Winter can raise all kinds of challenges for the well-groomed man and his freshly acquired hairstyle. Your style has to be durable to get through the days of wind and rain.
Keep it Long
As stylists we’re often asked by the client, “what is the best hairstyle for the winter months?” The obvious answer to this is long and thick. If it only it were that simple!
During the winter we tend to see a shift to longer hair around the sides and back, this is great news for both the stylist and client as it gives us the opportunity to create more interesting shapes and styles on the head. Product plays an important role at this time of year. If you’re creating gravity defying hairstyle then you’re going to need a very strong product to maintain it in the wind and rain!
Make it Square
A fuller, squarer lengthier cut is the answer to durable hair. Building weight up along the upper sides where the head begins to round off to allow the hair to sit square and full.
Add to this increased length around the sides and back and an extra inch or two on the top and we can create strong masculine looking shapes that look fuller and thicker without the need for temporary scaffolding or super strong super glue type product to achieve lift and height. We let the hair and the right product do it for us.
Apply product when hair is damp
The challenge with this more durable longer hair is it is difficult to defy gravity! I suggest a routine where after leaving the shower with freshly washed and conditioned hair, towel dry, leaving the hair only slightly damp. Use a light product with a medium hold. Style roughly with your fingers and hands and allow to dry naturally whilst you eat breakfast and are still in the comfort and warmth of the house.
Just before you leave the house, that’s the time to style your now dried hair. Apply your product to the palms of your hand and rub vigorously to create an even distribution of product. Apply the product to the entire area of your head, concentrating on the roots, the mid lengths and the ends will take care of themselves. This process should replicate washing your hair, you should be concentrating on the scalp and roots. Once the product has dispersed evenly and everything is standing up, use your hands or a wide toothed brush to shape.
This process with the right length haircut will be less inclined to be affected by the winter elements.
Be ahead of the trend
This is about thinking smart and listening to your stylist. Right now, we are seeing the trend of dismantling the large heavy blocked quiffs that have dominated the industry for the past 5 years.
This is showing itself in two ways. Firstly, guys have a lot of length on the top, versus what they have on the sides, we are seeing a lot of elastic band type haircuts (You know who you are!). The elastic band is guaranteed to damage your hair shaft, often without chance of repair. It goes without saying this is not recommended. However, on the flip side, the longer lengths on the top are showing some great 80’s style flicks and wedges, hair that covers the whole head and not just the very top.
Clients are also asking us to add more texture to the hair by deconstructing the top into manageable but quirky haircuts with movement. Couple this with the removal of the big beard and it looks like 007 has brought back that clean, suave but ultimately very stylish look with a shorter and more balanced haircut. As the elements get worse, these haircuts become more popular as today’s man looks for stylish but versatile hair with low maintenance.
Avoid the glued look
A firm hold style is harder to maintain against the elements. Try a more flexi- hold messy look that will sustain being blown around a bit! Recent research conducted in the US which surveyed men around the world affirmed two things. They wanted dry hands after applying product and for their hair not to be left feeling sticky or stiff. men-ü has developed a revolutionary new styling product LIQUIFFLEX that is great for almost all modern styles. Because the product is so well dispersed through the hair, hands are left dry to the touch and because of the flexi-hold, the hair is not stiff or sticky.