Work With What You’ve Got

Current Trend: The Pompadour

Think Elvis—the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll rocked a drastic pompadour as part of his iconic appearance. Now, it’s making a modern resurgence thanks to new ‘it’ guys like Bruno Mars. A pompadour hairstyle typically entails short sides with longer hair on the top swept upwards and backwards. Your sides can be cut with any razor length, but the shorter the sides, the more dramatic the look. If you’re wanting a more subtle look, longer sides can help soften the transition from the sides to the top.   

Length

Longer hair has made a comeback. Whether you’re watching the Gucci runway during New York Fashion Week, or running past locals at Lady Bird Lake, you’re bound to see this retro ‘70s mid-long length hair trend. This long hair trend can range anywhere from a shaggy bob haircut all the way to shoulder-length hair. Local hair stylist Ricky Hodge thinks Austin is one of the best places to rock this new trend because the city has great nightlife and outdoor activities. Regardless if you’re grabbing a few drinks on Rainey or hiking Mount Bonnell, this long hairstyle will look great tousled and styled or quickly thrown up in a man bun with a hat.  

Curls

Curls come in all different shapes and sizes, and regardless of what kind you’re sporting, growing out your hair will eventually cause the ringlets to transform into waves. The weight of your extra hair will pull down on your spirals, causing it to loosen and open up. Don’t sabotage your curl’s natural shape, though. The more you touch your hair, the bigger the shape becomes. If you separate the hair strands of your ringlet, it will open up in the wrong way and you may lose your shape entirely. To keep your curls full and hydrated, you can use argan oil or coconut oil, which are both means of inexpensive moisture.

Color

Hodge tells us that he has many customers who come in wanting to cover up their gray. He typically tells men to embrace this natural change and encourages them to work with what they have rather than against it. Hodge suggests blending different shades of gray to create a mixed, subtle look. If you try to fight these new silver hairs with a permanent color, they will stand out even more. By blending smoky colors like Hodge does, there is less maintenance and you won’t have to keep up with it as much. Tint your gray, as opposed to trying to cover it up completely so the growout isn’t nearly as harsh. When you choose the blending process, you can enhance your natural color without it looking like you had work done. Doing so will also help your facial features stand out. 

No Hair

Hodge says his male clientele who are balding tend to shy away from this look because they fear losing hair, but Hodge believes this look gives off a sense of confidence. Although it requires more maintenance compared to most basic hairstyles, the confidence aspect makes up for it.