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Best medium-length hairstyles for men | Image: Menshairs/Instagram

7 Best Medium-Length Hairstyles for Men


If you are considering a tidy-up, this guide to different medium-length hairstyles for men will provide everything you need to get your hair in order. From modern slicked-back styles to classic pompadour cuts, the best mid-length hairstyles are versatile enough to suit every face shape and aesthetic, but not all cuts are straightforward. A decent (but not excessive) amount of maintenance is required for medium-length hair, not to mention some patience in the growing-out stage, but the stylistic reward is worth it.

Best Men’s Medium-Length Hairstyles at a Glance

Pompadour medium-length hairstyle | Image: Athos_Barber1930/Instagram
Pompadour medium-length hairstyle | Image: Athos_Barber1930/Instagram

1. Pompadour

If you know men’s hair then you know all about the pompadour. Popularised decades ago by the likes of Elvis, it’s the one haircut that won’t disappear anytime soon. Thankfully, the modern pompadour leaves plenty of room for personal interpretation, so don’t think that you’ll be looking like The King by default.

What remains consistent is an upward-facing wave or front flip of hair at the front, with the volume gradually receding as it flows backward. That often comes flanked by shorter hair on the sides, an undercut or fade should suffice. If your hair is medium-length, maintaining a pompadour hairstyle will involve combing the hair on the sides over the ears. This can become bulky over top, so a visit to the barber to trim up these sections will help the overall silhouette and flow of the cut, whilst also making it easier to style.

Blowout hairstyle for men | Image: AG_Cutz707/Instagram
Blowout hairstyle for men | Image: AG_Cutz707/Instagram

2. Blowout

Do you fancy a look that falls somewhere between messy and sharp? If so, the blowout hairstyle might be the one for you. However, don’t think you can just roll out of bed and let your messy hair speak for itself. On the contrary, you’ll need to get handy with the dryer, blowing and shaping your hair upwards to establish volume. Apply some pomade for texture and then finish off with a touch of hairspray. The result is a windswept aesthetic that won’t get compromised by the actual wind.

Brad Pitt with a slicked back medium length hairstyle | Image: Getty
Brad Pitt with a slicked back medium length hairstyle | Image: Getty

3. Slicked Back

A perennial favourite among the suits, this is one of the best medium-length hairstyles for men who have thick, straight hair. True to its name, the slick back sends all your hairs in the same uniform direction, leaving no strand or split end behind. You’ll need hair product such as mousse or gel and a quality fine-toothed comb. We think you know what to do from there. For a modern upgrade, pair your slick back top with a trimmed beard and sharp undercut.

Medium-Length Side Part hairstyle | Image: L'Oreal
Medium-Length Side Part hairstyle | Image: L’Oreal

4. Medium-Length Side Part

A truly distinguished hairstyle, this one features shorter hair on one side of the head, which increases in volume as it ascends toward a hard part. Start by finding your natural part, drawing a direct line from the centre of your crown to the corner of your hairline. Barring irregularities, such as cow’s licks, the hair should naturally fall on either side of the part giving you a defined part to work with.

From there, you can choose to scissor the sides and back for a more luscious take on the hairstyle, or take a clipper to the edges and nape. To style, sweep the hair on the non-parted side in one direction and flip the fringe up and across. It all works best with straight hair.

Textured Crop | Image: Keller Konturen/Instagram
Textured Crop | Image: Keller Konturen/Instagram

5. Textured Crop

The textured crop is generally reserved for shorter hair styles, however, it can work well when the hair is longer as well. For this kind of cut, you will still need to keep the sides and nape short to create an oval-shaped silhouette. From here, you can texturise the top by point cutting the hair or using a feather blade, however, it is important that you maintain a significant amount of length on the fringe. T

Essentially another word for bangs, the firnge should be taken just above eye level, while, the top of the hair remainss textured and layered to generate a somewhat wild, but purposeful style. It’s a medium-length haircut with youth appeal written all over it.

Medium length faux hawk hairstyle | Image: No 1 Barbers Newport
Medium length faux hawk hairstyle | Image: No 1 Barbers Newport

6. Faux Hawk

Despite its punk rock origins, the modern faux hawk is practically mainstream by this point. It’s also resoundingly fresh and trendy, especially when paired with a clean undercut. Nevertheless, you might want to wait until after work to go crazy with the hair product.

To achieve the faux hawk, take the back and sides relatively short, generally with a clipper below a number 3. From there, you can blend the shorter sections to the top or leave them disconnected for a more defined contrast. Important, the top section needs to be blow-dried up and forward to create the desired shape and then styled with a heavy matte clay product. With this medium-length hairstyle elongating the face, it’s a great option for those with rounder face shapes, helping to add height.

Best medium-length hairstyles for men | Image: James Barr
Messy medium-length hairstyles for men | Image: James Barr

7. Messy Medium-Length Haircut

The good news is that messy medium-length hair with a beard can look fantastic, particularly if the cut itself is messy. The bad news is that you’ll still need to spend some time in front of the mirror, applying products and making sure your hair is messy but not too messy.

In order to achieve a solid messy medium-length hairstyle, you will need to have significant length on both the top and sides, with both sections to be swept straight back. This cut benefits from the addition of layers, with longer sections at the top tapering to a more feather edges at the nape. Ask your barber of hairdresser to over-direct the hair and point cut or feather blade each section, so as to provide a style with enhanced graduation and texture.

MMA fighter Aaron Chalmers with a slick back medium-length hairstyle
MMA fighter Aaron Chalmers with a slick back medium-length hairstyle | Image: Instagram

Men’s Medium-Length Hairstyle Maintenance Tips and Tricks

Before you even sit down in that barber’s chair, however, you should consider the full spectrum of medium-length hairstyles and haircuts for men. That includes everything from the aforementioned pompadour and faux hawks to styles like the slick back and modern fringe. That’s why we’re breaking down some of the best medium-length haircuts for men by way of photos, descriptions, and pointers. We’re also throwing some hair products your way because trust us, you’ll need them.

  1. Face Shape – When deciding on the medium-length hairstyle that works best for you, take your face shape into consideration.
  2. Texture and Volume – Along similar lines, consider the natural texture and volume of your hair before landing on a particular cut or style. For instance, the slick back look is much easier to achieve if you have straight and somewhat thick hair as opposed to light and curly hair.
  3. Fade – If you’re looking for a sure thing style-wise, do what most men are doing by going short on the sides and longer on top. A solid undercut or fade means you’re spending less time in front of a mirror and still abiding by 2020’s foremost trends.
  4. Haircare – Don’t take a haphazard approach toward washing, drying, and styling your hair. You should be showering every day and using shampoo or conditioner once every 2-3 days. Use a comb instead of a brush and tend to your hair when it’s still wet.
  5. Dry – Shake some of the water out of your hair before applying a towel. When you do towel-dry, stroke your hair in the direction toward which it naturally grows. These measures will reduce frizziness and split ends.
  6. Maintain – Trim your medium-length hair on a regular basis to remove any damaged sections.
  7. Lifestyle – Maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle, which leads to radiant hair. Speaking of radiant hair, products like argan oil will keep those strands nourished and smooth.
  8. Protect – Protect your hair from things like chlorine or UVA/UVB sun rays. That means applying conditioners and clarifying shampoos before and after you swim in pool water, and using protective hair products when you’re going to be out in the sun. Avoid Hats!

To keep your hair in top shape we’ve compiled a shortlist of the best hair products for men along with some helpful grooming tips. Check out the following posts:

Men’s Hair Products

Hair Care Tips

Beard and Moustache Tips

Medium Length Hairstyles FAQ

How do you shape medium-long hair for men?

For men, medium-length hair can be tricky to style. The extra weight will mean that your hair is likely to fall, so adding a lot of product will only make the hair greasy and heavy. Instead, towel dry your hair and then comb it in the desired direction while still damp. By styling while the hair is still wet, you can reshape and dictate the movement of the hair before the follicles have fully reformed their ionic bonds. Once you have it in a suitable flow, allow it to dry naturally and then reshape it using a rough shaking movement with your hands when it is completely dry.

Is pomade good for long hair?

Most water-based pomades will be fine to use in your hair, however, if you have long hair, the product will not be effective. Pomade adds a natural shine, however, is best utilised for shorter, formal cuts.