short hairstyles for men

Sometimes it is just easier to have a short hairstyle as a man. That is why this blog article is about 5 great shorter hairstyles for men and how you style them. And with short I do not necessarily mean a buzz cut, but that is also an example of shorter hair of course.

What you see very often is actually to keep the hair on top a little bit longer and the sides and back short. The sides are tapered or faded to give your shorter hairstyle a bit more contrast and texture.

Best hairstyles for men with short hair

Now, I will give a few examples of short hairstyles for men that are always fashionable and trendy. When it is getting colder again these looks are easy because you can wear a hat without messing up your hair.

Caesar cut

Short hair Caesar cut

One of the most famous hairstyles for men with short hair is the Caesar cut. The name comes from the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. This hairstyle for men keeps the hair on top a few centimetres long and the hair is styled a bit to the front.

Your hair will go slightly over your forehead, but not as much as a French crop or when you have bangs. This hairstyle works very well with tapered or faded sides. Clippers are used to cut the sides short against the grow direction of your hair. That creates a great contrast and is called an undercut.

A slight beard also works well with the shorter Caesar cut and you can even have the sides of your hair connect with your beard using a subtle fade. This shorter look is timeless and classy for any men with short hair.

How to style a Caesar cut?

I would recommend choosing a matte styling product because that just fits better with this type of shorter hairstyles. Pick a wax, clay, or paste with a medium to high hold and a (semi) matte finish. That provides texture and then your shorter hair looks not so limp.

Just use your hands to style your look and do not use a comb or brush. That makes it too styled and less natural. It is ok to keep the shorter hair on top a bit messier and the hair in the front you style forward.

Hair clays with a high hold and matte finish

Messy or out-of-bed look

Messy out of bed short hair

A short and messy hairstyle for men is very popular as well. Short hair works very well for messy and out-of-bed type of looks. You do not have to do a lot of effort to keep it styled because it is not really styled or shaped. That makes a short messy hairstyle very convenient and low maintenance.

When you choose a short and messy hairstyle on top, I would recommend keeping the sides and back a little bit longer. Fades or tapers combined with messy hair on top is maybe a little bit too much, but you can always try to see how it looks and see if it works for your face shape.

How to style short messy hair for guys?

When picking this shorter hairstyle, I would again choose a matte hair styling product. Generally matte products work best for men with shorter hair because then you do not see your scalp that easily. Go for a premium hair wax, hair paste or clay and just rub it in your hair until you have your desired messy hairstyle.

Hair paste with a medium hold and (semi) matte finish

Faux hawk

short hair faux hawk

The third shorter look I would like to talk about is the faux hawk. You can keep the hair on top a few centimetres long for this style and you style the hair a bit too the front, but in a loose way. You create little strands that all end in a point in the front. This point you style a bit up.

This is another example of a shorter hairstyle for men with quite a lot of texture. In this case you could go for a taper or fade again to create some more contrast. The faux hawk hairstyle is great for a wide variety of options and kind of timeless.

How to do a faux hawk?

A product with a medium to high hold works best for this shorter men’s hairstyle. Again, matte hair styling products are encouraged because this hairstyle has different densities. A hair wax or paste work best to create the necessary texture to make this faux hawk look awesome.

A sea salt spray is a great option to use as a pre styler when you want to create more volume and texture in your hair prior to applying a product that adds more hold and styling.

Sea salt sprays for added texture

Quiff

short hair quiff

Quiffs are easy and always trendy hairstyles for men. A quaff works with longer hair but also certainly with shorter hair. You keep the hair on top short and the hair in front just slightly longer so that you can create your quiff. I would keep the hair on the sides and back a similar length and not go for a fade.

You style your hair to the front and the hair in the front is styled up when you go for a quiff. This shorter hairstyle works great in combination with a cob or hair brush. A quiff is a very playful hairstyle and therefore is a great hairstyle for younger guys as well.

How to style a quiff?

A quiff can handle some shine if you prefer that. A medium to high hold is recommended to keep your quiff up and to prevent it from falling down. When you use a blow dryer and round brush you can give your quiff a lot more volume and height.

Hair waxes with a high hold and mediums shine

Short wavy and curly hair

short curly hair

Last but not least I want to talk about shorter hairstyles for men with wavy and curly hair types. These hair types are great for shorter hairstyles because they already have more texture, volume, and density by itself. Especially when you notice that your hair is starting to get thinner you could adopt yourself a shorter wavy or curly hairstyle or go for a perm.

When you have short wavy hair you could opt for a small Comb-over or quiff. When you have short curly or natural hair, I would go for a Caesar cut, French crop or Fringe hairstyle. All these shorter hairstyles are very textured.

How to style short wavy and curly hair?

Wavy, curly, or natural black hair usually need a bit more hydration because otherwise you risk it looking dull or dry. That is why I would recommend picking hair styling products with a bit more shine, like a medium shine, for example.

Shorter hairstyles for men usually work better with matte styling products, but a bit of shine is perfect for shorter wavy or curly hair. A hair cream with a bit more hold or a wax or paste can help with that. A pomade does not work well because it does not provide any texture in your shorter hair.

Hair creams with a medium to high hold

Conclusion

As you see short hair for men does not mean that you have to go for a buzz cut right away. There are many shorter hairstyles for men that are still only a few centimetres long.

Generally speaking, shorter hairstyles for men work best with a matte finish. And in many cases faded and tapered sides are adding an extra dimension to your shorter looks. It creates a beautiful contrast. When it comes to styling, I always recommend clays, waxes, and pastes with a matte finish for shorter men’s hairstyles. And you can also use a sea salt spray to create more volume and texture when pre styling.

And then this...

Do not forget to subscribe to our weekly update to stay tuned for new blog posts, discounts and more! On our Facebook and Instagram you can also find many more tips and tricks regarding hairstyling, skincare and grooming!