5 of the best long hairstyles for men: How to style your long locks for any occasion

Whether you’ve grown your hair long out of choice or the necessity of lockdown, here are a selection of long hairstyles for men, to help rock your locks 

 

L ong hair for men has historically gone in and out of fashion, once being lauded as a sign of masculinity and superiority. As with most things, these long hairstyles for men trends have largely been fuelled by celebrities, musicians, and fashion brands – The Beatles’ Abbey Road album look helped spurn a wave of long hair and beards, the 70s saw dreadlocks surge in popularity, and who can forget the mullet of the 80s…

 

Fast forward to today and long hairstyles for men have risen in popularity once more. This time though, it’s been less to do with trends and more to do with the fact lockdown has forced – or helped – guys embrace long locks. It takes dedication to grow your hair, especially to get through that awkward mid waypoint, and you may now be in a position to want to style it properly. Let us help!

 

FURTHER READING: Best headband for men: How to choose the best men’s headbands for long hair

 

How to style long hair in men

 

Don’t feel like you need to choose between a ponytail, or simply just wearing your hair down. You can style it in a number of ways to suit the occasion, length, or mood. Below we’ve handpicked some great long hair styles for men you can work with, whether you have chin-, shoulder- or even lower back-length hair.

 

 

Long hairstyles for men: The Slick Back

 

Made popular by Chris Evans (the actor, not the DJ…), Charlie Hunnam, Brad Pitt, Kit Harrington

 

 

If you have medium length – hair that sits between the ear and shoulders – this style will give your hairline a rest from pulling it back into a ponytail. This look is pretty easy to do and we think it’s a modern rock look.

 

If you have fine hair, we opt for a medium-hold gel or wax to give some movement. We recommend the VO5 Flexible Wax Spray (£4.99). If you have curly or textured hair, opt for mousse, it gives hold without weighing it down – think Jon Snow from Game Of Thrones, or Jax from Sons of Anarchy. For this, we really rate the Johnny’s Chop Shop Max Up Volumising mousse (£5).

 

This long hair style for men can be achieved by using your fingers, don’t forget to comb it through first, to get any knots out.

 

 

Long hairstyles for men: Textured Waves for Long Hair

 

Made popular by Jason Momoa, Harry Styles 

 

 

Do you have natural waves? Embrace them and show off the texture you have with one of our favourite long hairstyles for men. This Jason Momoa, or Harry Styles look is designed to make the most of your length, and add structure to your face.

 

This look is suitable for almost any face shape but it works best if you have layers. The best way to get this look is to apply a styling mousse to clean damp hair – we recommend the Bed Head for Men by Tigi Press Up mousse (£12) – scrunch into the hair liberally, and air dry. Alternatively, dry with a diffuser fitted to a dryer.

 

Just make sure the front of your hair is pushed back to give root lift and allows the hair to frame your face. When the hair is completely dry you can give the front of the hair a light backcomb and you’re ready to go.

 

 

Long hairstyles for men: Half Up & Half Down Bun

 

Made popular by Chris Hemsworth, Caleb Followill, Harry Styles, Gareth Bale

 

 

This long hair style for men is perfect for adding style with minimal effort. It keeps hair off the face yet shows off your length. You could opt for a half pony, too but adding a bun gives a little edge to the look.

 

To nail this look, pull the top third of your hair back and tie as you normally would. If you’re adding a messy bun, as you approach the final loop, only pull half the hair in and the bun will appear. You can pull the hair through a little more if you want the bun to be a little fuller in size.

 

We’re fans of this look when we’ve skipped washing our hair, and the bun or pony doesn’t need to be too tight if you’re giving your hair line a rest. We recommend the invisibobble Basic The Light Ring (£7) for your tie. When tying your hair back, you can actually end up pulling more out than you want. This clear hair tie from invisibobble is great; it doesn’t pull on the hair when removed, it holds it in place, and it’s subtle. You get 10 in a pack, too.

 

 

Long hairstyles for men: Man Bun

 

Made popular by Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bieber, Chris Hemsworth

 

 

When it comes to long hairstyles for men, we’re sure you’ve heard of the man bun but did you know there are a number of ways of wearing this style?

 

It can be a messy man bun, sat high on the head, or you can opt for a low man bun. The latter gives the impression of a slick back look and you can switch up its position to better suit your face shape.

 

This is also a men’s hairstyle that suits medium-length as well as long hair. It’s incredibly low maintenance while looking effortless. As above, we recommend the invisibobble Basic The Light Ring (£7) for your tie.

 

 

Long hairstyles for men: Braids

 

Made popular by ASAP Rocky, Travie McCoy, Adam Beach, Elden Henson

 

 

Braiding your own hair takes time and patience, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s more than worth the effort. Alternatively, hit up your barber for some help. The look is great for natural and afro hair, as well as fine hair that gets greasy quickly, making it one of the most versatile long hairstyles for men.

 

Braids can be done anywhere on the head. They create a unique look with eye-catching detail. With braids, you can team it up with a man bun, ponytail, or even a half-up half-down look. Braiding the top of your head in sections and ending in a bun is a strong urban look. You can go loose, or tighten them up to cornrows. They’re much more versatile than you might think.

 

 

 

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