Haircut & Style- Medium Length Waves
Medium Length Haircut for Men
Whether you're growing out your hair from a short haircut or wanting to clean up the shape of long hair, this is the perfect middle ground for those that want to keep the length, but can still be styled in various ways ranging from casual to business formal.
What to Ask For
Simple Answer
"A scissor cut, long enough to brush back on sides. The back is still kept long enough for natural curls to come out and the top is cut to fall around eye level."
Long Answer
I have a bit of a hang-up when it comes to "scissor cuts", and how there is a misconception about it.
Long story short, a "scissor cut" is not the name of a hairstyle, it is a technique. Just one of many in a stylist's arsenal, and asking for a scissor cut does not explore the nuances of what the client wants.
For this cut, I use scissors as we are maintaining a good few inches of length all around the hair, but the amount you want to keep depends on a few factors.
First, I'd talk to the client about how they envision styling their hair. Are the sides going to sit on the ear, or do we want to sweep them behind the ear? How long do we want the back of the hair to be? And how long do we want the front to be?
For a haircut like this, you want to take some time in the consultation with your stylist so that you can get a cut that suits you best.
After hearing about how the client wants to style their hair, that's when I want to talk about the hair texture. I want my client to know what is realistic within the realms of their hair texture and how it will affect the haircut and how they will need to finetune the hairstyling to accommodate it. For example, wavier hair will need to be cut longer than expected as the hair will spring up when dry, and where it ends up may be shorter than what was discussed.
With all of that in mind, the end result should have a somewhat uniform shape to it and the haircut should be well-balanced without any one part of the hairstyle being significantly longer than another. This allows for a great deal of versatility in styling the hair, as you can part the hair anywhere you want and everything will flow together properly without any areas sitting too heavy. It is for this reason that the haircut is ideal for those who want to grow their hair even longer, since as the hair grows, it still maintains a great shape and will need very little upkeep.
I have given some version of this haircut to a lot of guys who had been growing their hair out from a fade and had found the hair in the back to be too flat and heavy, maybe the length on top was feeling too long, as well. Whatever the reason, growing out your hair from a short haircut will only last a couple of months before becoming a problem as it isn't the same shape as a medium or long haircut.
Once the shape is set, I think it is very important to get the hair thinned out/texturized. This will depend on your hair density and natural texture, but this should be done to some degree as it allows for more movement in the hair. You want your stylist to break up the hair just enough so that it doesn't feel too bulky, and so that it is easier to style.
If this step is skipped, you may find that the hair can be styled how you like it, but it won't last throughout the day. You may find you need lots and lots of products to hold everything in place. You may even just find that it becomes very messy and poofy. You also want a stylist or barber who is familiar with different texture techniques that will suit you best. If all they know is to use thinning shears (the crocodile-looking scissors), then they might not be able to deliver you the right finished product.
This hairstyle is great for professional environments as well as casual.
How to Style
Again, this is a very versatile style, and you can style it in a few different ways. To achieve the look in the photos, you'll want to brush the sides backward and give the back of the hair a scrunch to emphasize texture. The top of the hair is parted, and the front is left to fall onto the forehead for a more playful and casual look.
For straight hair, you will want to use a blow dryer. Start with damp hair, and apply a texture spray. The global direction of the hair will mostly be directed backward for the sides and top, you can part the hair and direct the smaller side of the part more backward and the larger side of the part more to the side.
You may find that the sides will slick back well and stay flat to the head, but the back of the hair won't have the texture and curls that you want. There is only so much that can be done with the natural texture, and you may have to adapt the style to suit your hair type by putting in more effort with blow-drying and scrunching to build that texture. Finish by adding a texture paste into the hair and giving it a bit more scrunches when applying.
I'd say if you have straight hair, then you may even want to talk with your stylist about suggestions on how to adapt the look and what's within the realm of possibility for your hair type.
For wavy/curly hair, follow my guide for wet-setting. You will want to set global direction by finding a parting on the top, brushing the smaller section back, and the larger section should be allowed to curl and fall naturally to the side. Once things have air-dried, you can start gently scrunching to add more volume and to break up the product, but if you want to maintain a wet look like in the pictures, you can skip this step.
He’s thinking about how great this hairstyle is for those who want something different.
