Why Long Hair on Men Is Underrated (And How To Rock It Yourself)
That fourth Matrix better be as good as John Wick, Keanu. (Image: Mark Dunne)
Has “peak fade” happened?
You’ve got to wonder. Faded haircuts are everywhere now.
To be clear, this isn’t a bad thing. We’re glad fades made their comeback a decade ago. The barbershop revival was due, plus there’s no feeling like walking out of your guy’s place with a fresh skin fade. Fades have etched their place in the pantheons men’s hair.
All we’re saying is, there’s a good reason why most men wear short hair—it’s harder to pull off long hair. And not to sound all new-age or anything, but, there’s a journey to be had when a man grows his hair. Hair growth is a process, not unlike building muscle; it tests a man’s patience and will, and he’ll feel like he’s carving away at something that’ll soon inspire pride.
Then there’s the undeniable cool factor. When we see a dude walk into a room with long locks, we think, “Son of a bitch, that’s badass.” When you comic book geeks watched Jason Momoa commanding sea life in Aquaman two years ago, you thought, “Goddamn, I want to be him.”
And you were right in feeling that.
Keep this man away from your wife if you know what’s up. (Image: Gage Skidmore)
Long hair stirs up feelings of awe and envy at once, and it’s all because of a little thing called "rebellion.” Long hair is men’s grooming’s middle finger to rules, (not that we’re complaining.)
Still, looking like you don’t care takes work (read: irony).
Here’s how to rock long hair without looking like a hippie.
Long Hair Comes In All Kinds of Styles, So Commit to One.
You don’t need to measure length every business quarter, tough guy, but you do need to set a goal. Do you want to go Thor circa 2011, where it brushes your shoulders? Or how about Russel Brand long, which takes a little more moxie (but it’s doable).
Whatever you decide, stick to it. Your barber’s got a long-term vision in their head for how it’ll look. Any deviations would be like building a house, then starting from scratch once you’re doing the first floor. Who wants that?
Be Wary Of Hair Growth Supplements, And Be Patient
For those of you who want to speed things up, go see your doc before you even think of buying biotin supplements. Side effects might show up if you take too much (like rashes). And, there’s research that suggests it’s just not that effective, plus it’s in a bunch of common foods, like beef, eggs, and salmon.
You’re in for a long wait here, and yes, the awkward phase sucks. But tougher men have endured worse (read: Forrest Gump during his marathon).
Don’t Skip Haircuts
There are few reasons for this alone, but here’s the most important: Let’s say you’re going for something with layers, and there’s a bit more length in the back. If you don’t get a trim every two weeks, that length becomes a mullet. You don’t want a mullet, friends.
Consult with your barber when you’re set on growing it all out. If they’re good at their job, they’ll set a consistent schedule for you monthly maintenance.
Invest in Good Hair Cream
If you’re used to having short hair, this will come as a curve ball, but it’s worth it: Put away the matte clay and styling pastes for now. Those are better for styling short hair. Hair cream, on the other hand, makes it easy to style long locks.
Speaking of…
We’re all about supporting Canadian products, and for our money, Canadian Booster’s Lanolin Cream’s where it’s at. The company’s been around since 1920, and they’ve handmade limited batches of the stuff the whole time (which we can respect). Think of it as moisturizer for your hair that doubles as a styling product. Just run about a quarter’s worth through your hair, making sure you’re going down to the root with your finger tips.
Curly (Or Wavy) Hair Needs A Good Grooming Spray
A lot of hairsprays have alcohol, which, in turn, has a bad rep for drying hair. If you want to keep those curls in place, a finishing spray (also known as a “grooming spray”) is what you’re looking for. Hold ours about eight inches from your hair, and with a couple spritzes here and there, those curls should look as handsome as Mr. Dev Patel’s in no time.
Bonus Tip: Work in a little of that aforementioned lanolin cream before the spray, but go easy. Give it a little tussle so it settles. Get this right, you’ll have the best, most malleable hold for your hair. We call this “Cocktailing” in the barber world.
Offset The Length With Some Cool Facial Hair
This one’s optional, but a well-kept beard can complement a long head of hair well. Just be sure not to let your facial hair miss a trim, or you’ll go from cool to Cro-Magnon Man like that. If you’ve got facial hair, have your barber take care of it after every haircut.
In 1974, nothing made a long mane look better than a moustache. Here’s George Harrison with former U.S. President, Gerald Ford, and legendary Indian composer, Ravi Shankar. (Image: David Hume Kennerly)
Absolutely No Man Buns, Ever
Let’s be serious: There’s no dignity in wearing a tiny puff of hair on the back of your head. None. There are also no excuses for it, save for a lost bet.
Buy A Barber-Approved Hair Dryer
And by “barber-approved,” we mean a damn good dryer, not a cut-rate one from a big box store. Here’s how to tell the good hair dryers from the bad ones: Quality hair dryers are made of ceramic, which does two key things: 1) Ceramic fires charged ions into the hair for a fuller look. 2) Cheap dryers often produce static, frizz’s best friend. Ceramic ones don’t.
And last, but not least, be bold.
Once you’ve hit that goal and look like a Romanian Count, be bold about your look.
People will stare, but only because they’ll wish they could do it, too.