Picture this: you walk into a barbershop, and you show your barber a picture of the hairstyle you want. However, when the haircut is over and he shows you his work through the mirror, it looks nothing like what you thought it would.
But you give a fake smile and say “it looks great” as you run home to put on a hat for the next month.
When it comes to ranking things on the scale of what makes a man look his best, finding the right hairstyle is at the very top.
In this article, I’ll break down the science of finding the perfect hairstyle for yourself.
THE PROBLEM
I’m sure you guys have seen these charts before that show a variety of hairstyles to pick based on your face shape.
I want you to never look at these charts again because they’re completely useless.
No one’s face shape is a perfect circle, triangle, or square, and even if it was, the factors that go into finding a hairstyle should take into account so much more, such as the shape of your features, your hair type, your hair density, the weird bumps on your head – you get the point.
Someone with a big nose and a small forehead will rock a different style than someone with a small nose and big forehead, even if both of their face shapes are square.
Another factor is the hairline and hair density.
If you have thick hair density but a pulled back hairline, you’d want to rock a hairstyle with a fringe.
Finding the right hairstyle is all a balancing act that takes into account your unique features, which is why these charts never really work.
Another major problem you’ll run into on your quest to finding the perfect hairstyle is that hair grows really slow.
If you get a bad haircut, it can take months to grow it back. If you want a longer hairstyle, it can take a year to grow your hair out, only to find out you hate how you look with long hair.
That’s why you can go a lifetime without finding your signature hairstyle, and next thing you know you’re thinning and can only rock one hairstyle (BALD!).
And finally, the last problem you’re going to run into is finding the right barber.
Some barbers just aren’t able to cut certain hairstyles. A lot of barbers have become one-trick ponies and can do one variation of a short sides, long top fade, and that’s it.
So if you’re looking for a medium-length hairstyle that might require a different type of knowledge such as layering, you’ll need to visit someone that can actually give you the hairstyle you want.
THE SOLUTION
So we’ve listed all the roadblocks present when finding your hairstyle, now let’s talk solutions.
We live in an amazing age where with technology we can try out different hairstyles.
FaceApp is a really cool app that will let you try out different hairstyles by uploading a picture of yourself.
You can see how you would look bald, or curly or with long hair.
It’s not perfect though and it won’t get it 100% right, but it’s very very close and I think it’s an amazing tool to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.
Another solution is the ‘doppelganger’ method, which basically means finding someone online, whether it’s a celebrity or influencer that looks like you in terms of hair type and features, and copying their hairstyle.
Again – not a 100% accurate method, but a much better way to begin your journey than a face shape chart.
Next is a method I highly recommend – it’s seriously consulting with your barber or hairstylist.
I was paying $20 a haircut with my previous barber, and I always got good haircuts, but nothing amazing.
My friend recommended a hairstylist to me that charges $50 a haircut – double the price. I said why not and went to try it out.
What I found out was that the biggest difference wasn’t their skills with clippers or scissors; it was the amount of attention and consultation the stylist gave me.
We talked about my hair goals, and he was very honest and let me know if something just simply wasn’t going to work for my hair.
After a few minutes of discussion, we had a hairstyle planned that, according to his professional advice, would suit me best.
We even talked about the way it would look during different stages of growth, when I should come for a trim, and the methods I should use to style it.
When you go to a higher-end stylist – this is what you’re paying for. A hairstyle tailored to you by a professional.
This is by far the best method of finding your perfect hairstyle, especially since the more you go to a professional, the more familiar they become with your hair and features.
The next method is the most time-consuming but perhaps the most rewarding.
They say if you want something done right, do it yourself.
Learning to cut your own hair will guarantee you get what you want every time, and it will also save you a ton of money.
You will, of course, need to invest in the proper tools at first – which are clippers, an outliner, and the proper mirrors.
There is a whole community of people learning to cut their own hair with great guides you can learn from.
It will take a lot of time, but sometimes the only person that can give you what you want is yourself.
So learning to cut your own hair is a great option if you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person.
— Sometimes it’s not the haircut that’s the problem, it’s your damaged hair.
A lot of guys don’t take care of their hair, and when they see a nice hairstyle that they want, what they actually mean is they want that nice quality of hair – not the haircut.
I want to recommend you really start a hair care routine. I’ve made a whole other video on this, but the basics are:
- Keep your hair hydrated and don’t strip it of its natural oils.
Start using higher-end shampoos and conditioners – my favorite brand is JVN.
It works amazingly on my hair that gets dry super fast. It’s slightly more expensive than what you’d usually buy, but it’s well worth it in my opinion.
- Keep your scalp healthy. Anytime I take a shower, I use a scalp scrub to gently exfoliate dead skin off my scalp.
This will keep your scalp happy and healthy, and will let new hairs grow to their full potential.
- And lastly, eat the right foods.
A lot of the quality of our hair is dependent on the kind of nutrition we put into our body.
You need to eat a good amount of proteins and fats – eggs being an amazing choice for hair health.
You need to get enough Vitamin D – either from sunlight or supplements because vitamin D deficiency is known to destroy your hair and make it thin.
EFFORT
Now you might be saying – wow, this all seems like a lot of effort.
It is, but I think it’s worth it.
The best feeling as a guy is going to your regular barber, asking for “the usual” and getting what you want every time. This is the power of finding your signature hairstyle.
It’s one of the biggest glow-ups a guy can get.
There’s a reason the meme girls have of hiding their boyfriend after he gets a fresh haircut.
You should be looking your absolute best after a haircut, and that requires putting in a bit of work to find what works best for you.
Trust me when I say it will be completely worth it.