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← Hairstyles · Wavy hair

Best men's hairstyles for wavy hair.

Got wavy hair? Work with it. These cuts are picked to suit wavy hair, with the products and routine to keep them looking sharp.

Medium upkeep · Medium length

Bro Flow

The bro flow is medium-length hair grown out and pushed straight back, with no hard parting. It falls loosely behind the ears and curls slightly at the neck.
Medium upkeep · Short length

Brush Back

A brush back sweeps all the hair on top backwards, away from the forehead, with no part and no shine. It is the matte, textured cousin of the slick back. How much lift you build at the front decides whether you are wearing the loose, the short or the voluminous version.
Medium upkeep · Medium length

Curtains

Curtains are medium-length hair with a middle or off-centre parting, so the front falls in two soft panels on either side of the forehead. The length usually reaches the eyebrows, and on longer versions the cheekbones.
Medium upkeep · Short length

French Crop

The French crop is a short cut with a blunt fringe pushed forward onto the forehead and short, tapered or faded sides. The top is cut choppy, so it looks messy on purpose.
Medium upkeep · Short length

Fringe

A fringe is a haircut where the front hair is left longer than the sides and worn over your forehead, across it, or pushed back off it. It is one of the easiest ways to change the shape of your face, and there are five main versions to choose from.
Medium upkeep · Short length

Ivy League

The Ivy League is a crew cut with extra length left at the front, long enough to comb into a side part. It is the smartest version of a short haircut, and it is also called a Princeton.
Low upkeep · Medium length

Medium Layered Cut

The medium layered cut keeps your hair around ear to collar length, with layers cut through it to remove bulk. It is a simple, versatile shape rather than a bold statement. The same layering works short and messy, or swept to one side.
Medium upkeep · Medium length

Modern Mullet

The modern mullet is short on the sides and top with deliberate length left at the back, over the neck. Unlike the old version, the transition is blended and the length is softer.
High upkeep · Medium length

Pompadour Fade Haircut

A pompadour fade pairs a high-volume top swept up and back with sides faded down to short or skin length. Here's how to choose the fade height, ask your barber, and style it.
Medium upkeep · Short length

Quiff

A quiff is a haircut where the front section of hair is lifted up and slightly back, while the sides stay short. It is softer and more casual than a pompadour, and it comes in five main versions depending on how much height and texture you want.
Low upkeep · Medium length

Shag

The shag is a medium-length cut built from choppy layers, shortest near the crown and longest at the back, with a soft fringe at the front. It is meant to look lived-in rather than groomed.
Medium upkeep · Short length

Slick Back

The slick back taper keeps the hair on top long enough to comb straight back, while the sides and back get shorter as they go down. It is a clean, formal cut that shows your whole face.
High upkeep · Short length

Undercut with Volume

The undercut with volume cuts the sides one short length all the way up, with no blend, and leaves a long top that you style upward. The contrast between the two is the whole point.
Medium upkeep · Medium length

Wolf Cut

The wolf cut is a medium-length shaggy cut with heavy layers. It is short and full at the crown, then gets progressively longer and thinner towards the ends.

Wavy hair sits between straight and curly and behaves like neither. It has enough bend to look full and enough weight to fall flat, sometimes on the same day. It is also rarely uniform — most men have stronger wave at the back and a section at the front that does whatever it wants.

The aim with wavy hair is not to fight either direction. It is to find the length where the wave supports itself, which is a narrower window than people expect.

Why length is the whole decision

Too short and the wave becomes fluff. Below about an inch and a half, a wave has no room to complete its bend, so it lifts in random directions instead. This is why wavy hair often looks worse right after a very short cut.
Too long and the wave is pulled straight. Past roughly four inches the weight wins and the pattern drops out, taking the volume with it.
In between, the wave holds its own shape. Which is exactly why the Curtains, Quiff, Bro Flow, Fringe and Medium Layered Cut all sit in that range.

Short cuts like the French Crop and Ivy League do work on waves — but they work by cutting through the wave rather than with it, giving you texture rather than movement. Both are valid; they are just different outcomes.

Products: light hold, no shine

Wavy hair is heavier than curly hair and lighter than straight. It collapses under anything greasy and does nothing at all without some product.

Sea salt spray. The most useful product for waves. Applied damp, it adds grip and exaggerates the existing bend without adding weight.
A matte clay or light cream. Clay for structured styles such as the quiff and brush back; cream for looser shapes such as the bro flow and curtains.
Skip heavy pomade and wax. They flatten the wave into a slick that goes limp by afternoon, which is the single most common complaint about wavy hair.

The routine that keeps it from going flat by noon

Start damp, not wet and not dry. Mist the salt spray through, concentrating on the roots and mid-lengths.

Then rough-dry with a hairdryer on medium while pushing the hair upwards and backwards with your fingers. Wavy hair sets in whatever direction it dries, so this two-minute step decides how the whole day goes — air-drying while it hangs down is precisely why it goes flat.

Finish with a small amount of clay or cream, worked through the ends rather than the roots. Product at the roots on wavy hair drags it down.

What flattens waves

Combing it into place while wet. A comb pulls the wave straight and it dries straight. Use fingers.
Heavy pomade or hair oil left in. Weight is the enemy of wave.
Letting it air-dry hanging down. It sets flat. Two minutes of rough-drying changes the result completely.
Over-layering. Too many layers turn wave into a shapeless puff. Ask for light layering only, to remove weight rather than to add texture.

Pair this with your face shape — read how to identify your face shape to decide the outline before you choose the texture.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best hair length for wavy hair for men?
Roughly one and a half to four inches on top. Shorter than that and the wave has no room to complete its bend, so it lifts as fluff rather than falling as movement. Longer and the weight pulls the pattern straight. Curtains, quiffs, fringes, the bro flow and medium layered cuts all sit inside that window.
How do men stop wavy hair going flat?
Rough-dry it. Wavy hair sets in the direction it dries, so letting it air-dry hanging down guarantees a flat result. Mist sea salt spray on damp hair, then dry on medium heat while pushing upwards and backwards with your fingers. Keep product at the ends rather than the roots, and avoid heavy pomade or leave-in oil.
Is sea salt spray good for wavy hair?
It is the single most useful product for waves. It adds grip and exaggerates the bend that is already there without adding weight, which is what separates it from creams and pomades. Apply it to damp hair before drying rather than to dry hair afterwards.

Browse every cut above, or see all men's hairstyles by face shape and hair type.