How To Style Men’s Short Hair

Picture this: You've got a hot date this weekend. As a stylish guy, you know exactly what to do – visit the barber.

Fast forward to the following day, and your hair no longer looks stylish. What do you do? Cancel the date? Slow your roll; it's not the end of the world.

Short hair can be tricky to style, but with the right knowledge and technique, you'll have your hair looking barbershop quality in no time.

With so many men's short hairstyles out there, you must know how to style them and what products to use for the best outcome.

Don't worry, gents; I'm here to help with that. In today's article, I'll be covering:

• Which Hairstyles Are Best For Short Hair?
• The Best Hair Styling Products To Use On Short Hair
• How Do You Maintain Your Short Hairstyle?

Which Hairstyles Are Best For Short Hair?

Before we can even begin to talk about how to style your short hair, it's essential to know a few different cuts that determine how you'll be styling it.

There is no shortage of good haircuts for guys. However, these 4 options stand out as the most popular when it comes to men's short hairstyles.

In order from longest length to shortest:

Ivy League

Known for its preppy background, the Ivy League haircut has become one of the most iconic men's short hairstyles.

With a length typically no more than 2 inches on top and shorter on the sides, this is a staple for men who want a classic and timeless haircut.

This is a perfect hairstyle for men of all face shapes and offers a classic look that won't disappoint.

How to style Ivy League cut:

1. Use clay or putty for texture and hold.
2. For a smarter look, use a comb to help style, or use your fingers to keep it casual.
3. Maintain it every few weeks, as it is a ‘longer' short cut; you don't have to maintain it as often.

Crew Cut

Inspired by 1950s military heritage, the crew cut is one of the most infamous hairstyles for guys with short hair.

It comes in shorter than the Ivy League and typically offers shorter length on the sides and back. With its short nature, this is a low-maintenance hairstyle you'll love.

This type of cut is excellent for men with various shape sizes and offers a versatile style that goes with any outfit.

How to style Crew Cut:

1. Use clay or texture powder for hold.
2. Men with thicker hair may not need any product for a casual look.
3. Due to its shorter nature, it will need to be maintained more often, every 1-2 weeks, most likely.

High And Tight

The high and tight haircut is a moderate-maintenance hairstyle in that it doesn't need to be styled much, depending on the top length.

It features high-clipped sides and back, with varying lengths on top. This top length determines how much or how little you will have to style it.

High and tights are known for their military-inspired look and don't have much of a blend at the top. You can choose how long the top is, but too long, and you'll enter the territory of a disconnected style haircut.

How to style High & Tight cut:

1. If the length is longer on top, use clay or putty for hold.
2. Most men can rock this style product free.
3. It does require frequent maintenance to keep its length, depending on severity.

Buzz Cut

Lastly, we find the most straightforward men's short hairstyle to maintain—the buzz cut.

The buzz cut has military heritage but is commonly known as the most manageable haircut to maintain as a guy. Its ruggedness also gives it a spot on the list of hairstyles that women love.

This hairstyle is a simple, one-length cut across the entire head and offers versatility and simplicity. It does not require any products to style or maintain, and it goes well with most face shapes.

How to style Buzz cut:

1. You don't need any products to style this haircut
2. If you prefer a longer buzz, you may find a texture powder helps take away any greasy look.
3. Due to its simplicity, a buzz cut can be touched up weekly or not for several weeks, depending on preference.

The Best Hair Styling Products To Use On Short Hair

There are only a few products you'll need in your medicine cabinet when it comes to men's short hairstyles.

Most hair products are designed around the concepts of volume and hold.

The volume is the overall size and texture of your hair. While the hold is the strength at which the hair products keep your hair in place.

With these two things in mind, there are really only a handful of products you'll need with short hair:

Clay and Putty

Hair clay and putty are combined because they both do the same thing: give your hair texture and hold without the slick look of hair gel or pomade.

Hair putty has an extremely strong hold with little to no shine making it the product of choice for adding texture and hold without the mess.

Clay, on the other hand, will give you texture but at the cost of hold, making it a well-rounded option for men who want something quick and easy.

The best rule of thumb with these products is to use the putty if you want something that lasts all day and opt for clay when you need something fast and short-term.

Gel/Pomade

Hair gel or pomade are great options for men who want the most hold out of a hair styling product.

The biggest drawback is that they both tend to have a high shine.

You only really want to break these out if you're going to rock the slicked-back look or wish to opt for a shinier quiff-like appearance.

Gel and pomade are an excellent option for men with an ivy league or crew cut style looking for a smarter appearance. This can be enhanced by applying it with a comb for a truly polished look.

Texture Powder

Texture powders are a fantastic addition to your hair-styling regime as they offer excellent volume and hold like clay and putty, yet your hair remains softer and more malleable.

This means that, unlike its stronghold counterparts, clay and putty, texture powder allows you the freedom to move your hair around and restyle without being locked into place like the other products do.

These powders also do a great job at removing any greasy residue, leaving you with a polished yet shine-free hairstyle.

How Do You Maintain Your Short Hairstyle?

The best part about rocking short hair as a guy is that you don't have to do much to it daily to make it look stylish.

Yes, you may be in and out of the barber more frequently, depending on the severity of your cut or fade.

But at the end of the day, you won't be worrying too much about styling products, extra time needed to style it, or the dreaded bed head the same as you would if it were longer.

Short hair maintenance is often just more trips to the barber to keep the length as short as needed.

Other than that, most men's short hairstyles are easy to maintain and perfect if you want something low maintenance and stylish.

There you have it, gents. No longer will you need to worry about how to style your short hair.

You have all the tools necessary to rock that short hair as stylishly as possible.

If you're interested in more hair care tips, check out this article I wrote about the most attractive hairstyles that women love.