How to Style Fringe for Men: Popular Styles & How to Keep It in Place
Fringe hairstyles, also known as bangs, are a popular choice for men who want to add a trendy and fashionable touch to their look. Men's fringe styles can range from short and choppy to long and textured, depending on the individual's personal preference and face shape. They are a great way for men to experiment with their look and add some edgy style to their appearance.
Keep reading for seven popular fringe hairstyles you've got to try, how to pull them off, and how to use products to keep your fringe hairstyle securely in place all day.
Why Men Should Consider a Fringe Hairstyle
The fringe is an important element for many men’s hairstyles. How the fringe is cut and styled has a drastic impact on the overall appearance of not only the hair but the face as well. Use it to highlight your strongest features or shorten a longer-shaped face. It can be a handy tool to transform your overall face shape and create a powerful first impression.
For example, a messy fringe can ruin a hairstyle while the addition of a fringe can make you look more mature. It can also be used to transform your overall style, with a choppy or uneven fringe giving off a hardcore, rocker energy and a sleek, straight-across-the-forehead fringe presenting a more professional vibe.
While sporting a fringe hairstyle comes with many benefits, you do need to be aware of some issues that affect most men. Keep reading to find out what problems your favourite fringe hairstyle is likely to face, and what you can do about them.
Common Issues to Look out for with the Most Popular Fringe Hairstyles
Lifted Fringe Hairstyles
Some of the most popular men’s hairstyles today include a fringe that is lifted or slicked back to create added volume in the front. Each style comes with its own issues that you should be aware of.
Quiff & Faux Hawk
The quiff and the faux hawk have been trending for the past few years and require a certain level of styling precision and cooperation from your hair to successfully achieve the look you’re going for.
Fortunately, these styles are often better equipped to hold up against the wind than other fringe hairstyles. However, both styles also tend to fall victim to the same issues: sweat and humidity. When the scalp becomes moist from sweat, the hair begins to fall and lose its shape. Similarly, humidity and rain can cause the hair to become heavy and damp, resulting in a droopy appearance. This can be prevented by applying hair spray and avoiding too much styling products, which can make your hair heavy.
Pompadour & Slick Back
Like the quiff and the faux hawk, a major downfall of both the pompadour and the slick back are their tendencies to be affected by humidity. These styles require a large amount of volume at the top-front section of the head; and to achieve that, the hair must be brushed and styled in a certain way.
Once the hair is in position, its style can easily be ruined by the slightest bit of moisture. The styled front starts to lose its volume, flattening against the head instead of maintaining its shape. This can be prevented by applying hair spray at the end of the styling routine and using a hairdryer prior to styling — with heated air to shape the hair and cool air to set the hair’s shape.
Natural Fringe Hairstyles
If you’re not styling your fringe up, then you’re likely sporting one of the following natural fringe hairstyles. Unlike the previous styles, these can be even more temperamental.
Centre Part
The centre part, also known as “curtain bangs”, is a classic style for men, and this is one of the trendy hairstyles. The simplicity of the fringe makes it a popular choice and easy to maintain. That being said, a sweaty scalp can be problematic for this style due to the fact that the hair lays across the forehead, absorbing any moisture that it comes into contact with. This may prevent the ends of your hair from staying in place.
If your hair is naturally curly or wavy and you’re straightening it to achieve curtain bangs, moisture can also cause the hair to revert back to its natural frizzy look. If this happens to you often, it means your hair is damaged. Focus on keeping your hair moisturized by practising proper hair care routine.
Korean Bowl Cut
Wind, sweat, and humidity are the biggest issues when you have a fringe that falls across your forehead.
Heavy wind, in particular, can cause your carefully styled fringe to look unkempt and unruly, while sweat and humidity have the effect of either exaggerating the look of curly and wavy hair or making straight hair look flat. The solution to this is simple: carry a handkerchief or oil blotting paper or men’s facial wipes to remove excess oil and sweat before it becomes a problem.
Curly Fringe
A perfectly styled curly fringe can be a great addition to your everyday look, but it’s also prone to an additional maintenance problem. Since a curly fringe is essentially groups of hairs that have been pulled close together into curls, the wind blowing through the strands can cause them to separate and spread out, ruining the look by creating too much volume and frizz. You can avoid this problem by switching to harder wax, or using hair spray as a final touch.
Tips to Battle Against Wind, Sweat, and Humidity
Having a fringe hairstyle is perfectly manageable with the right mindset. Like any style that requires a daily routine, the following tips can help you keep your fringe looking good throughout the day.
Use Hair Spray Correctly
Hair spray can be a great tool for battling a fringe that won’t stay styled. In order to reap the benefits of this product, though, the spray needs to be used correctly for the job at hand.
Remember to keep the can roughly 20 centimetres away from your hair and avoid spraying it directly on the scalp. Spraying too close or covering the scalp in styling products can cause the hair strands to become too heavy, making your fringe fall out of place while causing flaking and possibly scalp problems.
Alternatively, if you don’t like the feeling of hair spray, you can spray the product onto your fingertips and then gently pinch your fringe to mould it into position. This prevents the hair from becoming crispy or stiff but still allows you to get some of the benefits of the hair spray.
Watch the Weather Forecast
While you can’t control the weather, paying attention to the forecast is a good habit when working with a fringe. If you’re aware of strong winds, excessive heat, or potential rain, you can better prepare your hair before leaving the house.
For wind, a bit of extra hair spray should help hold your fringe in place. If the forecast calls for rain, be sure to use hair spray as a precaution, and carry an umbrella with you.
For the Perfect Fringe, Know Your Hair
Sporting a fringe haircut is a great way to highlight your features, and there are so many ways to cut and style it. As we’ve covered above, there is also a lot to consider depending on the hair type and hairstyle you have and what the weather has in store. By knowing your hairstyle’s weaknesses, taking precautions to keep your fringe in place, and checking the forecast before styling, you should be able to prevent your fringe from getting out of control.