Need a new hairstyle? Here’s our handpicked collection of 10 of the best hairstyles for men with straight hair.
While the internet is full of guides for different men’s hair types, straight hair often gets overlooked because most people assume it’s a simple hair type that’s easy to work with.
And while straight hair has its advantages, just like any hair type, it also has problem areas.
To be clear, we’re talking about hair that is naturally straight, not straightened hair. Straight hair has no wave or curl pattern and tends to either stick up or lie flat.
Because it grows without bending a lot, straight hair is robust. This means it can be styled quite aggressively without losing its structure (and it’s also more resistant to the elements).
Straight hair tends to be shiny since natural oils can travel more easily along the strands. While this can result in hair with a nice natural shine, that shine can make the hair look oily if left unchecked. (For that reason, you’ll want to avoid any oily hair products.)
For the most part, straight hair works best with short or medium-length hairstyles. You can rock long straight hairstyles, but they’re much harder to style well, and they’re also not as popular.
10 Best Straight Hairstyles for Men
We’ve cherry-picked 10 great hairstyles for men with straight hair. For ease of browsing, they’re in order from shortest to longest.
#1: Buzzed Crew
This is essentially a crew cut done in the style of a buzz cut, and it’s a look that really complements straight hair. If you’re a short hair kind of guy, this is a fantastic choice.
Like a buzz cut, the hair is buzzed with clippers. However, like a crew cut, the hair is longer on top and shorter on the sides. The fade on the sides goes pretty far up, so you get the feel of a buzz cut even though it is, technically speaking, not a buzz cut.
The straight hair sticks up and out, which provides a volume boost and creates a pleasing texture. The top has to be kept pretty short to maintain this effect—don’t go longer than about an inch and a half.
#2: Faded Crop
The crop is incredibly popular right now, and that’s partially because it’s such a versatile and malleable style. Because of how short it is, it’s another cut that works well with straight hair.
Contemporary crops are defined by a dramatic fade and a textured top. With straight hair, crops usually create a slightly spiky forward motion that almost resembles pine needles.
You can also experiment with the fade. Shown here is a high skin fade, but you can opt for a more gradual taper if you don’t want extreme contrast.
#3: Layered Texture
Straight hair may not be ideal for highly textured looks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get any texture at all. In fact, with some strategic styling, you can get more than you might think.
Since straight hair tends to stick outward, you can take advantage of that tendency when styling the hair. This will essentially amplify that “pine needle” texture. Styling the hair forward and tousling it a little results in this layered look with lots of motion.
#4: Blended Taper
After a more classic hairstyle? You might like this simple taper haircut. The fade is gradual and blended into the top for an “even all-around” look.
Most contemporary hairstyles use high-contrast fades, whereas this kind of even blending hearkens back to the 80s and 90s. Blended cuts also work really well with straight hair because they create visual interest using various lengths (instead of, say, texture or volume).
Another benefit of gradual tapers is that they’ll stick out less, so they’re a safer bet for any formal or professional environment.
#5: Small Quiff
No list of straight men’s hairstyles would be complete without the quiff. While you could go for the kind of towering, blown-out quiffs that are all over Instagram, there’s something special about small and neat quiffs.
Small quiffs are also a cinch to achieve with short hair. You only need about 2 inches of hair, as it’ll stick straight up to form the quiff.
Alternatively, you could grow out the hair for about an inch more and brush it upward and backward, which will result in a gentler (but slightly looser) quiff.
#6: Casual Fade
Try out this laid-back fade with a brushed-back top for a balanced, well-rounded style.
It’s a good choice for straight hair because it’s on the shorter side and doesn’t require a ton of volume. It’s finished off with a neat mid fade, though, of course, you could really have any type of fade here.
However, you will need to spend some time styling this to get that texture, which is accomplished by finger combing the hair after you’ve applied the product.
#7: Brushed Up
Similar to a quiff, this brushed-up style is noticeably longer on top than these other styles we’ve looked at, which provides a bit of volume. It’s an exceptionally clean look that you really only can get with straight hair.
This kind of cut is a good match for straight, coarse hair that is otherwise hard to style. Creating texture with coarser hair can be challenging, so it might take some keen-eyed styling (and some time in front of the mirror) to achieve this result.
#8: Vintage Quiff
Although quiffs are closely associated with contemporary fashion, men rocked this look throughout the 20th century, and this vintage quiff pays homage to those retro styles.
While not nearly as voluminous as today’s quiffs, this throwback look still has the trademark ingredients: longer, textured and brushed up in the front. A generous amount of product creates larger tufts and ensures the hair stays up.
The sides are longer and only partially faded to complete the vintage vibe. This helps the top and sides to blend together seamlessly.
#9: Thick Texture
Although it can be tricky to get prominent texture with straight hair, it is possible, and this thick textured style proves it. As its name suggests, this is ideal for straight hair that is also thick, and a little coarseness may also help.
The texture is achieved by tousling the hair at the front into a loose and airy quiff of sorts. While the sides and back are pretty neat, the front is a little messier, adding to the texture.
Something interesting here is that the straight hair helps the back and sides stay neat. You get a nice and clean result since the hair just lies flat on the head and doesn’t stray out of place.
#10: 90s Vibes
Finally, here’s a 90s-inspired hairstyle with a lot of personality. Parted down the middle, this cut forms two curtains on the sides with a long, overhanging fringe.
Thanks to some careful layering, there’s a bit of texture here as well. Mostly, however, it’s just using the nature of the straight hair to sit flat. Plus, if your hair has even the slightest wave pattern, it’ll be noticeable at this length.
Note that the hair goes over the ear instead of above it. This is a styling technique you don’t see often, but it really adds to the fullness. A fade just wouldn’t give the same effect.
Final Thoughts
Straight hair is like any other hair type—it can look bad if styled poorly but great if styled well. That’s why it’s essential to choose the right haircut and to visit a barber or stylist who knows their stuff.
If you have straight hair and have been on the lookout for some great men’s hairstyles, this list hopefully gave you the dose of inspiration you needed.
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