How to Style Asian Male Hair

Co-authored by Nick Arrojo and Kira Jan

Last Updated: October 30, 2022 References

With all the options you’ve got for haircuts as an Asian guy, it can be tough to pick one. Plus, if you’ve got thicker, straight hair, you want a style that’ll work with your hair’s natural texture. Wondering how to look suave and take advantage of your hair’s potential? We’ve put together a list of 21 popular hairstyles that work amazingly well with Asian hair. We’ve even got the tips you need to style your hair like a pro. Scroll on through our complete list of tried-and-true cuts, trendy and sophisticated looks, and edgier options.

1

Brush up

A brush up combines the appeal of an undercut with a bit more volume. Your barber will cut the sides of your hair short and leave a few inches of length on top. To style this cut, spray a bit of mousse into your hands. Use the mousse to lift your hair upwards.^{[1]
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- Styling Tip: Finish off the style by blow drying the strands until your hair stands up perfectly. If you use heat on your hair, we recommend using mousse with heat protectant properties, like Kenra Volume Mousse.

2

Natural and messy

This is an effortlessly cool style that works for any hair texture. To style the look, blow dry your hair slightly upwards to add volume. Blow drying works better than towel drying because rubbing your head in a towel generates a lot of frizz. If you’ve got thin, straight Asian hair, add a texturizing powder, like Level 3 Styling Powder. Got thick Asian hair? Add a fingernail-sized amount of matte pomade, like Suavecito Pomade Firme. Rub in the product from the front to the back, until you’ve got the just rolled-out-of-bed look you want.^{[2]
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- Styling Tip: Messy styles tend to look better when they’re shorter. Make sure to get your cut cleaned up every 4-6 weeks.

3

Classic side part

A side part works best with thick hair and square or oval faces. This cut goes by several names (including the “businessman haircut”), so bring in a photo for your barber. The top and sides are cut short with a tapered neckline, but you’ll leave the top long. Then, you’ll create a deep side part and comb the top of your hair to one side.^{[3]
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- Styling Tip: If you want a shinier slicked back look, use pomade. Rather than using a fingernail-sized amount, go for a quarter-sized scoop.

4

Modern slickback

Slicked back hair works best for straight hair that’s not very thick. You can pull off this 1950s and Wall Street classic look if you’ve got hair that’s shorter on the sides and longer on top. Using your hands, work a quarter-sized amount of wet gel or pomade into your hair from front to back. Then, repetitively comb any loose strands backwards.^{[4]
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- Styling Tip: If you like the slickback style but don’t like the traditionally shiny look, use a flexible hold hairspray.

5

Curtained hair

Curtained hair is coming back thanks to TikTok and the revival of 90s fashion. Let your hair grow out and create a center part, letting the fringe fall to either side of your face. You can leave your locks natural and messy or style your hair for a neater look.
- Styling Tip: Take a fingertip-sized amount of low-to-medium hold hair cream in your hands. Run your fingers through your hair from the roots outward to create a floppy, natural finish.

6

Two block hairstyle

The two block has become massively popular recently thanks to K-pop. Ask your stylist to cut the sides short while leaving plenty of volume on the crown of your head.^{[5]
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Research source} For a truly K-pop-inspired look, try dying your two block with bold color.
- Styling Tip: Blow dry your hair after you hop out of the shower. Angle the dryer slightly downwards so the hair lays flat. While your hair’s still slightly damp, use a bit of pomade and run your hands through the top to give it a tousled vibe.^{[6]
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7

Gradual fade

A gradual fade can highlight your bone structure. This style especially looks great on people with high cheekbones. Your barber will cut the sides short and leave the top long.^{[7]
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- Styling Tip: Slick the top back with wet gel or pomade for a professional or date-ready look.

8

Pompadour fade

You can’t go wrong with this modern take on a classic style. Anyone with medium-to-long hair on top can rock this look. Simply wash your hair and blow-dry it while combing it back with a round brush. Rub a dime-sized amount of styling paste into your hair. We recommend V76 by Vaughn because it’s easy to rework and reshape. After you’ve applied the paste, create a quiff (a fluffy, voluminous top) by teasing your hair up at the front. Add hairspray to keep everything in place.^{[8]
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- Styling Tip: When you want to add volume on top, always comb from front-to-back, and from the sides towards the crown to add height.

9

High fade crew cut

Crew cuts take basically zero styling effort to look great. Ask your barber to give you a high fade to concentrate the length at your crown. Whether your hair is spiky, unruly, or ultra-straight, the crew cut is a universally suave and classy cut.^{[9]
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- Styling Tip: There are no secrets to the crew cut. This is a “wash it and go” style.

10

Taper fade crew cut

Add a modern spin on the classic crew cut. A taper fade means the back and sides of your hair will slowly blend into the longer hair on top. As a result, you get a bit more contrast in your cut for a clean, sophisticated look.^{[10]
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- Styling Tip: You can style this look messy, swept to the side, or leave it natural.

11

Skin fade with a spiky top

Why not go for a low-maintenance look? For this hairstyle, you’ll get the sides of your hair buzzed ultra-short while letting the top do its own thing. If you’ve got coarser hair that tends towards spikiness, let that texture shine!
- Styling Tip: Run your hands up through your hair with a bit of gel or pomade to get the top of your quiff to stand up.^{[11]
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12

Side-swept top and taper

A side-swept undercut is a trendy, asymmetrical haircut. Essentially, it’s short on the sides and long on top, but you’ll part your hair to the side. To create the side part, use a light hold styling product and brush your hair to the side.^{[12]
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- Styling Tip: If you’ve got a lot of length on top, you’ll need to use a heavier hold styling product.

13

French crop

French crops create definition and structure. You might opt for a French crop if you have a larger forehead or wider face. This short style involves cropping your hair to the same length all around while leaving straight, blunt fringe in front. Ask your barber to clip the sides of your hair without creating too much contrast with the top. Or, if you want a more modern look, ask for a taper fade along the sides for more contrast.^{[13]
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- Styling Tip: This look barely requires styling, but you can always use a pinky-fingernail-sized amount of pomade to neaten up any unruly strands.^{[14]
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14

Angular fringe

Angular fringe is a great face-framing cut to let your features shine. The great news about this haircut is it looks great on everyone—no matter your hair texture or length. Similar to the pompadour and undercut (and, well, most modern styles), this is a “short on the sides, long on top” cut.^{[15]
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- Styling Tip: Try using a sea salt spray before you style your hair to give your angular fringe even more texture.

15

Layered fringe

Fringe works well for straight, Asian hair. For this edgy cut, get your barber to cut the sides short and leave the top front section longer, with a bit of texture. That way, you’ll get choppy bangs that hang slightly over your forehead with zero styling effort.^{[16]
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- Styling Tip: You’ll need to grow out your hair 2–4 inches (5.1–10.2 cm) on top for most fringe styles.

16

Long fringe

Want an edgier, emo-inspired take on fringe? Let your fringe grow out so it hangs slightly forward into your face. Create a side part to give your hair a side-swept, casual and sophisticated look.^{[17]
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- Styling Tip: If you need to style your fringe for a formal event, apply a fingernail-sized amount of pomade to help neaten up your bangs and tuck any loose strands into place.

17

Topknot with a fade

This is the ultimate tough-guy haircut. Let your hair grow out long enough, and ask your barber to give you a fade on the sides. You’ll style your hair by tying a small topknot or creating a ronin bun.^{[18]
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- Styling Tip: For a more formal look, comb a dime-sized amount of wet gel or pomade through your hair before you tie it up.

18

Man bun

A man bun is the best way to keep long hair out of your face. Let your locks grow out long and straight. Brush your hair to eliminate any tangles. Then, create this iconic look by pulling all your hair back. Pull the hair through a hair tie once, forming a loose ponytail. Start to wrap the hair tie around a second time. As you pull your hair through the new hair tie loop, pull the hair only halfway through so it creates a small bun. If you have enough slack, twist the hair tie around one more time to secure the bun in place.
- Styling Tip: Grow out your hair until it’s at least 6 inches (15 cm) long to create a man bun.^{[19]
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19

Long hair with a middle part

Middle parts work really well if you have symmetrical features. Let your hair grow out long for this modern, eye-catching look. For daily styling, use a comb to trace a line down the middle of your crown from front to back. Separate the hair along the line, and you’ve got a clean middle part!^{[20]
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- Styling Tip: Longer hair dries out faster, and washing your hair too frequently can lead to brittle ends. Try cutting 1 shampoo session out per week and see if your hair feels healthier.

20

Wolf cut mullet

The wolf cut or “K-pop mullet” took South Korea and Gen Z by storm. It’s a bold, androgynous look that can add texture and edge to straight hair. Ask your barber to cut your hair into a mullet with soft, graduated layers in the front. You’ll end up with a cut that’s full of choppy style, reminiscent of 1970s rock and roll.^{[21]
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- Styling Tip: Use a rolled brush to flip the ends of your bangs out, away from your face for a feathered look.

21

Textured bowl cut

The bowl cut is an easy way to cut straight, thick hair.^{[22]
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Research source} Bowl cuts create thick front bangs, and the hair on the top of your head is cut to the same length all the way around. In a textured bowl cut, though, you get to shake things up. Your barber will add layers and texture to the front section to create choppier fringe.^{[23]
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- Styling Tip: For an edgy option, ask your barber to add a fade to create intense contrast between the top section of your hair and the sides.