Sexy Man’s Grooming Guide, Part 3: Choosing a Hairstyle

The best hairstyle is not the one that looks cool on Instagram. It’s the one that works with your hairline, texture, and how much time you’ll actually spend fixing it.

If you have a receding hairline, don’t pretend you’re still in your “full fringe” era. A clean short cut usually beats a desperate comb-over or a too-long top that falls into your face by noon. For example, a textured crop with some length on top can soften a higher hairline without screaming, “I’m hiding something.”

If your hair is thick and straight, you can get away with more structure: side part, Ivy League, or a cleaner classic taper. If it’s wavy or curly, don’t fight it into a rigid shape that needs a gallon of product and prayers. Use the texture. A curly fringe or low-maintenance layered cut will usually look better than something slick and over-controlled.

The goal is not to have “the hottest haircut.” The goal is to look intentional. That alone puts you ahead of most men.

Face shape is not everything, but it matters enough to stop you from making obvious mistakes. The basic rule: add balance, not more of what you already have.

If you have a round face, avoid cuts that make your face look wider. Too much volume on the sides is usually a bad idea. Keep the sides tighter and leave some height on top. A classic example is a short fade with a bit of lift up top. That gives the face more vertical line and makes you look sharper.

If your face is long, don’t go too high on top. That can stretch your face even more. A cut with moderate length and some width at the sides usually works better. Think textured side part or a softer taper with enough movement to avoid making your head look like a traffic cone.

If your face is square, you’re in good shape already. The main mistake here is over-sharpening everything and turning your head into a block. Slight texture and a clean taper can keep the style strong without looking too severe. If your face is more oval, congratulations: most styles will work, which is rare and mildly annoying for the rest of us.

A lot of guys ask for a haircut the way they order coffee: “just clean it up.” That’s how you end up with a generic cut that looks fine for three days and weird for three weeks.

Bring a photo, but bring the right photo. Use a picture of a guy with your hair type and face shape, not a celebrity with a different skull and a glam squad. If you show a barber a photo of Timothée Chalamet and your hair grows like a broom, you are setting both of you up for disappointment.

Be specific about length, not just style. Say things like: “Keep the top long enough to push forward,” or “I want the sides tight but not skin faded,” or “I need this to work without using much product.” That gives the barber useful boundaries.

Also, talk about maintenance. A haircut that looks great every two weeks but terrible every day after that is not a great haircut. If you hate styling your hair, say so. There are better options than pretending you’ll become a morning routine guy overnight.

Your hairstyle should fit the man you actually are on a Tuesday morning, not the man you become for weddings and rooftop bars.

If you work in a conservative office, a neat taper, side part, or short textured cut usually reads well without looking boring. If you’re in a creative field, you may have more room for length, movement, or a looser shape. But “creative” does not mean “unwashed.” It still needs structure.

If you lift, run, bike, or spend most of your week sweating, choose a style that can survive motion. For example, a shorter crop or clean buzz with texture on top is easier than a high-maintenance medium-length cut that collapses when you wear headphones or hit the gym.

And if you’re dating, remember this: women notice whether your hair looks deliberate, not whether it looks expensive. A guy with a simple cut that fits him often looks better than a guy with a trendy shape that fights his features. Neat edges, natural movement, and healthy hair beat gimmicks every time.

The haircut is only part of the game. The details around it are what make you look polished instead of “I just left the chair.”

Get the neckline cleaned up. Keep sideburns intentional. Don’t let the edges blur into a half-grown-out mess unless that’s clearly the style. Even a basic cut looks better when the outline is sharp.

Use the right amount of product. Too much matte clay makes hair look dusty and stiff. Too much gel makes it look like a middle school dance in 2007. Start small. For most guys, a pea-sized amount is enough, then add more only if needed.

And keep your hair healthy. If your hair looks fried, flat, or flaky, the problem may not be the cut. Wash it regularly, don’t burn it with heat every day, and trim it before it turns into a seasonal event. A good hairstyle gets easier when the hair underneath is in decent shape.

The best hairstyle is the one that makes you look like the most deliberate version of yourself. That’s sexier than “fashionable” ever was.