How to Get That Bedhead Look

“I’ve got too many more important things going on.”

“I’m a free-spirited nature man.”

“It’s 2 p.m., but I just rolled out of the sack with a super-sexy lady friend.”

There are many ways to interpret the bedhead look. Consequently, it’s one of the hottest styles out there, attracting everyone from business-casual dudes to artsy types. The versatility doesn’t stop there: Comb your hair back or to the side with a part, and suddenly you’re Don Draper. That, of course, may be the biggest reason guys love bedhead: It’s low-maintenance.

With that said, it’s not completely effortless. Below, we get master advice from San Francisco–based hairstylist Ashley Smith, a 10-year veteran currently working at Population Salon, on how to choose the right bedhead style for you, and how to get the look.

Adam Levine

The look:

Very textured on the top, cleaner on the sides.

What hair texture it works with

: Any.

Who it’s for:

The guy who needs to look a bit more conservative during work hours. Since it’s cut tight on the sides, it looks more polished.

How to ask for it:

Use words like “clean” and “well-kept” for the sides and back, and ask for more length and texture on the top.

What product to use:

Use a water-soluble paste that has a matte finish -- it should look invisible on your head. For shorter-length, piecey styles like this one, you don’t want shine since it can easily be mistaken for grease. Another plus: It should last all day long, and you’ll still be able to run your hands through your hair eight hours in.

Prep time:

Five to 10 minutes. Start with dry hair. Take a nickel-sized drop of the product and rub it all the way into your hands so there are no clumps or clusters. Rub your hands through your hair from your roots and then finish by pulling the product through the ends with the tips of your fingers. Then piece it out as you like.

Go back to the stylist:

Every four to six weeks. In most major cities, stylists offer complimentary cleanups in between haircuts, and that’s really important for shorter haircuts like this. If you come in every six weeks for your haircut (that’s your “cycle”), make a quick trip to the salon at the three-week mark for what’s called a “neck trim,” a five-minute dry haircut to polish up the little fuzzies on the neck and sideburns.

Robert Pattinson


The look:

A much longer, messier version.

What hair texture it works with:

Straight, slightly wavy.

Who it’s for:

Someone who’s younger, whose lifestyle is conducive to a messier look, who doesn’t mind spending time on his own hair in the morning but can’t be bothered with booking frequent hairdresser appointments.

How to ask for it:

Tell your stylist, “I want to let this grow. I’m not looking to get it maintained all the time. I want this really choppy and messy all over. Keep it long so I can wear it in lots of different ways.”

What product to use:

Use a styling cream or gel. It should be really light so you can’t see it, but it should also have hold in it. You might also want to invest in a good hair spray.

Prep time:

Leave yourself 15 to 20 minutes. Apply the product on dry or (preferably) damp hair. The technique is the same as above: Rub it into your hands and apply from roots to ends, working it through with your fingers. When your hair is dry, finish it with a hair spray to set it and prevent it from collapsing.

Go back to the stylist:

Every eight to 10 weeks. You might even be able to stretch it longer. Basically, go back to the hairdresser when it’s too long for you to put product in.

Ryan Reynolds


The look:

More conservative than Pattinson but a bit crazier than Levine.

What hair texture it works with

: Wavy, curly hair.

Who it’s for:

Guys who naturally have texture in their hair and are looking for moderate bedhead.

How to ask for it:

Communicate that you want a lot of texture. Make sure the stylist is experienced in cutting wavy hair on men because it’s more difficult than straight hair. You can ask for a twist-cutting technique, which is specifically for curlier hair and something most stylists are familiar with. Twist-cutting creates great texture in this kind of hair.

What product to use:

The hair has a coarser texture, so stick with something a little more oil-based. Grooming cream that feels like a lotion works best.

Prep time:

Five to 10 minutes. Apply to damp or dry hair, working a nickel-sized amount in your hands and rubbing it from roots to ends. With the tips of your fingers, arrange small or large sections, depending on how piecey you want it to look. If the hair is very dry or coarse, carry a small amount of your product with you when you leave in the morning and apply a little bit for touch-ups during the day or before going out at night.

Go back to the stylist:

Every four to six weeks. Since wavy, curly hair grows out rather than down, it needs regular attention from the hairdresser to keep it in line.

Photos: Getty Images

Stop Shaping and Start Styling

When was the last time you browsed through old pictures of yourself? Or sat down and clicked through your old “tagged” images on Facebook? Notice anything? Yep, that’s right: You’ve been sporting the same haircut since before you could drive.

It’s understandable -- many African-American hairstyles stay current through the years, so it’s not like you’re out of style. But that’s no excuse for not changing things up every once in a while. Believe me; even the smallest adjustment can make a difference. And it can give you a new sense of confidence in an area in which you never even thought you were lacking.

So give one of these older-yet-new-again styles a try. Trust me, everyone will love your new look, and your barber will be thrilled to finally try something different on you!

The Hi-top Fade



Yep, the “hi-top fade” is back! Only now, it’s not as mainstream as it was in the late ’80s. And that’s a good thing, since it gives you the freedom to wear it any way you like: clean, textured, tall, short, etc. The best part is that, if you make it work with your overall presentation, you will be the center of attention -- in a good way.

Keep in mind, however, that a hi-top fade can lengthen and also square the face off. There are exceptions to the rule, but if your face shape is square or oblong/rectangular, you may want to avoid this style.


Afro



There are many names for this style: afro, low-fro, afro temp, etc. And depending on which city you’re in, there’s tremendous variety in how it’s worn too. These pictures show what’s most popular at the moment, but if you want to wear it fuller, go for it. The sky is truly the limit here.

Yet another name for this style is the “Neo-Soul” look, simply because -- while it can be worn neat or messy -- it always has an artistic, nonconformist flare. In other words, this style isn’t for everyone. But if your personality fits the bill, it’s a killer look.

The Caesar


The Caesar haircut typically comes in two shades: low/light and dark. Depending on where you live (and your hair type), you may also hear people referring to a third shade: medium.

One thing I like about this style is that the person wearing it can look totally different with each of the different lengths. The lighter the haircut, the more the attention is drawn to the eyes. The darker the cut, the more it creates a frame for the face, allowing facial hair to be prominent.

The Fade


Of course, this style has been around for ages, and for good reason. It fits every face shape and every hair type, and the variations are endless! However, I have noticed a trend toward a darker shade with more length on the top (think Blair Underwood and Maxwell). This new trend adds immediate sophistication to what is already a timeless look.

Dreadlocks


It takes a confident man to pull this hairstyle off -- not to mention a patient one. With the amount of time it will take to grow your hair to these lengths, you will definitely realize soon enough if it’s for you. But with patience comes great reward, as you can see from these images. Good look, right?

Now we’ve all seen different looks within the dreadlock style, but the most versatile and popular now is shoulder-length and neat. That’s because the style is slowly gaining acceptance in the corporate world. In addition to being office-ready, shoulder-length dreads have another benefit: They complement your overall appearance rather than dominating it.
 

Facial Hair to Attract the Girl of Your Dreams

Rather than just relying on prayer and luck, you can actually change yourself into the man she seems attracted to. And this power to morph into her dream guy lies right at your fingertips -- or rather, at the tip of your mug. Yup, we’re talking facial hair.

Look, we don’t want to stereotype, but ever notice how certain lady types tend to go for certain guy types? Sure, you already know they’re assessing your God-given attractiveness, career choice, wealth aptitude, tattoo-titudes and Avatar action figure collection. But are you also aware that they're judging you by your facial hair choices? The trick is to groom your facial hair to attract the girl you want.

Below, we present six lady archetypes and the kind of facial hair they’re likely to go for. (Just don’t do any major shaves on date night: You don’t want a tan line around where the spot your face fur used to be.)

The Biker Chick

She’s into:

Motorcycles and classic rock (like Motorhead), and loves the WWE.



You grow:

A Fu Manchu -- that’s a ’stache shaped like a horseshoe, named after an evil genius movie character in the 1930s (current wearers include Hulk Hogan). Add large sideburns or lamb chops for a more extreme effect.

Possible hairy situation:

While you can let the ends grow past your chin or curl up off your face (turning into a handlebar mustache), never, ever let the hair above your upper lip grow to the point you can grasp it with your bottom teeth. Eww.

The Intellectual

She’s into:

Smart. You’ve seen her with guys obviously destined for professor-hood.



You grow:

… take a deep breath … a beard.

Possible hairy situation:

While it gives the impression you’re too busy finishing your dissertation to shave, take a second careful look to ensure symmetry and a lack of errant hairs.

The Cool Chick

She’s into:

Retro. Or hipster. Her style says, “I’m original and I like original.”



You grow:

Either a pencil mustache (think Rhett Butler or Gomez Adams) or a caterpillar, a slightly thicker version. She’ll make a beeline to you at the coffee shop to comment on your “courage” faster than you can say “latte with skim milk.”

Possible hairy situation:

Brace yourself for teasing from friends. Also: If you get carried away with trimming the sides, you’ll end up with a “Charlie Chaplin” (also called a “toothbrush” or “Hitler”).

The Goth Girl

She’s into:

Black hair, black clothes …



You grow:

“The Satan,” (aka “The Magician”), a mini-handlebar and goatee combo shaped into a V. Note: the darker your hair, the better.

Possible hairy situation:

If you’re tempted to include arched eyebrows (a la David Navarro) into the mix, go to a professional so you don’t end up with Boy George brows.

The Free Spirit

She’s into:

… different. Just a tad. The guys you see her with are never clean-shaven. She likes subtle pizzazz.



You grow:

A small facial hair commitment just to catch her eye -- think soul patch, chin patch or petit goatee. If time is of the essence, consider shaping your sideburns into Vulcan-like points.

Possible hairy situation:

If you do go Vulcan, resist the temptation to sign off with “live long and prosper” or hail your friends with the requisite three-toed sloth hand signal.

The Corporate Gal

She’s into:

… smooth -- as a baby’s butt. Keep it simple, stupid. Shave in the a.m., and gosh darn it, maybe even a second time in the p.m. just to drive home the point.



You grow:

Nothing. Sure there’s a hint of 5 o’clock shadow (on weekends). But otherwise, you are one human-resources-guidelines-following mofo.

Possible hairy situation:

You’re late and your razor went by way of your lost luggage at the airport. Basically, you look like you pulled an all-nighter. Don’t bother pretending that the look was deliberate. She’s with the corporation, remember, and they don’t like padded truths or expense reports.

Convertibles: 3 Haircuts, 6 Looks

When it comes to your hair, your workplace forces you to be Don Draper, circa Mad Men: clean-cut, slicked back, right-wingy. Off the clock, though, your real self -- say, Animal from The Muppet Show -- yearns to bust a move (though, really, you’d be psyched just to cut loose with the flouncy locks of Zac Efron).

How do you have it both ways?

Turns out there are certain haircuts that are convertible -- wear them one way to look more formal; comb them a different way for a casual effect. You just need to know what to tell the barber.

“This is a great time for guys when it comes to fashion and hair,” says Ruth Roche, an editorial hairstylist (whose work has appeared in magazines like Vanity Fair, Interview and In Style) and owner of the RARE salon in New York City. “Men now have permission to look hip both at work and at play.”

Here are Roche’s three recommendations for the ideal “convertible” cuts for men:

The Retro Gentleman

The cut:

This look is reminiscent of men’s hair in the 1920s: With short sides and back, the top is left longer.

To wear to work:

Wear with a side part. Apply pomade or gel while hair’s still damp, then comb back smooth into place.

 

To wear to play:

Change it up with a little dry wax -- but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, blow-dry your hair -- the top goes forward and over to one side. Next, rub a pea-size amount of the wax in your palms, then run your hands through your hair a few times. That’s it, you’re done (no need to pick up a comb or brush).

 

Medium Shaggy

 

The cut:

Quite popular these days, this medium-length (as least a couple of inches above the shoulder) shaggy style features longer bangs and sides.

To wear to work:

Style the hair back, pushing it off the face. Achieve this by towel drying hair until it’s nearly dry, then -- without using a comb -- apply a tiny bit of cream to your palms, then run your hair front to back to get a loose and shaggy effect. Results: a groomed yet undone look that’s more grown up but still on trend.

 

To wear to play:

The cut looks great just left alone to air-dry (though adding a little wax doesn’t hurt).

Faux Hawk

The cut:

This is a short, modified Mohawk style. (If you haven’t seen it around … welcome back from your coma!) For this look, the sides and the outside edges of the top are cut shorter while leaving a longer strip in along the top center of the head. The center top strip should be roughly 0.5 inch longer than the sides, which should be no longer than 1.25 inches (any more than that, and you’re entering the shaggy zone).

To wear to work:

The hair can be worn forward with a light styling cream applied to wet hair. No need to blow-dry.

 

To wear to play:

Let your inner David Beckham loose by spiking up the center with a firm holding wax.

 

 

 

 

 

Super Bowl Special: Game Stats of Hairy-Faced Footballers

Top NFL players’ numbers are growing at the same pace as their beards and mustaches. Here’s our cutting analysis of what may be the potentially hairy connection.



There needs to be an investigation into a performance-enhancement trend in the National Football League. More All-Pro players are running faster, hitting harder and jumping higher. And we have reason to believe the performance-enhancing evidence is as clear as the nose on their faces -- or at least the brush right underneath it.

That’s right: Neatly trimmed facial hair has been sprouting all over the league’s elite players’ otherwise ugly mugs. Is it a coincidence that the best of the best are fine-tuning their facial hair like violin strings? We doubt you’ll think so after you read our performance analysis of the hairy-faced men of football.



Pitt’s Pendulum

Player:

Ben Roethlisberger

Position:

Quarterback

Team:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Facial hairstory:

Trimmed beard and goatee

Big Ben and his beard burst on the scene in 2004, when he was drafted by the Steelers. Rocking the vaguely Eastern European goatee and matching mustache, at 23, he became the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in NFL history. Roethlisberger actually had a fan site (called Ben’s Beard) dedicated to his facial hair, and it was supported by over 14,000 brush buddies. Despite this, in February 2006, he shaved it all off for The Late Show With David Letterman. Just a few months later, he was in a career-threatening motorcycle accident … after which he returned with his beard reborn and went on to lead the Steelers to another Super Bowl championship.

Post-game analysis:

Is Roethlisberger’s brush with success only a coincidence? The answer is as plain as the hair on Ben’s face: Without it, Big Ben’s a stopped clock.

Rowdy Receiver’s Face Moss

Player:

Randy Moss

Position:

Wide Receiver

Team:

New England Patriots

Facial hairstory:

From well-groomed mustache and beard to hobo-looking face brush

The bad boy of the New England Patriots has had both a hairy and stylish career. He arrived in the NFL from Marshall with a stylin’ (and neatly trimmed) beard and mustache -- along with a criminal rap sheet and a bad reputation. But Moss’ stats and beard grew throughout his pro career as he set the NFL single-season touchdown reception record as a rookie and became the league’s top receiver for the Vikings from 1998 through 2005. Later, as a Pats-man, he led their way to the Super Bowl. This year, though, his beard became particularly unruly, inviting comparisons to a member of ZZ Top. Simultaneously, his numbers dropped -- along with his focus -- and his teammates and opponents questioned his dedication.

Post-game analysis:

We’re thinking, if he just gets himself a little trim, he’ll be back in the Pro Bowl.

Brush Fired

Player:

Brett Favre

Position:

Quarterback

Team:

Minnesota Vikings

Facial hairstory:

Round-the-clock 5 o’clock shadow

Brett Favre joined the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 -- a fresh-faced kid from Southern Mississippi who … sucked. It took a few years for Favre to find his way to Green Bay and the Don Johnson round-the-clock shadow look that put a fuzzy fine point on his image. Once he mastered the constant mowing of his facial foliage, he simultaneously cranked up the caliber of his gunslinger image. The brush caught fire in 1995 when Favre nailed down his first MVP Awards and led the Packers to their best record in nearly 30 seasons. He then led the team to the Super Bowl title the following season. In the years since, he’s put up Hall of Fame numbers with the Pack, then the Jets and now has the Vikings playing better than they’ve had in years.

Post-game analysis:

Once Brett-man started focusing on the crucial details of his All Pro appearance, his meticulous legend as a superhero on the field grew and grew.

Bigfoot’s a Big Hit

Player:

Nick Mangold

Position:

Center

Team:

New York Jets

Facial hairstory:

Wookie puss

Nick Mangold, an offensive lineman taken by the New York Jets in 2006, has grown on the Big Apple like a huge pile of hairy moss on a skyscraper. After a near-Rookie of the Year season (rare for a center), the 6-foot-4-inch, 305-pound stunt double for that Bigfoot dude in Harry and the Hendersons is already considered one of the best at his position in the league. He’s all set for his second Pro Bowl season at the tender age (for a side of beef) of 25. So why don’t you know him? Because the dude’s got so much hair on his head and face, he looks like a Wookie.

Post-game analysis:

One full contact drill with a razor and a set of sheep shears, and this guy could be as rich and famous as Michael Jordan.

Groomed and Dangerous

Player:

Ray Lewis

Position:

Middle Linebacker

Team:

Baltimore Ravens

Facial hairstory:

Stylin’ bristles

Showing up in the mid-’90s, Ray Lewis had a suitcase full of swagger and a macked-out mug full of trimmed, waxed and styled facial hair. He instantly became the most dominant player at his position since Dick Butkus … with a lot more flair. Sure he’s had tough times -- like when he pled guilty to being on the scene of a murder after the 2000 Super Bowl in Atlanta (the only black mark on his otherwise clean off-field record). But that brush with disaster has disappeared in the rearview mirror as Ray-Ray continues to rack up big numbers and batter quarterbacks at the advanced assaulting age of 35! Now sporting a personality to match his civilized style, the eight-time Pro Bowler and 2000 Super Bowl MVP has sacked his bad-boy image to become a Madison Avenue All Star, racking up all sorts of endorsements. 

Post-game analysis:

When the personality of the defensive face of the NFL caught up with his stylish facial image, Lewis became a media darling.