Hair loss affects more than 35 million men in the United States. Let’s face it… We’re all obsessed with our hair.
Whether it’s ‘long, straight, curly, shaggy, tangled, shaggy, tattered, dull, oily, greasy, woolly, shiny, shiny, loose…or spaghetti’, we all want it.
Hair loss can damage our self-esteem, confidence, and relationships.
The search for hair is an eternal search, encompassing gender, age and social status.
Once you have it, here are some ways to style it.
Changing men’s hairstyles over the years
In the 1950s, Elvis burst onto the scene as a music and style icon, and movie idols like Tony Curtis set the tone for clothing, fashion, hair, and good looks.
Both Elvis Presley and Tony Curtis had black hair slicked back in a ‘duck tail’ or DA (for duck butt). The hair on the sides of the head was combed and greased back with Brylcreem, gathering at the back in an appearance resembling a duck’s butt and giving rise to the rebellious teenagers known as ‘greasers’.
John Travolta was the quintessential greaser as Danny Zuko in What Else? – the Broadway show and the movie Grease.
Also popular in the 1950s was the men’s pompadour: hair styled high on the forehead and named for Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV. Ricky Nelson, the teenage heartthrob of the 1950s, had one.
More recently, Silvio Dante on The Sopranos had a pompadour, and to a lesser extent, so does Conan O’Brien, former host of Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
When the Beatles came to America in 1965, Beatlemania was unleashed with new trends and styles, including Beatle boots and Beatlecuts, or ear-length hair with bangs. It was all the rage and became a sign of social nonconformity.
In the 1960s, black men (and women) grew Afros and declared that “black is beautiful.”
The Afro gave way to dreadlocks in the 1970s made popular by Bob Marley and Jheri curls. Think of Samuel L. Jackson in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction.
The ubiquitous cormorant was everywhere in the ’70s. Popularized by rockers like Rod Stewart, the style was “unisex,” worn by both men and women.
The best known woman with a fuzz was Farah Fawcett. Who can forget the iconic poster of her in the red one piece swimsuit?
Punk rock brought Mohawks and spiked jewelry.
Nikki Sixx and Bon Jovi epitomized the great hair of the 1980s.
Fast forward to the 1990s. Men’s hair is shorter. Shaving your head, as a way to deal with male pattern baldness, is all the rage, popularized by sports figures Michael Jordan and André Agassi, as well as actor Bruce Willis in Die Hard.
Emo is all the rage these days, worn by both Justin Bieber and American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert. The style is layered, spiky, and brushed towards the face, sometimes with pops of bright colors, like pink or green.
Whichever style you choose, there are a few that you should avoid.
Think of Duane “Dog” Chapman, and his scruffy mullet, and the ubiquitous hair-disguising comb worn by celebrities like Donald Trump, John McCain, and even Homer Simpson.
The less said about these styles, the better.
Your hair should enhance your appearance, style it wisely.
