealthy. Wash your hair regularly to prevent build-up.

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Decide the hair style you would like to keep, then have your hair cut accordingly.

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Consult a stylist if you're really not sure about how you want your hair to look. He or she can offer you a professional opinion.

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