L ockdown seems a distant memory (or a looming threat, depending upon how you look at it). But one thing remains: that newfound length, borne of a barberless few months and something you quite happened to like, actually. As we ventured out into this grave new world, the amount of men with long hairstyles had seemingly quadrupled in number, short back and sides no longer the standard issue. What's more, there are plenty of reasons to keep this Momoa head of waves.

Because, most importantly, you've done the hard bit. Men with long hairstyles have proven that they've got the genetic luck to grow such hair in the first place, but also that they've got the dedication and patience to stick to a stringent maintenance plan. Having long hair is no cake walk. Once those hurdles are cleared, though, there are so many benefits to growing your current style out. Longer hair is versatile. It also packs that unique strain of loucheness no other cut can offer. An effortless sweepback, no matter how just-out-of-bed it may appear, will always look like it's had a little bit of effort involved. Long hair is the ultimate in laidback. You're a cool guy. You let nature take its course. And no, we won't immediately assume you live in Newquay.

Joe Mills, founder of barber Joe and Co in London, says there’s never been a better time to consider a longer hairstyle – especially given the new tier-based lockdown system imposed by the government. In just 48 hours, all barbers could be closed for the foreseeable. Makes sense then to get ahead.

“It’s really diverse at the moment with longer hair,” says Mills. “You’ve got guys with hair flowing down past their shoulders through to guys with Seventies Bowie-style cuts with short fringes.” Like any trend, “hairstyles are circular”, and the current maxim is a pushback to military-grade war-hero cuts that appear on everything from the runways of Milan to Sheesh bar and grill in Chigwell. That means its time for a change. “People first started moving towards a softer, Stone Roses-style look, and it went from there,” says Mills. “You always have a phase where everyone’s having sharp, short haircuts, then people buck the trend and it starts to filter through.”

If you want to join them, there's no time like the present. Here's everything you need to know about the best long hairstyles for men.

“The thing with long hair is that it’s an attitude as much as it is a look,” says Maxwell Oakley, barber at Ruffians Shoreditch. “If you’ve got the confidence to break out of the pack, then you’re halfway there.” That being said, all the chutzpah of a Met Gala Jared Leto won’t help if you’re without the right starter ingredients.

“Realistically you need medium to thick hair to grow it long,” says Mills. “It’s better if it’s got a slight wave in it too, so that it doesn’t just hang. Straighter hair is OK, curly hair can work really well as the locks drop out when hair grows. But, if your hair is too fine then it’ll just look wispy.”

As well as hair type, you’ll also need to take your face shape into consideration. “An oval or square jaw will pretty much work with most haircuts. If you’ve got a particularly round face, you have to be mindful your hair doesn't accentuate that. Anything mid-length can tend to look a bit Lego-head.”

Can I make my hair grow faster?

Growing your hair out is a serious commitment: you can’t ghost out when the going gets tough. There will be tricky patches, and times when you want to just give up and shave your hair off. Try to persevere.

“Understand that there are a lot of stops on the journey, and some will seem to last longer than others,” says Oakley. He recommends talking to your barber about your long-term goals (and showing them references), so that they can give you a roadmap of how to get there.

In terms of shortcuts, there are, unfortunately, none. As far as miracle products such as caffeine shampoo go, "there's just not enough science," Mills says. “If you want decent hair, skin and nails, just make sure you're eating a balanced diet and if you're out drinking, make sure you rehydrate.” He adds that zinc and collagen are said to be beneficial for hair quality, so multivitamins and supplements could be an option. But really, this is a waiting game.

How do you maintain long hair?

As your hair moves south, it’s important to invest in a quality shampoo and conditioner to keep it strong and glossy. This means separate bottles (no two-in-ones) and not just resorting to your significant other’s wash of choice. Mills recommends using Triumph & Disaster, or Kevin Murphy’s Hydrate.Me range, both of which are sulphate and paraben-free and contain hydrating oils and extracts.

"If your hair is in fairly decent nick, you only need to condition your hair every other wash,” he says. “If you've got finer hair, you can also use a sea salt spray which coats the hair, making it look thicker.”

While shearing off dead ends is important for maintaining a glossy mane, getting a trim doesn’t make your hair grow any faster, contrary to popular belief.

“People say you need to come in every four to six weeks to get the dead ends cut off, but you’re cutting off what you’ve just grown,” says Mills. “If your hair is really thick and getting out of control, you might want to have it reshaped, but it’s not like the short back and sides mentality: you don’t need to come in every few weeks.”
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The other major psychological shift, Mills says, “is getting your head around the fact that you won’t look quite as clean-cut as you once did.” This doesn’t mean resigning yourself to looking scruffy, rather that additional effort is required.

“It helps if you’re clean around the edges – the back of your neck and your sideburns if you have them. If you’ve got a beard, make sure it’s blended in. Aside from that, you’ve got to just put up with it.”

How to grow out Afro hair

Afro hair is more brittle than caucasian and Asian hair, meaning you’ll need to use a deep moisturising treatment more often as it grows. You’ll also need to wash it less (once a week at most) to maintain your natural oils, ideally, again, using a sulphate and paraben-free shampoo.

“One thing to remember is that afro hair is longer than it appears,” says Mark Maciver, owner of SliderCuts. “It tends to be quite curly which can disguise the true length as it's growing, so you have to be patient. If you pull a strand, you'll see how long it really is.

“It's also very important that you don't cover your hair too much by wearing caps, hats or wraps,” he adds. “Just like your body, hair needs sunlight and oxygen to keep it healthy and constantly covering it doesn't let it get this which can result in your hair not growing or becoming damaged.”

Longer Afro Style

What to ask for: Tell your barber that you're growing your hair out, and they'll advise a trim and products designed to enhance curls

Who it suits: Guys who are able to easily grow two to three inches of hair

What it is: A traditional Black hairstyle that results from natural growth and progression, and it's usually styled into a rounded shape using a comb.

Dating back to the civil rights movement of the Sixties, Aaryn Lynch, a producer behind Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum 2013 afro comb exhibition, named the afro "a symbol of rebellion, pride and empowerment" in an interview to the BBC.
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Due to its voluminous nature, you'll need a little more maintenance too as breakages can frequently occur. Use a wide-toothed comb to style, avoid excessive heat from hairdryers and straighteners and swerve chemical-based relaxers and hair dyes with a full shampoo wash needed every seven to ten days.

Longer On Top

What to ask for: A classic scissor taper with square layers on top

Who it suits: Everyone

What it is: Bradley Cooper’s current ‘do would be a solid end goal in itself, but Oakley says it’s also a strong transitional option for anyone who’s starting to grow their hair out.

“The great thing about this cut is it can be adapted for pretty much any hair type,” he says. “The key feature is the taper. This can be cut with a little graduation, or if you have the length on top the angles can be made more extreme. If your hair is very thick it is better to not go too tight.”
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Rub a little serum or hair cream (Ruffians does a very good one) through to give the hair a slight hold. If you’re looking for something slicker, use a matte clay or pomade through the length and ends.

Longer Quiff

What to ask for: Slightly feathered layers, longer on top

Who it suits: Heart-shaped faces, thick hair

What it is: With more length on the sides and slightly feathered layers, Patrick Dempsey’s soft quiff is where we start to take a real departure from clipper cuts. “His stylist has point-cut the ends to soften them,” says Oakley. “The soft feathering on means that the hair isn’t so bulky, making it much easier to style as you gain length.”

Oakley says that this style is particularly good for men with heart-shaped faces as the narrow shape around ears and slight flare at the back “gives the appearance of more balance”.
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“Use salt spray on wet hair before drying to take the shine off. For a little more volume and hold sprinkle in some hair powder, or for a softer look with a demi shine rub some styling paste through the hair while slightly damp.”

Naped Tidiness

What to ask for: A round layer throughout

Who it suits: Square and oval faces

What it is: The point at which your hair starts falling down instead of growing out in all directions is also when your hair starts to feel purposeful and powerful. Not unlike, say, a Jedi master. This is also the point where you can go for something deceptively simple, like Adam Driver’s one-length all-over style.

As Oakley explains: “It may look like this cut is shorter at the back but this is merely an illusion. The hair mimics the lines of your head; the weight on top is actually pushing the lengths at the back to follow the head shape.”
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If you’re aiming for even more length, Oakley recommends you ask your barber to reduce some of the weight from the top while allowing the base length to get longer and heavier. At home, smooth some styling cream into freshly washed and conditioned hair, running your fingers through it as it dries naturally.

Mid-Length Longer hair

What to ask for: Mid length layers, slightly longer on the top and shorter on the sides

Who it suits: Medium to thick hair, square and oval faces

What it is: Your reward for about a year’s hard work and perseverance – that’s how long it’ll take you to get Keanu Reeves’ grown-up surfer look. but the good news is it’s relatively low-maintenance from here on out.

“You need four to five inches of length, with the sides slightly shorter than the back,” says Mills. “If your hair is thicker then ask your stylist to take some weight out to give it some movement, and so that it doesn’t sit flat to your head.”
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To style, use a small amount of mousse on damp hair and either blow dry or leave to dry naturally. Then, use a styling cream to finish.

The Chalamet

What to ask for: A classic layer cut blended at the sides

Who it suits: Thick wavy or curly hair

What it is: A classic Timothée Chalamet, which Mills says is the ideal starting point for guys who are just starting to embrace longer curls.

The explosion of ceramic hair straighteners around the turn of the millennium convinced us all that curls were something which needed taming. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. Mills recommends that you start by growing the top at first, keeping the back and sides at “an inch to two-and-a-half inches and blended in as much as possible in a classic layer cut.”
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“The top is probably three times longer than the sides, with the curls pulling the length back in, but if you’re growing it out ask your barber to leave as much as possible,” he explains. “You can then grow the back and sides gradually.” To add sheen and tame any frizz, use a touch of styling cream.

Medium Curls

What to ask for: A round layer throughout

Who it suits: Medium to thick hair, square or oval face

What it is: Where you’ll be a few months in, when your curls start to elongate and fall down around your face. As Oakley points out, this cut is “pretty much identical in length and in shape to Adam Driver’s” – a round layer throughout with some of the weight removed from the top where necessary.

To get Kit Harington’s casual swept-back style, use conditioner and hair cream after washing. Leave it dry naturally, being careful not to touch it while your curls set.
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“When it is completely dry it might look very shiny and a touch crispy,” Oakley continues. “To get rid of that Eighties DeBarge look, rub some Ruffians Matt Clay into the hands and run it through the hair.” This will break up any crunchiness while adding hold.

Longer And Messier

What to ask for: A universal layer with more length at the front

Who it suits: Medium to thick wavy hair

What it is: Easy maintenance with tonnes of texture.

Dev Patel is cold, hard proof of the magic of grooming (see: his unbelievable glow-up from awkward TV sixth-former to Oscar-nominated heartthrob). If his tousled, textured mop looks effortless, that’s because once you’ve got the required length, it mostly is.

“This is what we call a universal layer,” Mills explains. “It’s about the same length all over – four to five inches on top and three to five inches on the sides, but with more length towards the front.”

The key to this style is movement. “If you've got very thick hair you’ll want some of the weight taken out of it, making sure sure it’s soft around the edges with the back cut into.”
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Once you’ve got the cut sorted, all you need is a touch of curl-enhancing cream before air drying. Mills recommends Kevin Murphy’s Motion Lotion, though Patel has admitted he uses facial

Short Braids

What to ask for: Box braids

Who it suits: Those with suitable scalps

What it is: A protective style that looks slick

Braids and cornrows are great for protecting afro hair during the colder months, when biting winds wick moisture out of the hair, but they’ve also made a style comeback in recent years thanks to the likes of A$AP Rocky and the late Nipsey Hussle.

Mark Maciver says: “The first thing to consider is if you have any scalp conditions, such as a tender scalp or alopecia, as a style like plaits could actually cause more damage to your hair”.

“Booking a consultation with a hairdresser will help to identify this. They’ll also be able to advise whether your hair is capable of achieving the style.” If your scalp can handle the tension, ask your stylist for simple box braids all over.

Shannon Currie, who works with Maciver at SliderCuts, says: “Your hair needs to be at least three inches long to achieve a neat plait without the use of elastic bands, and at least six inches long to achieve the A$AP Rocky style.” Wear a durag to bed and keep your scalp moisturised with a coconut or avocado oil-based product.
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A word of warning: braids on white guys are definitely not fly. If David Beckham couldn’t pull it off, neither can you.

Jesus Waves

What to ask for: A layered cut, straight across the back

Who it suits: Wavy hair

What it is: Sleek with serious length

This is what you get when you bide your time, follow a dedicated hair maintenance regime, and maybe throw in a few prayers to the hair gods every now and then.
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“It’s a great haircut,” says Mills. “It’s cut straight across the back and then through the front it's got some layers to give it that softer textured feel. It’s very sleek, very groomed.”

Mills adds that this is a style that works for any length of hair once it’s past the shoulders, and suits all hair types from fine to thick. To get Jared Leto’s signature Seventies folk singer look, use a pomade to define your natural waves. You can air dry, but Mills recommends going for a full blow-out when you want to seriously impress.

Long And Natural

What to ask for: One length all over

Who it suits: Thick hair with a strong wave or curl

What it is: The holy grail of long hair.

Jason Momoa’s hair is the stuff of legend: sun-kissed and shoulder-length with stronger waves than the ones that toppled Atlantis.
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“I’ve worked with Jason and I know his hairdresser, it’s super low-maintenance,” says Mills. “This is just a classic one-length haircut, all of the hair is the same length.” It goes without saying that this is a style which requires thick hair, preferably with a strong curl. “Then, all you need to use is just a bit of conditioner, towel dry it and whack some grooming cream in there.”

Embrace Filth
Don’t shampoo your hair too often, warned Jimmy Pham, a New York City-based photographer and surfer with jet-black, shoulder-length hair. “My hair gets frizzy and bowl-shaped if I use shampoo,” he said, crediting the ocean for giving his stick straight hair a slight wave. “I wash it twice a month—max.” While shampooing twice a month might war with your commitment to hygiene, try reducing washes to every other day for a more casual, less fluffy look.

​Get Salty
Salt is a key ingredient in good beach hair. Gritty salt wraps around the hair shaft to give it texture. “I like the way it makes everything thicker,” said Michael Kololyan, the co-founder of Locals Surf School in Rockaway Beach, N.Y.
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Those who don’t harness the waves regularly can find plenty of salt-infused hairstyling products, such as the R+Co spray pictured below. A homemade mix works just as well: Combine a handful of salt with water, and spritz using a spray bottle. Just remember to moisturize dry ends with a lubricant like argan oil, said Daniel Kent, a Rockaway Beach-based surfer and woodworker. “You don’t want to look like a surf rat.” Anabel Kingsley, a consultant trichologist and president of hair clinic Philip Kingsley, goes one step further. She advises saturating the hair with cream, oil or fresh water before getting in the sea, saying saltwater makes hair brittle without protection.

​Lighten Up
Rather than use chemical, time-sucking Just for Men dye, surfers let their hair speckle gray naturally—or let the sun bleach highlights into it. “All it takes is two weeks in the sun for your hair to lighten up,” said Michael Reinhardt, another co-founder of Locals Surf School, who is known as “Blonde Mike” for his peroxide-white hair color in the summer months. Not everyone’s hair lightens as rapidly as Blonde Mike’s, so if it’s darker or thicker it may take more time or more sunshine.

Of course, not all worker bees have the luxury of endless beach time. To encourage the process, try tinctures with natural lighteners such as chamomile or freshly squeezed lemons. But remember: Just because the sun and lemons are natural brighteners doesn’t mean they’re not damaging. The chemical reaction within the hair is similar to that of bleach, warns Ms. Kingsley. If you must put lemon juice in your hair while out in the sun, “reserve it for the roots to the upper mid length, and comb a protective product through the rest of your hair.” She recommends a hydrating mask.

Shape It Spontaneously
Many surfers cut their own hair once it gets untenably disheveled. “It’s part of [our] image,” said Mr. Herrick, recalling the DIY mentality of 1970s surfers such as George Greenough, whose stringy blonde shag would fit right in with the at-home haircuts people are posting today using the #covidcuts hashtag. “Surfers shaped the boards they rode, and they shaped each other’s hair, too,” said Mr. Herrick.
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When it comes to giving yourself a trim, don’t overthink it, said Queens, N.Y., surfer and hair stylist Bobby Reynolds, who recently lopped off 7 inches of curls on the beach while still in his wetsuit. Use your fingers to estimate length (two fingers stacked equals about 1 inch), taking care around the hairline and nape of your neck. And crucially, don’t rely too heavily on a mirror, which can interfere with hand-eye coordination, he said. Surfers are nothing if not coordinated.

It’s essential to get things right when tying a bandana around your head so that you don’t look like you’re trying too hard! 

​Be confident and laid back, and you’ll carry off this look effortlessly. Here’s how to tie a bandana around your head:

1. Lay your bandana flat
2. Fold it lengthwise a few times until you have a long rectangle
3. Tuck in the loose edges 
4. Tie around your head
5. Rock on!

Bear in mind that this is easiest with a larger bandana, and cotton is the easiest fabric to work with here. Silk and satin fabrics look great but can be more difficult to tie and hold in place.

Your blueprint to the man bun and topknot hairstyles

The man bun has skyrocketed in popularity since 2013, so I thought that creating this site would provide the answers to the many questions that many of you must have. I’ve sprinkled this site with my own perspective of the man bun as a barber and as someone who too wears (what is also known as) the bro bun.

I will introduce the man bun to you through the 5 Ws (What, When, Who, Where and Why) and the single H (How):

• What is a man bun?
• How to style a man bun hairstyle and which hair products to use?
• When was the man bun trend started?
• Who started the manbun trend and who wears this type of hairstyle?
• Where was the man bun started and where is it most popular?
• Why is the man bun hairstyle so popular?

Click here for the 5 Ws and the H

I found this article on The Longhairs blog, a site I've mentioned before.
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I’ve got 2 questions for you:

Q1. Do you struggle with curly/frizzy or damaged hair?

Q2. Have you ever heard of a keratin treatment?

If you said yes to question 1 and no to question 2 then you’re definitely going to want to see this.

We recruited our boy Thomas In Action to shed some extra light on how getting a keratin treatment can dramatically decrease your day to day battles with unruly curls and frizz.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

Frizzbuster: Keratin Treatments For Men

Need a solution for your frizzy curls?

Perfect, in this post I’m going to cover why keratin treatments are one of the best long-term solutions for guys struggling with curly, frizzy hair.

Firstly, frizzy hair is a pain in the ass. Secondly, a keratin treatment is my “AK-47” for dealing with it. A keratin treatment provides ultimate control over unruly hair and can save you from long, time-consuming hair routines every day.

Why Does Hair Get Frizzy?

Understanding frizzy hair is the first step to finding the best solution.

In short, frizzy hair is caused from the amount of open space between your hair cuticles. If you’re wondering what cuticles are, they are microscopic fish-like scales that sit on the outside surface of the hair shaft and behave in a similar fashion to the pores on your skin.

The proper term for the space between your cuticles is called “porosity,” and depending on the conditions of the air and the natural porosity of your hair, your cuticles can open wider and shut tighter.

Some guys naturally have lower porosity and experience minimal or no frizz, whilst other guys, particularly with curly hair, may experience unpleasant poof and frightfully frizzy conditions.

Understanding your hair type and where you are on the porosity chart is key when choosing a solution for your hair. In the next section I’ll explain how a keratin treatment can help guys who have curly hair and identify on the higher end of the porosity scale.

How Does a Keratin Treatment Fight Frizz?

A keratin treatment, made from same protein as your hair, is an in-salon procedure designed to close your cuticles and reduce porosity for an extended period.

Much like hair ties, these hair treatments are not well-marketed to men, usually labelled as a “beauty product.” In fact, both men and women can benefit from this type of treatment.

I recently did a post on my YouTube channel demonstrating how a keratin treatment worked on my frizzy curls and what to expect when getting a treatment. You can also find more useful information about keratin treatments on my blog to get more familiar with what this kind of treatment can do.

Are Keratin Treatments Permanent?

No, keratin treatments are not permanent and do not straighten your hair. It’s a common misconception for people to think keratin treatments work the same as a chemical straighten because they both give the hair a significantly more relaxed look.

The main difference between these two treatments is:

a) Chemical straightening psychically breaks the structural bonds of your hair. This permanently disables your curl pattern and leaves your hair vulnerable to breakage. This treatment is also irreversible so you need to think carefully before deciding on something like this.
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b) A Keratin treatment lightly coats the structural bonds of your hair, giving them a smooth, relaxed look. Instead of losing your curl altogether, it becomes looser and frizz-free, making it far more manageable every day. This treatment typically can last anywhere from two-four months, depending on how you care for it.

When I got my first keratin treatment, I was given 3 different options. I was able to have the treatment on for either 30 minutes, 45 minutes or 1 hour.

Each time length was going to give me a different result in terms of how relaxed I wanted my curls to look. The longer I had the treatment on, the more relaxed and frizz-free my hair would turn out.

I ended up choosing the 45 minute option as I still wanted a curly appearance but really wanted a frizz-free result. You’ll see at the end of my video above, I revealed my new relaxed curl pattern two days after the treatment and was pretty stoked with my results.

Since my first treatment I’ve been getting one every three months to keep my maintenance low and feeling awesome. #wouldreccommend

How Much Are Keratin Treatments?

Keratin treatments can cost anywhere from $200 - $350 in the USA depending on how much hair you have. Some may consider this to be rather expensive, however, it depends on how you value time. If you spend a lot of time trying to tame your curls and reduce frizz on a daily basis, you may find a keratin treatment more beneficial in the long run.

For me personally, getting a keratin treatment allowed me to stop fluffing around so much with my hair in the morning and focus more on my business and the content I want to make.

Plus it made the act of just doing my hair more enjoyable, which seems to be the biggest problem when dealing with frizz.

Where Can You Get A Keratin Treatment?

Well, if you’re in San Diego, The Longhairs always recommend House of Imago. If you’re elsewhere, most professional salons offer keratin treatments. Ask your trusted hair pro—here are some tips on how to confidently navigate your visit to the salon.

Shut The Front Door On Frizz

At the end of the day, picking the right solution to deal with your frizzy hair is entirely up to you. I feel it’s also got a lot to do with how your hair makes you feel.

Personally, when I have a frizzy hair day, my confidence sinks. That’s why I deem this type of thing worthy as it’s helped me manage my hair FAR easier and my bad hair days have reduced enormously.

This type of treatment can also work guys who struggle with minimal frizz. Before writing this post, I was talking to El Rubio about my love for keratin treatments and he mentioned that he gets one twice a year. And he doesn’t even have curly hair!

If you have any questions regarding keratin treatments or need advice on curly hair, please swing by my channel and say hi or leave a comment.

I hope you found this post somewhat helpful and would love to hear about your experience if you choose to get a keratin treatment.

Keep rocking that mane!
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Yours in good hair,
T.I.A.
Thomas in Action