Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The Manual’s Guide to Hair Styling for Men

With summer wrapping up (say it ain’t so!), it’s time to put more focus on school and career and less on achieving a great tan. During the summer, we sometimes tend to let things slide a little bit in the grooming and dress department. Beach hair, swimsuits and flip flops rule. Yet getting back to a smarter regimen isn’t always a bad thing, and is actually something we look forward to. One of the most obvious grooming areas is your hair. We want to look on point for those first days back in class or on the job.

We spoke to Brian Porteous of Portland, Oregon’s Heritage Barber Shop for some expert men’s hair styling tips.

Recommended Videos

Brian’s main mantra is to “Go with whatever is natural and what your hair wants to do.” As he explains, “Most cuts are getting away from the really coiffed, really styled and really heavy product look.” Here are some additional suggestions:

brian
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • If you want to do a floating part, you can throw your hands through your hair, find the part, add some product and you are good to go. A wash and wear sort of cut.
  • It’s always beneficial to use a little product. If you’re new to hair products, you might start with a water-based putty or light cream that has a slight hold, yet is easy to work with.
  • You don’t want to go too short or add a lot of product to thin hair. Leave it longer on the sides and top and add just a little product.

Related: The Manual’s Guide to Summer Hair Care

Brian also answered some questions from our readers:

How soon before a big event should I get my haircut?

Come in a month to a month and a half before. Figure out the haircut you like and get it done. Four days before the event get a touch up and the day before, just get a trim around the ears and neck. You don’t want to look like you just walked out of the barber shop on the big day.

How do I quickly refresh my hair?

Get a towel as hot as you can with hot water and put it on your head and leave it for 10-15 seconds. You can press it against your head too and it really acts like a shower opening up your pores and relaxing your hair.

This article and video was brought to you by Old Spice

Cator Sparks
Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual
Cator Sparks was the Editor-in-Chief of The Manual from its launch in 2012 until 2018. Previously, Cator was covering…
Topics
Men with curls: Here’s how to finally get the haircut that works for you
Embrace your curls, and you'll enter a whole new world of styles
Man with long hair and glasses

For the most part, we live in a straight-hair world. Personally, this has never been an issue for me — while I am follicly challenged, my hair has always been reasonably well-behaved. The occasional stray curl pops up at the end of a strand when I grow it out, but I never faced the challenges that men with curls often have to confront.
These challenges can feel formidable. Curls can be unruly and hard to tame, and that might seem like a limitation. But the reality is very much the opposite — there are plenty of great-looking choices, provided you know what you want, get a great barber or stylist, and arm yourself with a little knowledge.

Know your curls

Read more
This stylist-approved trick is helping men fight gray hair fast
Men are adding this tactic that women have known about for years
Close-up of a man smiling

As men’s grooming standards continue to change, attitudes toward hair coloring are quickly shifting as well. Younger men are more open to experimenting with coloring, and their elders are making some intriguing changes, too.
For older men, though, it’s not exactly about coloring. The quest to ward off gray hair is a never-ending battle, and they’re learning a new trick in the coloring game that women have known about for years — roots touch-ups.

A stylist’s secret weapon

Read more
Looking to up your skincare game? MasterClass has you covered with this new series
This top-notch MasterClass series will help you up your skincare game
MasterClass skincare series

If you’re looking to establish or enhance your skincare routine, relevant information isn’t hard to find. Dozens of companies are incorporating it into their approach, and a significant portion of what they present and cover has value, even if it’s mostly product-oriented and biased.
But getting comprehensive skin health info is an entirely different matter. As someone who’s constantly on the hunt for accurate information that’s easy to access, digest, and absorb, I can testify firsthand that it’s a lot harder than it looks.
Which is why the new MasterClass series on skin health should definitely be on your watchlist. It’s a “must-see” series that will increase your skin health knowledge and improve your skincare routine.

The MasterClass approach

Read more