Kick-starting 2016 with a hair makeover is a great way to recover from the excesses of New Year's Eve. You might have neglected your locks over the holiday season, so now's the time to sharpen – or artfully mess up – your total image!
Trends for the coming year are as varied as ever, from crew-cuts to dreads, and the dramatic pompadour is showing no sign of fading away, nor are the hip, texturized hairstyles that can be worn in any setting. At the other end of the style spectrum, those classic blowback hairstyles are big news: never stuffy, they're a surefire way to look stylish. It's essential to find a hairstyle that suits your face shape, hair texture and that will work well with your personality.
Classic Slicked Back
Move over Clark Gable – this timeless style's making the most of hi-tech 21st century styling products so the hair still looks clean and natural. It's a cool look, just the right side of macho, and is easiest to create on a short back-and-sides type cut.
Part your damp hair with a comb then apply a tiny amount of gel between your palms and run your hands over your head. Detail the front with your fingers, adding a little more gel or pomade for shine and hold. Comb through, keeping the front slightly lifted and the sides flat back, then allow the hair to dry naturally.
Dishevelled Hair for a Party
You don't have to be in a hip and sexy band to wear this hairstyle – though if you are, it can't hurt! This look works for any face shape but is particularly good for longer ones. It can be achieved with most hair textures and will do wonders for a mane that is starting to thin.
To create this look, scrunch through some thickening mousse before you blow-dry and use your fingertips to tousle your top hair forward. Work in a nickel to a quarter-sized amount of styling cream or putty to set the look and finish with a matte hairspray.
Ivy League Blowback
This is one of those classic men's hairstyles that's in no danger of losing its appeal. Sleek, hip and well groomed, it's great for thick, unmanageable hair as well as less dense manes. Also known as the Princeton cut, the hair is tapered on the sides and back, then around the crown. About an inch at the front is left slightly longer than the rest of the hair on top.
To style this look, blow-dry your top hair upwards, then work a nickel-sized quantity of styling wax or pomade through your entire mane, pushing the top hair back from your face and slicking the sides back close to your head.
Long Curls
Great news for guys who hate going for the chop: boho, flowing curls are hipper than ever in 2016, and no longer just for the ladies. Making curls look their manly, well-kempt best does take a tiny bit of effort, though. It's worth investing in a good, protein-rich conditioner, but most importantly, chuck out any hairbrushes right now and stick to wide-toothed combs. This is because running a brush through curls disturbs the hair cuticle surface and creates frizz. Excessive blow-drying is also a bad idea for long hair of any texture, as the ends become more fragile and susceptible to heat damage – and do remember to get a trim every 8 weeks or so!
The easiest and coolest way to style long man-curls is to work a little serum or styling cream through your damp hair and leave it to dry naturally.
Messy
Is there any difference between a messy hairstyle and plain, messy laziness, we hear you ask – well actually, there is. This look gets its appeal from the mix of windswept ruggedness and the carefree, rock-and-roll vibe, but if you don't have access to a tornado or a top team of stylists, you can easily create this edgy, mussed-up masterpiece at home.
Scrunch a golf-ball-sized amount of styling foam through your hair before tackling it with the blow-dryer, keeping your head down to create lift at the roots. Finish by applying a tiny amount of deconstructing gum and arrange individual locks of hair with your fingers, twisting here and there for added texture.
