If you're anything like me and have very thick hair, sometimes it can feel like almost any hairstyle is hard work when not done right. That's why we've written this post to give you our advice for the best hairstyles for men with thick hair; so you don't have to suffer with worrying about styles for that thick hair any longer! 

Advice For Men With Thick Hair

Thicker hair can often feel like a nightmare, as it normally becomes hard to style and almost feels like no matter what you do your hair just will not stay in place.

You need to find a flattering style that looks stylish whilst also meeting the requirements of your lifestyle. You have the freedom to choose from a range of styles; classic, sporty or modern twists and you can afford to experiment with styles and finishes, but the most important thing is finding the right look for your personal tastes and grooming style.

Keeping it longer on top, but going shorter around the sides is a great look for those with thick hair but you may need to master some blow drying techniques. Either go for a groomed, crisp fade that blends flawlessly into the longer thick hair on top, or opt for a textured, less structured style for a more natural, relaxed finish.

The Best Hairstyles For Men With Thick Hair

Haircut by @rpb_nq

Quiff Haircuts For Thick Hair

The quiff is a versatile haircut; it's classy and well suited to formal occasions but can be adapted for your casual needs as well. To maximise the eye catching appeal of this style, you want around eight weeks worth of growth on top, tapered into short sides to achieve contrast.

Make sure your barber leaves the front longer than the rest of the top; this will help you when it comes to styling your quiff haircut. Sweep it back with the parting for a classic look, or go against the direction of growth and twist at the ends when you're feeling more laid-back. The style works well with medium thickness hair and angular faces. If you have ultra thick and straight hair then you will need to get your barber to add texture through the hair to give it the messier, less structured look. 

To style the quiff haircut use a matte finish product like the Regal Gentleman Matte Clay. You want a product that gives a natural look with a strong reworkable hold.

Haircuts by @nomadbarberldn & @nomadbarberbln

Pompadour Haircut For Thick Hair

A pompadour is great for men with all different face shapes. The pompadour is all about height and volume in the front of the hair, which thick hair is often not lacking in. This is great for those of you that want a smarter look at all times. To recreate the pompadour with thick hair you want to ensure that the front is longer than the back; this will give the front of the hair something to lay back on and support itself, so that the hair doesn't just full down from the weight of the thick hair.

The pompadour is going to be won or lost with the blow dryer, so make sure to make this your most important stage of styling. Add a tiny bit of product when the hair is damp, blow dry to add volume and then style with a small amount of a matte finish pomade or paste like the Regal Gentleman Texture Paste (coming soon - get exclusive access now).

Haircuts by @blackfishbry

Side Parting Haircut For Thick Hair

The classic side parting will work well with almost any hair type, but thick hair will likely give it a clean, sharper look like the movie stars of old. Keep the sides short and leave a longer top; for a more modern look add a fade to the back & sides or if you're feeling adventurous add a hart part to make the hair easier to style at home (a la Conor McGregor). Be careful of going too short on top as thick hair can often be quite spiky and unruly when taken too short, so to make your life easier keep a bit of length on top - more than around 2 inches.

Make sure to make the most of pre-styling with this hairstyle to get the hair into shape and make your life easier throughout the day; ultra thick hair has a tendency to not want to be moved too much once it's dry.

Pre-style with a blow dryer, a water based pomade and a round brush to give the hair height and volume. Then finish with a bit more product to give you more hold throughout the day. Use product sparingly and apply more as you go, to avoid using too much. Style with a product like the Regal Gentleman Vintage Pomade for a high shine and strong hold (coming soon - get exclusive access).

Haircuts by @blackfishbry

(Related: What Is My Face Shape? How To Find Your Face Shape For Men)

Crew Cut For Men With Thick Hair

If you're getting bored of trying to style your thick hair or just want to go shorter than the hairstyles mentioned then the modern crew cut is a great twist on the traditional military styles.

Ask your barber to take the sides down to a between a skin fade and a grade 1, and get your barber to scissor cut the top; probably equivalent to between a 4 to 8 on the clippers. This will give you some length to play with.

Once again if you have thick, straight hair then you'll need to get your barber to add texture to the hair to replicate the styles below; this will give you more of a messier look. To style use a matte clay like the Regal Gentleman Matte Clay to give you a textured, natural finish.

Top right haircut by @rpb_nq

Modern Textured Haircuts For Thick Hair

We've already mentioned this in some of the sections above, but in 2018 textured haircuts became more prevalent than the slicked styles of old; these styles can sometimes be difficult to achieve with thick hair. If you're going for a more modern style like a crop, texture quiff or something messy, then make sure to ask your barber to add texture to the hair.

Thick hair will not have the separation needed to make most of these styles work naturally, so your barber will have to add texture to the cut. The barber will usually do this with a razor or by using point cutting with scissors. Ideally don't have them use thinning scissors (personal preference) - this doesn't seem to work as well with thick hair as the other 2 methods and the hair doesn't grow in as well as without.

Styling textured styles with thick hair means using very little product, and adding a pre-styling product beforehand that adds texture like a salt spray. Finish with a tiny bit of a natural finish product like the Regal Gentleman Matte Clay to bring out texture and give a natural look.

Haircuts by @nomadbarberldn & @nomadbarberbln

Styling Products For Thick Hair

The styling products you choose for thick hair will all be dependent on the style you're looking to achieve. For short to medium length messier hairstyles we'd recommend you use a product that brings out the texture in the hair with a matte finish like the Regal Gentleman Matte Clay.

For smart and slicked looks like side partings and pompadours, a water based pomade; and for a more versatile product that can achieve most styles with a low to medium shine, a paste.

As a standard rule of thumb for thick haired gents, when looking for styling products, you want something with a medium to high hold. Thick hair will often get weighed down throughout the day and therefore will need something with a higher hold to tame it into place. 

If you have thick hair and a lot of it, then you're also going to be looking at products that are easier to spread through the hands and hair. This will make it easier to get through your hair, meaning that product doesn't just get stuck in that front portion of your hair for that There's Something About Mary look. Pastes and pomades are often your best bet for easily spreadable products!

With thick hair it can often be tempting to apply a lot of product straight away, as you're looking to get that hold, but as with any hair type we'd recommend starting small and applying more as you go; this way you avoid applying too much!

And the more difficult your hair is to style, the more pre-styling will become a bigger factor. Pre-styling should be about 80% of the job, meaning that your hair is already pretty much in shape before applying your finishing product. So brush up on using a hair dryer, and look towards pre-styling products like salt sprays or water based styling products that can also be used as a pre-styler.