How to style long hair for men

If you’re at the beginning of your long hair journey, the first step is growing out your short haircut. Long hair styles for men give you more options when it comes to trying different looks and experimenting with different tools and products.

First, decide how long you plan to grow your hair, whether it’s growing out just the top and keeping the sides short or growing it to chin length, shoulder length, or longer. Talk to your barber or hair stylist about your ideas so they can help create a plan for the shape and style as your hair grows out.

During the growing out process, it’s important to keep hair healthy following these tips:

• Use quality products
• Avoid over washing your hair
• Get trims regularly to remove split ends
• Limit the use of chemical treatments and hot tools
• Be patient

Hair grows approximately half an inch per month, so growing your hair long is a commitment.

When growing out an afro, keep hair moisturized as very curly or coily hair can dry out quickly. Try to shampoo only once a week to maintain natural oils.

Men’s long hairstyles are diverse, and there are plenty of options, from flowing locks past your shoulders to feathered looks with short fringe and undercuts with long hair on just the top. When deciding on the length and style that’s right for your hair, consider whether you’re looking for low maintenance or something that requires more upkeep.

Styles that come to your chin or longer look best when your hair type is medium to thick rather than fine. Wavy or curly hair adds movement to long hair styles for men, but straight hair can also be worn long.

There are many options to style long hair that are suited for many occasions including work, social events, and formal events. These are four popular options for men’s long hairstyles:

Men with long curly or wavy hair can play up their natural curl by diffusing their hair. After you shower, let your hair air dry to about 80%, then blow dry with a hair dryer with a diffuser attachment to give curls structure and volume. Using a hair dryer designed to dry with lower heat settings helps you avoid heat damage. For curly afro styles, use a hair dryer with a wide-tooth comb attachment to add volume and length.

Whether you have naturally straight hair or you’re looking to straighten curly or wavy hair, you can achieve this look with a hair straightener. Section your hair and gently run the straightener down small sections without applying too much pressure. Like with blow drying, using a straightener that requires less heat helps you avoid heat damage.

If you have a style that’s long on top and short on the sides, consider the slicked back look. After your hair air dries naturally or you blow dry the top, use a pomade to slick the longer pieces back and keep them in place.

If you’re in between washes or you want your hair out of your face, a ponytail or bun is a simple yet effective style. Simply pull your hair back into a hair elastic. Wrap it around for a bun or pull it all the way through for a ponytail.

Once your hair has grown to your desired length, you’ll want to keep it healthy so you can maintain your style.

Long hair styles for men don’t necessarily have to be washed more frequently than short hair. Washing your hair every day can dry it out and remove oils that are needed to keep your scalp and hair healthy.

Men with finer, thinner hair should wash every other day while men with thicker or curlier hair can wash every few days. Focus hair washing on the scalp and top part of the hair shaft.

Be sure to condition after you wash your hair to help keep it soft and manageable. Focus conditioning on the ends of your hair where strands tend to be driest.

If you work out regularly and sweat a lot, you may need to wash your hair more often.

Wet hair is most fragile, so it’s important to take care when brushing or combing through your hair after a shower. Start at the ends of your hair and gently work through any knots or tangles before combing or brushing through the full length of your hair.

A wide tooth comb may be gentler and work better on loosening tangled, wet hair. This can help prevent any damage and breakage that can happen if your hair stretches too far and snaps.

To help maintain your long hair, schedule regular trims with your barber or hair stylist to remove split ends and prevent the splits from moving further up the hair shaft. You won’t need to cut a lot of length off, but by keeping up with trimming, the ends of your hair can remain healthy. 

Using hot tools like blow dryers and straighteners is a great way to achieve certain styles, but you don’t always need to apply heat. Allowing your hair to air dry on occasion gives it a break from the stress of heat and helps your hair maintain its health and shine.

To prevent frizz or increase volume, you can apply air drying products to wet hair.