We don’t expect you to magically know how to style your hair and we understand that some people just aren’t born with the natural ability to style hair or the inclination to spend more than $7 on a haircut. But, for those of you who’d like to turn your ‘do around, we’ve asked three of Sydney’s best hairdressers to let us in on the biggest hair mistakes guys make and to help steer you in the direction of hair redemption.
#1 Ditch Dandruff
Dandruff is not cute. I don’t care whether you have light hair, wear light clothes or just manage to hide it well, because dandruff isn’t cute. But it’s super common and, according to Monique McMahon of Que Colour, one of the main reasons for that is we are all too quick to use chemical based dandruff shampoo, which basically makes it all worse. There’s a solution, though! Go au natural with the cleansing purifying sea salt scrub by Christophe Robin or their purifying shampoo with jujube bark extract, which has been proven to eliminate dandruff entirely. Yes, really.
#2 Ned Kelly Beards Are OUT
According to Anthony Nader, owner and hair wizard at RAW, beards can be totally stylish. You know, as long as you keep it tidy and don’t let it stray into Ned Kelly territory (which is never a good look). I think everybody has that friend—the one who lets his haphazard beard go way too far, thinking it looks hipster or cool when really, it doesn’t #sorrynotsorry. Anthony says that you should show your beard the same kind of lovin’ that you do to your top mop, with regular haircuts and simple conditioning with a product like V76’s Beard Oil.
#3 And While We’re Talking About Facial Hair…
There is no discreet way for me to tell you to trim your nose hairs, so I’ll let Jules Tognini do it, because he’s a hot shit hair stylist that is telling you to trim your damn nose hairs. He says that all it’ll take to tame your unsightly issue is a quick go-over with the nose trimmer once a week. No excuses.
For your unruly beards, Jules recommends the Philips Vacuum Beard Trimmer which evenly grooms hairs and vacuums as it goes meaning no gross sink stubble.
#4 Barber Hopping
Find a barber you like and stick with them. You know, if you want to have hair that actually looks good. Monique (Que Colour) says that barber hopping is the quickest way to rock a bad haircut (my words, not hers) and she would know, since she’s been in the biz for over 20 years. You should develop a relationship with your barber so you can tell them what you loved (and hated) about your last cut, and so they can really get you and what your ‘do is all about in the long term.
#5 Embrace The Blow Dryer
Blow dryers aren’t just for long-haired ladies, according to Jacob Martin from The Barber Shop in Sydney. He wants you to know that letting your hair dry naturally is cool for some, but if you want hair that’s shiny, smooth and holds its shape, then maybe you should embrace the blow dryer. Next time you get your hair cut, take note while they style your hair—you might just learn a thing or two.
#6 Step Away From The Clippers
This one is pretty basic—Monique says to not even think about cutting your own hair at home. You might think you nailed it and maybe from the front you did, but when you turn around, it just isn’t pretty. Ever. So fork out the cash and get your hair done by the professionals. You’re worth it.
#7 Hair Gel Is So Year Nine
Absolutely there’s a time and place for hair gel and, jokes aside, it wasn’t only in year nine. But it’s important to know how to rock it or you’ll end up looking like Peter Andre circa 1990 or (shudder) Justin Timberlake in his noodle hair days. A good one to use, according to Anthony Nader, is the R+Co Motorcycle Gel but really, you could just ditch gel altogether and go for a wax. To really nail a slicked back quiff you need to embrace the classic barber style of a skintight fade around the sides and leave some length on top to sweep into a slick quiff and set with a wax. A good one is the V76 V Rated Natural Wax.
#8 On That Note… Matte It Up
The key words to pay attention to here are clay, paste and matte. A great choice is the V76 Molding Paste, but really any product that features one of these are absolute winners for any guys with thinner hair because it’ll give you a fuller feel. This one is pretty simple to master, so if you’ve been intimidated thus far—this is the one for you. Simply rub the product into your palms before dusting it over your ends and then go in a little bit heavier and work the rest through to fix your hair in place. Voila! Insta-volume.
#9 Using The Wrong Product On The Wrong Hair Type
Yes. Men do have hair types, can you believe it? Up until now, you may have thought that your hair was categorised into a few easy groups (short, long, man bun, bald) but oh no, my friend. You too can have thin, thick, coarse or fine hair, just like women. The hot tips from Jacob Martin (The Barber Shop) for using the right prod for your hair are to use a boost powder or sea salt spray if you have fine or thinning hair and avoid anything that clumps to the strands like the plague. This will increase the volume and give the illusion of fuller looking hair. Try the Haze Boost Powder or Salty Dog by EVO and remember, when it comes to product, less is more.
#10 Doing A Dodgy Home Dye Job To Cover Greys
If George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds and Patrick Dempsey have taught us anything, it’s that being a silver fox can massively increase your average. But if grey just isn’t your thing, then take note, because Monique has some important advice about covering those rascals up. Firstly, most men fail because they go for an all over colour, which often (always) looks artificial and heavy. Instead, go for a product with a softer coverage that’ll camouflage your greys rather than cover them up. The shade variations range of colour enhancing treatments by Christophe Robin is a good option.
Image credit: Barber Shop