--- title: "Men’s Hairstyles by Hair Type" date: 2026-11-13 author: "" --- # Men’s Hairstyles by Hair Type ## Men’s Hairstyles by Hair Type [Home](/) / [Men’s hairstyles](/mens-hairstyles/) / Men’s Hairstyles by Hair Type# Men’s Hairstyles by Hair Type The same haircut can look sharp on one head and wrong on the next, and most of the time the reason is the hair rather than the barber. Straight hair shows every line. Curly hair shrinks as it dries. Thick hair grows outwards, fine hair lies flat. Pick a style that works with what grows out of your head and you spend less time fighting it every morning. ## 7 styles and the hair they suit [![Bearded man with a choppy textured crop and a high skin fade, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/textured-crop-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Textured Crop** High fade TexturedEvery 3 to 4 weeksMessy crop ](/mens-hairstyles/textured-crop/) [![Man with a French crop, a short textured top and a cropped fringe over faded sides, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/french-crop-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **French Crop** Faded sides Short fringeEvery 3 to 4 weeksCrop haircut ](/mens-hairstyles/french-crop/) [![Man with an Edgar haircut, a blunt straight fringe over sides faded to skin, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/edgar-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Edgar Haircut** Line-up Blunt fringeEvery 2 weeksEdgar cut ](/mens-hairstyles/edgar-haircut/) [![Young man with curtains, centre-parted hair falling to either side of his forehead, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/curtains-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Curtains** Scissor cut Centre partingEvery 6 to 8 weeksCurtain haircut ](/mens-hairstyles/curtains/) [![Man with an even buzz cut all over, front view, in a grey T-shirt](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/buzz-cut-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Buzz Cut** All over Grade 1 to 4Every 1 to 3 weeksClipper cut ](/mens-hairstyles/buzz-cut/) [![Man with a low taper fade, full sides and a textured top, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/low-taper-fade-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Low Taper Fade** Sideburns and nape LowEvery 3 to 4 weeksLow taper ](/mens-hairstyles/low-taper-fade/) [![Man with a quiff, the front lifted and swept back over short sides, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/quiff-haircut-card-photo.jpg) **Quiff** Grade 3 to 4 sides Volume at the frontEvery 4 to 6 weeksQuiff haircut ](/mens-hairstyles/quiff/) ## £5 off your first delivery A fresh cut looks sharpest with a clean neckline and tidy sideburns. A sharp blade keeps them that way between visits without the razor burn. *This page has a form, which is not reproduced here. Use the page itself to fill it in.* £5 off your first subscription or VIP order – one per customer, unsubscribe with 1 click ## Working out what you have Wash your hair, towel it off and let it dry with no product at all. Then look at it. If it hangs straight from the root to the end, it is straight. If it bends into loose S shapes, it is wavy. If it forms spirals or ringlets, it is curly. If it forms tight coils or zigzags and shrinks well below its real length, it is coily, sometimes called afro or type 4 hair. The numbering you may have seen, type 1 to type 4 with letters after them, follows the same order. It is useful for buying products and not much use in a barber’s chair, where straight, wavy, curly and coily cover it. Then check two other things, because they matter as much as the curl. **Density** is how many hairs there are, which you can judge by how much scalp shows when the hair is parted. **Thickness** is how coarse each hair is. Roll a single hair between finger and thumb. If you can barely feel it, it is fine. If it feels like a thread, it is coarse. Most men are a mix, wavy at the front and straight at the back, or curly on top and straighter at the sides. Go by the part of your head the haircut will show most. ## Hair types side by side Hair typeWhat it doesWorks wellApproach with care StraightLies flat, shows every clipper line, can look limp[Taper fades](/mens-hairstyles/taper-fade/), [slick back](/mens-hairstyles/slick-back/), [French crop](/mens-hairstyles/french-crop/), [Edgar](/mens-hairstyles/edgar-haircut/)Very short layered tops that stick up WavyMoves on its own, varies day to day[Textured crop](/mens-hairstyles/textured-crop/), [quiff](/mens-hairstyles/quiff/), [curtains](/mens-hairstyles/curtains/), [modern mullet](/mens-hairstyles/modern-mullet/)Very sleek styles that fight the wave CurlyShrinks when dry, grows out as well as down[Burst fade](/mens-hairstyles/burst-fade/), [high taper fade](/mens-hairstyles/high-taper-fade/), curly cropLong sides, which go wide CoilyDense, tightly coiled, shrinks a lot[Skin fade](/mens-hairstyles/skin-fade/), [drop fade](/mens-hairstyles/drop-fade/), [buzz cut](/mens-hairstyles/buzz-cut/), short top with a line-upBarbers who rarely cut it ThickBulky, pushes outwards at the sides[High fade](/mens-hairstyles/high-fade/), [undercut](/mens-hairstyles/undercut/), [short back and sides](/mens-hairstyles/short-back-and-sides/)Uniform medium length, which goes square Fine or thinningLies flat, shows scalp[Textured crop](/mens-hairstyles/textured-crop/), [crew cut](/mens-hairstyles/crew-cut/), [buzz cut](/mens-hairstyles/buzz-cut/)Long tops and high contrast at the sides ## Straight hair Straight hair is the easiest to cut clean and the hardest to hide mistakes in. Every step in a fade shows, so pick a barber who takes their time over a blend. It suits sharp shapes. A [slick back](/mens-hairstyles/slick-back/), a side part or a [French crop](/mens-hairstyles/french-crop/) with a straight fringe all rely on hair that goes where it is put. Its weakness is volume. On fine straight hair a long top lies flat against the head, so ask for it to be point cut, which breaks up the ends and gives it some lift. ## Wavy hair Wavy hair is the most adaptable, and the most unpredictable. It can be pushed into most styles, but it will do something slightly different every day depending on the weather and how it dried. The styles that suit it use the movement, like a [textured crop](/mens-hairstyles/textured-crop/), a loose [quiff](/mens-hairstyles/quiff/) or [curtains](/mens-hairstyles/curtains/). Leave some length so the wave has room to show. Cut too short, wavy hair just looks untidy. Let it dry naturally where you can, or on a low heat, and use a light cream rather than a strong hold. Heavy product flattens the wave you wanted. ## Curly hair Curly hair shrinks as it dries, sometimes by a lot, so a barber who cuts it wet and pulled straight can take far more off than you expect. Ask for it to be cut dry, or at least shaped dry at the end. ![Profile of a curly top with a burst fade curving round the ear](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/burst-fade-curly-top-profile.jpg)It grows outwards as well as down, which is why the sides need to be kept tight. A [high taper fade](/mens-hairstyles/high-taper-fade/) or a [burst fade](/mens-hairstyles/burst-fade/) keeps the sides close and leaves the curls on top as the feature. Without that, a curly cut tends to grow into a triangle. Curly hair is usually drier than straight hair, because the scalp’s oil travels down a curl more slowly. Wash it less, condition it more, and do not brush it dry. Finger comb it, or use a wide-tooth comb while it is wet. ## Coily hair Coily hair is dense and tightly packed, and it holds a shape better than any other type. That makes it ideal for precise cuts, such as a [skin fade](/mens-hairstyles/skin-fade/), a [drop fade](/mens-hairstyles/drop-fade/), a short top with a sharp line-up, or a [buzz cut](/mens-hairstyles/buzz-cut/) at any grade. ![Profile of a bearded man with a coily top and a mid taper fade](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/mid-taper-fade-coily-top-profile.jpg)The single most useful thing is a barber who cuts coily hair every day. The blend, the line-up and how the hair is handled all differ from straight hair, and it shows when they do not know. It is also the driest hair type. Moisturise the hair and scalp, wash less often, and be careful with line-ups on sensitive skin, because a razor taken too close along the hairline can leave bumps and ingrown hairs. ## Thick hair Thick hair holds any style but adds bulk wherever it is left long. A medium length cut all over tends to go square, with the sides pushing out over the ears. The fix is to take weight out of the sides. A [high fade](/mens-hairstyles/high-fade/), an [undercut](/mens-hairstyles/undercut/) or a traditional [short back and sides](/mens-hairstyles/short-back-and-sides/) all do it. On top, ask the barber to thin it out with point cutting or thinning scissors so it lies down instead of standing up. ## Fine or thinning hair Fine hair is soft, lies flat and shows the scalp through it, more so under bright light. The answer is usually shorter rather than longer. Short hair stands up and looks denser, while long hair separates and shows the gaps. A [textured crop](/mens-hairstyles/textured-crop/) with a forward fringe, a [crew cut](/mens-hairstyles/crew-cut/) or a [buzz cut](/mens-hairstyles/buzz-cut/) all work. Use a matte product, because shiny ones clump the hair into strands and show more scalp. Avoid high fades with a long top. The contrast between bare sides and thin top makes the top look thinner. If the thinning is from a receding hairline or the crown, the [haircuts for balding men](/mens-hairstyles/haircuts-for-balding-men/) page goes further. ## Using this with the rest of the directory Hair type is one of three things that decide a haircut. Face shape and how much time you will give it in the morning are the others. Every style page in the [men’s hairstyles directory](/mens-hairstyles/) lists which hair types it suits, so start with this page, narrow it down, and read the style pages for the detail. If length is the question, the [medium and long hairstyles](/mens-hairstyles/medium-and-long-hairstyles/) page covers what happens to each type as it grows. ## Frequently asked questions How do I know what hair type I have?Wash it, let it dry with no product and look at it. Straight hangs flat, wavy bends into loose S shapes, curly forms spirals and coily forms tight coils that shrink well below their real length. Then check density by how much scalp shows and thickness by how each hair feels between your fingers. What is the best haircut for thick hair?One that takes weight out of the sides, like a high fade, an undercut or a short back and sides, with the top thinned out by point cutting. Thick hair left at one medium length all over tends to go square. What haircut suits curly hair best?A cut that keeps the sides tight and the curls on top, such as a high taper fade, a burst fade or a curly crop. Ask for it to be cut dry, because curly hair shrinks as it dries. What hairstyle makes fine hair look thicker?A short textured cut with a little length on top, like a textured crop, styled with a matte product. Short hair stands up and looks denser. Long, shiny or slicked styles separate fine hair and show the scalp. Can your hair type change?It can shift over time. Many men find their hair gets finer or less dense with age, and some find a wave or curl appears or loosens. If a cut that used to work stops working, check your hair type again before blaming the barber. ## Other ways to narrow it down [ 3 styles### Taper Fade Haircuts Low, mid and high tapers, and how they differ from a full fade. ](/mens-hairstyles/taper-fade/) [ 8 styles### Types of Fade Haircut Where the fade starts, how short it goes, and the shapes in between. ](/mens-hairstyles/types-of-fade/) [ 3 styles### Buzz Cut Lengths and Clipper Grades Grade 1 to grade 4, and the short cuts built on them. ](/mens-hairstyles/buzz-cut-lengths/) [ 5 styles### Medium and Long Hairstyles for Men Cuts that need length on top, at the front or at the back. ](/mens-hairstyles/medium-and-long-hairstyles/) [ 11 styles### Classic Men’s Haircuts Barbershop standards that have outlasted every trend. ](/mens-hairstyles/classic-haircuts/) [ 6 styles### Haircuts for Balding and Thinning Hair Short cuts that make thinning hair look deliberate. ](/mens-hairstyles/haircuts-for-balding-men/) [All 29 hairstyles in the directory](/mens-hairstyles/)