HOW TO STYLE LONG AND UNRULY HAIR
Remember the long blonde hair of the young Roger Federer? If you can’t, at least you might be intrigued by the long hair of Keanu Reeves or Jason Momoa? You may think, gosh! how can they manage such hair so perfectly? Long hair is something men have adopted since a long time ago. There was a time when emperors or kings considered keeping long hair as a royal practice. But the trend faded with time and it came back with a bang in the mid 20th century with the advent of rock and roll and metal culture. With ambassadors such as Kit Harrington, Harry Styles and Jared Leto, it’s easy to see why a man might want to be something of a rarity and show off his healthy mane.
Long hairstyles for men can come in many forms. Most barbers recognise that long hair is no less than 6 inches in length. It can be neat, clean and properly groomed. Alternatively, it can be left to follow its natural course for a dishevelled look. More fashionable styles today edge towards emphasising the hair’s natural aspect. We often see flowing layers and movement, which is simply swept back.
Managing long and unruly hair properly is a continuous process which demands care and focus. Here are some tips which can help you manage long and unruly hair.
Have a great haircut
How you style your hair is heavily dependent on how the stuff grows. If you haven’t had a haircut in a while, this could be a simple change that puts you back on track. If you are suffering from bad hair for a long time, then evaluate the haircut you receive. Who cuts your hair? Are they qualified and experienced? Do they listen? A good hairdresser will cut your hair, a great one will tell you which styles to avoid if it’s going to cause you unrest, no matter how much you want that look.
There are some great hairstyles which you can choose for this particular type of hair. Beachy length can be a good choice to to grow hair out long – the weight of it will lessen the effects of a cowlick or a double crown. Plus, it means your barber won’t be doing battle with two directions of growth in quite the same way that they would have to with a shorter haircut.
Again, as with the textured crop, keeping things messy and beachy offers further defence – allowing you to work with your natural growth patterns, rather than trying to control them.
Dry carefully and avoid thinning shears
Once you’ve got past the awkward in-between phase, you just have to keep the shape of the hair. One of the most common ways guys damage their hair is by rubbing their head with a towel. When the hair is wet it becomes more susceptible to damage. The hairs get caught in the fibers of the towel and get stretched out and damaged. When drying your hair, pat the hair with a towel instead of rubbing your head. This isn’t a quick fix because the hair that is already damaged will need to grow out and be cut off to totally solve the problem. Damaged hair really can’t be “fixed,” as some products claim. Many barbers and stylists use thinning shears to help reduce the bulk of thick, coarse hair. This is a mistake. Thinning or texturizing coarse hair can make it look even more coarse.
And most importantly, keep patience
Managing long and unruly hair needs a lot of patience. If you spend hours in front of the mirror trying to tame unmanageable hair, then you ought to be investing a fraction of that time into a regular hair care routine. If you don’t work with the hair from the roots, your hair is never going to repair itself. Thankfully, as most men don’t wear hair to their knees, this isn’t as long a process as you might think. Keep up with regular trims every four to six weeks, and start to focus more on the scalp and roots that are coming through. The rest will catch up.
Another great use of time is to add in a weekly deep conditioning or cleansing treatment to your hair care routine. Like the protein and moisturizers, these work together to restore hair balance. Use a conditioning treatment if your hair is dry, frizzy, or damaged.
