Salons today have as many haircut styles available for men as they do for women. Some salons or stylists will even specialize solely in men’s haircuts or services like a beard straightener. Entire product lines have now come out, catering to male-specific cuts.
Men’s cuts can be categorized as very short, short, medium, or long and can be layered and textured although most men will either consider a haircut “good” or “bad”.
To keep it simple, a good men’s haircut will work with the hair texture and natural part of the hair. The stylist will work to accentuate the face and minimal styling product should be needed, just to add some definition or shine. A bad haircut tends to go against the texture or emphasizes less flattering features. Having to use too much product to get the hair to sit right usually means the cut isn’t working with your natural style.
Very short and short cuts are easy to style but need to be maintained every 4 to 6 weeks to avoid that “grown out’ messy look. In the past, it was believed that only short hair could look professional but quite the contrary, medium length hair is found as often on a Fortune 500 CEO as a guitar player. Medium length hair can be harder to manage or style but it won’t grow out as fast so it’s good for those less likely to visit the salon on a regular basis. Adding layers to a medium haircut is also popular today. Long hair on men is nothing new and continues to remain popular in certain groups, though probably not the boardroom.
Specific Men’s Styles
Short
Fade: Short and tapered, the hair is layered to seamlessly transition between different lengths and continues to look professional as it grows out.
Harvard/Ivy League Cut: Also known as the “College Cut”, this haircut is typically short in the back and continues to get longer until the bangs (or fringe) that are long enough to be worn across the face or swept back to the side.
Flat Top: A haircut popular with young men, the flat top is cut shorter in front and longer in back to maintain a uniform look and create a “flat top”.
Medium
Bowl Cut: The bowl cut can conjure up bad childhood memories for many men, but it still remains one of the most popular cuts of all time (Thank all four of The Beatles for that). Today, the bowl is not necessary, and stylists tend to make it more choppy and layered.
Long
Mullet: The ever-famous “Business in the front, party in the back” haircut, the mullet can still be found today, with some variations.