It’s time to get groovy! Oh, haven’t you heard that the 70s are making a comeback?
In all seriousness, long hair for men is now a popular hairstyle trend, no matter the previous decade our modern age is reminiscing—and long curly hair is the look everyone wants.
While not everyone’s genes or lifestyle can support ultra-long hair, there are still many things you can still do to achieve Hollywood-worthy curls at any length.
Here, we’re giving you the basic run-down on all you need to know about growing, caring for, and styling men’s long curly hair!
2) How to care for long curly hair
3) Hairstyles for long curly hair
Growing Long Hair for Men
Maybe your hair’s in that awkward phase between being considered short or long. Maybe you’ve kept your curls short all your life, and you’re longing (pun intended) to grow them out. Or, maybe you’ve tried the long hair look a few times and just can’t seem to get it the way you want.
Have no fear! Growing out your hair as a guy, even with curly hair, is pretty easy once you know what to do. It all starts with getting your curls happy and healthy from the root to the tip. There are also a few things to avoid doing when trying to grow out your hair.
We recommend these tips for growing out long curly hair for men:
● Eat hair-healthy foods. — Yes, healthy hair starts with the nutrients you provide through what you eat! Foods high in proteins, vitamins A/C/E, minerals zinc and iron, and omega-3 fatty acids can all help hair growth as well as keep your hair sleek and strong.
● Pay attention to your skin and scalp. — If your skin is dry and irritated, especially at the scalp, this can prevent healthy hair growth. Without healthy hair follicles, you cannot grow a luxurious curly mane. Additionally, Your body naturally produces oils from the scalp which travel down your hair to keep it moisturized and protected, and a deficiency in those oils can limit how long your hair will grow. Seek out a dermatologist for serious skin and scalp treatment if needed.
● Treat your curls gently. — This is a very broad statement, but there are a few key ways to treat your curly hair gently for maximum growth. Avoid bleaching your hair, using high-heat tools like straighteners or high temps on a blow dryer, hair care products or ingredients that are harmful to curly hair (silicons, sulfates, etc.), and general roughness when washing/drying/styling. The natural way is the best way to get flawless long curls.
● Trim your hair regularly. — Yes, we realize this seems counterproductive at first glance. Why would you cut your hair when you’re trying to grow it out? The key here is the word trim. As curly hair grows longer, it gets more susceptible to split ends and damage. Trimming your hair technically won’t make it grow any faster, but it will prevent larger breakage from split ends, thus helping your curly hair to stay looking sharp from root to tip.
● Go to a stylist for hair strengthening treatments. — When a healthy diet and proper care doesn’t seem to be helping enough, you may want to visit a professional curly hair stylist for a strengthening treatment. This gives your curls an extra boost of nutrients to repair damage, smooth out frizzy curls, and prolong your hair health.
● Stick to your curl care routine. — The best way above all to grow long curly hair for men is to stay consistent in your routine. Long curly hair is more work than short hair, but it isn’t impossible to maintain. In fact, that’s what we’re going to talk about next!
How do you know if you’ve gotten through the awkward medium stage into full-fledged long hair? Typically, hair that’s 6 inches or longer is considered long hair for men.
For curly-haired guys, you’ll want to measure the length of your hair when it’s dry, not wet since curls naturally make hair “shrink” up. This will give you the actual length of the hair.
From there, you can grow out your hair as long as you like! There’s tons of fun to be had with men’s long curly hairstyles—more on that near the end.
How to Care for Men’s Long Curly Hair
So, you’ve finally gotten your curly hair to the length you want—Now what? Well, now you have to take care of it!
Thankfully, we know all about how to care for men’s long curly hair. Taking care of long curly hair does require a little more effort than straight hair, wavy hair, or short curly hair. But it’s actually not as much extra effort as you might expect.
The same basic principles for curly hair care apply no matter your hair length. Long curly hair typically just means you’ll need to use a little bit more hair product, wait a little bit longer for your hair to air dry, and learn a few new styling techniques.
As we mentioned before, the most important way to grow out long curly hair and to keep it healthy once it’s long is to keep a good routine!
Here are five steps to an easy long curly hair care routine for men:
1. Wash your hair only a few times a week.
The actual frequency of how often you wash your hair will depend on your curl type (wavy, curly, kinky), with tighter curls needing less washing than looser curls and waves. (Learn more about curl types here!)
Shampoo washes the natural oils in your hair away, which is useful for oily hair types.
Unfortunately, curly hair is naturally dry because those same oils can’t easily travel down hair due to the texture of curly hair, and long curly hair only makes hair even drier due to its combined length and texture.
Washing your curly hair a only few times a week allows it to stay clean while also hydrated, which is essential to achieving eye-catching, frizz-free long curly locks & to prevent breakage.
Co-washing is another great option for active men who need to wash their hair but want to maintain their hair health.
2. Use the right shampoo and conditioner.
Finding the right shampoo and conditioner is the next crucial step to caring for long curly hair. You can wash your hair with the proper frequency, but it won’t make any difference if your shampoo and conditioner aren’t giving your curls the nourishment they need.
Curly hair shampoo and conditioner is your most important line of defense against flat, frizzy curls.
Listen, guys… We know 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner seems really convenient, but separating your shampoo and conditioner is the tiniest amount of extra work for a huge payoff of extra nourishment and hydration.
Look for shampoos and conditioners with curl-friendly ingredients like coconut oil and keratin, and avoid drying ingredients like silicones, sulfates, or alcohols.
3. Choose the perfect curly hair styling products.
Once your hair is clean and nourished, those long locks are going to need some additional treatment and styling. And, once again, this doesn’t have to be complicated.
Most curly-haired men will need either some defining gel or styling cream after showering to add curl definition and keep hair frizz-free.
For men with really long curly hair, a curl cream with a leave-in conditioner will do wonders for helping your curls stay soft and springy while still fighting frizz.
However, you may want to consider trying gel depending on your curl type (see our curl cream and defining gel pages for recommended curl types) or depending on your desired curly hairstyle.
Either way, make sure you always check your products for curl-friendly ingredients and always style when you have damp hair! Apply styling products from the root and work them down to the ends of your hair.
Remember that longer lengths will require you to use more cream/gel/etc., so give it a few tries to discover the right amount for you. Too little will be ineffective, but too much could make your curls stiff, crunchy, or flat.
Bonus tip: Use your fingers and/or a wide-tooth comb for styling long curly hair! A brush or fine comb will pull your curls apart and make them less defined.
4. Dry your hair carefully.
We totally get it — long curly hair takes a long time to dry on its own compared to short or straight hair, and both hair density and thickness can add to that drying time.
It might be tempting to just turn up the heat on the blow dryer in the post-shower morning rush. If you’ve had longer hair before, though, then you’ll already know why this is a bad idea.
The intense heat of blow dryers not only dries out your hair (remember what we said about curly hair already being dry enough as it is?), but it can also cause massive frizz and long-term damage.
If you need to use a blow-dryer to quicken things up, use it on a cool setting with a diffuser attachment.
Another tip is to avoid roughly towel-drying your hair, which can be abrasive to curls and contribute to frizz. A microfiber or cotton t-shirt will help to reduce cuticle irritation.
A simple pat-down of your hair with a towel after a shower should suffice, but men with especially long curly hair can even gently wrap their hair up in a towel. for a brief few minutes, get rid of excess water without completely drying your hair.
5. Take care in between washes.
You’ve washed your hair, put in styling treatments, and let it dry — So now what do you do in between all of that to keep your curls sleek and well-defined?
The easiest thing to keep in mind is to let your curls be their natural selves as much as possible.
With long curly hair, there is less of a temptation to hide your curls underneath a hat, but we’ll mention it here anyway.
Hats are essential when outside at a ball game, at the beach, etc., but daily use can cause long-term frizz and flatness at the top of your head.
Men with long curly hair can rock the man bun look, but similarly, be careful not to tie your hair back too tight or too frequently or risk flat curls or early hair loss (at the most extreme).
You can also preserve your long curls while sleeping with just a few small changes to your evening routine.
Sleep on your side or your stomach to prevent dreaded bedhead and frizzy curls, and try using a satin or silk pillowcase for extra softness.
For guys with really long curly hair, you can even gently tie your curls into a bun (preferably with a scrunchie and not an elastic hairband) to keep your curls from getting too jostled about while you toss and turn in your sleep.
Rinse and repeat these steps (quite literally) for Hollywood star-quality long curly locks!
Long Curly Hairstyles for Men
Okay, okay. We know some of you want to take your style to the next level. Letting your long curly hair flow freely isn’t the look for everyone, and that’s quite alright.
So, what are some hairstyle options for men with long curly hair?
If your curls are on the wavy or slightly curly side, a low-fade haircut will give you the best of both worlds when it comes to short and long curly hair.
You get the benefit of showing off your dashing curls and waves on the top of your head while having less hair to manage overall from the shortcut underneath.
Low-fades, drop-fades, or even complete undercuts are perfect cuts for men who want to look stylish but still clean-cut. Or, you could embrace your wild side with the currently trending wolf cut!
Men with more spirally curly hair (in the 3a-3c curl type) can easily achieve the rocker or surfer look by growing their hair out to the desired length.
From there, you can experiment with different hair parts, strategically tie your hair up or put it in a tidy bun or go for a controlled messy look with the help of an expert stylist.
]For men with coily or kinky hair, there are generations of hairstyles to take inspiration from. From the Afro to fade cuts, braids, twists, or dreadlocks, it’s really up to your lifestyle, personal preference, and how much effort you want to put into your hair on a regular basis.
We especially recommend seeing a barber or stylist who specializes in kinky hair in order to get the best look possible.
If you’re not sure which curly haircut or style you want, look to some celebrities whose hair you’ve wished you had! (We know there’s at least one person who just came to your mind).
Save some photos of them on your phone to show your barber or stylist next time you go, and they’ll be able to help you get that same look or something similar, depending on how much your hair differs from the pictured gentlemen.
You Can Do It!
If you never thought you could look like Tom Holland or Timothy Chalamet—or any other long curly-haired guy you’ve admired—with their effortlessly perfect long curly hair, we’re here to say you absolutely can! With these steps to growing out, caring for, and styling long curly hair, you’ll be on your way to looking and feeling like you just stepped out of a model photoshoot.
Getting the long curly hair you’ve always dreamed of starts with using the best products. At Formula F=kx, our products are expertly designed for men with all curly hair types. Our ingredients are only the most nourishing and include coconut oil, keratin, green tea extract, goji berry extract, aloe, and more curl-defining goodness.
The best part is our systems (whether classic or extra moisturizing) are simple and straightforward! Shampoo and conditioner plus either styling cream or defining gel is all you need to keep your curls healthy and looking flawless, no matter your curl type or hair length.
Give us a try today!
