How to Style Your Hair Like a Barber Would

I hear a common complaint in the barbershop: “I can’t make my hair look the way it does when my barber styles it.”

You’ve probably been in this situation:

You just got a great haircut, it looks perfect, and it’s laying down in all of the right places. Then, the next day, after a shower, it looks a little less than perfect. You’re using the product you bought at the barbershop and you’re trying to get the front to do that thing your barber did but it’s not happening.

It’s frustrating because you want to look sharp every day, not just the one day a month you get to see the barber.

There are a few factors that could be to blame but I’m going to share my top 3 solutions with you here because I want you to be able to style your hair on your own so you look sharp and feel confident every day of the week.

This list of questions is where I start when my clients bring this complaint to me.

1. Do you use a blow dryer?
2. How are you combing your hair?
3. Do you have the right product for your hair type?

      1. Do you use a blow dryer?

Using a blow dryer can be intimidating or even taboo for people who grew up thinking it’s just used for long hair.

The truth is, almost everyone with a short hairstyle has something to gain from using one as well.

If you’re not familiar with how to use a blow dryer, check out 7 Grooming Tips from a Master Barber. In this guide, I share my best tips for using a blow dryer.

To use an analogy, blow-drying your hair is like using primer before you paint. If you don’t prime the surface, how will the paint stick and perform well? It won’t. Then you have to cake on the paint to get the appearance you want.

Hair is the same way. Prime your hair with a blow-dryer and you’ll get much better results from the product you’re using

2. How are you combing your hair?

Do you just ruffle your hair with your hands? Use a wide-tooth comb? A brush, perhaps?

All of these will give an entirely different look.

If you want a sleek, polished look, use a comb with fairly wide teeth and a pomade with high shine. As you comb, lay the spine of the comb flat on your head and use it to flatten the hair.

If you want a cross between polished and messy, use a comb to flatter the hair and raise the front. Then, drop the comb and use your fingers to ruffle the hair. The idea is to get the hair in the right place, then add the texture.

For a more natural, messy look, use a brush first get the hair into place, then rough it up with your hands. The brush will add a bit of volume so that it’s not so flat to the head.

3. Do you have the right product for your hair type?

Products generally vary in two ways: hold and shine.

When choosing a product you need to think about your hair type and how you want your hair to look.

Thin hair:

I always recommend a Matte Clay Pomade for thinning hair. Any product that has a higher shine or a heavy hold will weigh down your hair and cause it to clump together, looking even thinner.

I would also recommend using a fine-tooth comb as this will spread the hair evenly, keeping it from clumping together.

Medium & Thick hair:

If you want a clean and polished look, use a medium hold Natural Pomade. You could also use a light or heavy hold for this look depending on how much shine or hold you want. For high shine, go with a light hold. For high hold, go with the heavy hold.

For a messy/textured style, grab a Matte Clay Pomade. Use a generous amount after blow-drying your hair and use your hands to style it.

Curly Hair:

I personally have curly hair and frizz is the main problem I face. I use two products for this. I use our Beard Oil when my hair is still damp and then top it off with the medium hold Natural Pomade.

Once my hair drys, it retains the curls I want while keeping frizz to a minimum.

The main thing you want to avoid with styling curly hair is combing or brushing it too much. This will cause the hair to straighten out a bit and you’ll have to wet it to reactivate the curls.

I hope these tips help you look sharp and feel confident in your appearance after you start incorporating them into your daily grooming routine. The next time you see your barber, ask them what type of product they would recommend for your hair type.

I’ll have a few more tips on the way to you soon! In the meantime, check out 7 Grooming Tips from a Master Barber to solidify a solid grooming routine.