There are a variety of trends happening in multicultural men’s hair. Male grooming practices have diversified far past the close or short cut classics. Men are opting for diversity of style, altering their grooming practices to boast longer hair lengths in the crown and beard, whilst tailoring their maintenance to respect the demands of their texture. There’s even more to be said about the trends giving options beyond natural hair inheritance, allowing men to opt to use commercial hair to instantaneously achieve their desired stylistic choice.
Men Grow Out Their Hair Too
Men are growing their manes with a pride that would rival a lion. Some are sporting lengths long enough to fashion into a bro knot, braid, or crest a cloud of hair, while others are opting to grow just enough length to create some volume. Shorter length brush cuts, waves, buzzed and bald remain classic masculine looks. No matter the length, male grooming has gone to a whole new level.
Many men are opting to avoid use of razors, clippers, or depilatories on their faces and let their manly manes grow. There’s an expansive market of beard products to choose from. There are so many beard baths and washes, butters, oils and creams it can be overwhelming for a beard novice. A great approach to moisturizing after cleansing with a beard bath or shampoo is to apply a beard oil while damp and coat the oil with a beard butter or cream. For those with longer length beards, this moment is an optimal time to detangle. Overly curly textures of beards are more prone to popping and experiencing breakage when combed or picked while dry. And if you have to groom by picking or combing your beard when dry, apply a cream or butter to soften before managing that mane.
Yes, guys typically want simple and easy grooming practices, but men are adapting their grooming practices in consideration of the texture of hair they have. Straighter to wavy textures are cautious of their oily-prone hair, while curly to tightly coiled textured guys are concerned about maintaining the hair’s moisture. Whether on the crown or the beard, the right cleansing process makes a world of difference in manageability. Men’s cleansing product usually offer the choice of shampoo and conditioners or “two in one” shampoo conditioner. For straighter and wavy hair textures needing to remove oil build up, traditional stables of shampoo and conditioner or “two in one” cleansers usually adequately cleanse without leaving it stripped. But then there’s this new hair cleansing phenomenon that has now caught the attention of the fellas called “co washing.” Curly to tightly coiled haired guys need to cleanse without stripping the hair or beard, hence the benefit from this “co wash” method. These curly, coily haired guys can either use a standard conditioner in place of a shampoo, or take advantage of the co wash products in the market. Co washing helps refresh and cleanse the hair without removing the oils and moisture curly and coiled patterned hair so desperately needs.
Some Still Choose to Shave
Not everyone can grow a beard, and chose to shave. Additionally, there are guys who simply chose to shave their heads as well. When rocking a bald dome or clean shaven face it’s important to choose the right hair removal process whether depilatories, razor or clippers. The hair removal method is crucial and should especially consider the hair texture being removed in order to efficiently and safely remove the hairs, without abrading or irritating the scalp or skin. Overly curly hair or tightly coiled hair can be prone to ingrown hairs and skin sensitivity, so these hair types must use a method of hair removal that will best remove the hair without causing irritation.
Whether the hair is as low as a buzz or so gone like a bald shave, it’s a must to keep the scalp moisturized. Hair and scalp moisturizers help to avoid tightness and flaking. To ensure dandruff control, dandruff shampoos and conditioners are remedies, as well as using products that include tea tree, peppermint, or eucalyptus oil.
Styling Product Choice
There has been a broad discussion about cleansing, but how are men styling these variations of hairstyles and lengths? In order to masterfully sport any style it requires the right styling product. Pomades, gels, foams, fibers and waxes can be used by mostly all textures, but curly to coiled hair types should also add moisture to the style equation. Curls and coils do so much better with the aid of oils, creams, moisturizers, and curl puddings. For more control and hold there are a plethora of foams and gels with added oils to really benefit dehydrated strands without sacrificing that styling option. Here are a few curl tips:
- For guys with wavy textures who want to use a product to enhance curls, using a light hold foam will easily lather on curls and will dry with a light hold. Using a light oil after applying foam will diminish some of the hold and enhance the shine.
- For softer looking curls with the same method of foam application, once hair has dried rub fingers through the hair with a light oil to give a softer look with the benefit of the curl definition provided by the foam.
- Or for a softer look from the start, wavy textures can also simply use a hair cream or hair dress moisturizer. Overly curly to tightly coiled hair can benefit from using curl puddings and custards which moisturize while still offering curl definition.
- Or to increase curl texturizing, use a soft hold gel that will stretch those curls, and then go over it with an oil to enhance shine and prevent the hold from being too firm.
Hair Illusion Techniques
Choices, choices, choices, there are so many styling options and techniques for the modern man. Length variations; undercuts; fades; straight and an assortment of textures, including locks; as well as the male specific products to enhance care taking and styling—these have all made male grooming extensive. The new horizon becoming commonly popularized is the implementation of hair illusion techniques as a stylistic option. Men don’t have to be stuck with the fate of male pattern baldness or wait for their hair to grow to achieve a desired style. Hair illusion techniques provide non-surgical means to address male pattern baldness or thinning, or provide a quick way for men with no hair loss issues to sport another hairstyle without the growing out phase.
Extensions, commercial hair, and hair fibers are more commonly offering men instantaneous means to achieve their desired hair results. Hair additions are becoming the go-to for perfectly coiffed hair and reflect the camera ready, image conscious, selfie age we live in. Texture, length, color, fullness, and every other benefit of commercial hair is of option to the stylistic men. Toupees, weft and bulk hair, fibers, and the masterful incorporation of hair illusion techniques are gaining familiarity due to outlets like social media, thusly diminishing the stigma of male extensions. There is a growing momentum of barbers and hairstylists learning these techniques, allowing them to extend their male grooming services and consequently provide a service which male clients can partake of.
