With society's current obsession and infatuation for soft harmonious features; seen with Tik
Tok famous models dominating the spotlight[a], it can be argued that an attractive hairstyle
has never been a more essential piece in the aesthetic puzzle. These fads indicate a shift
from robust, masculine faces being preferred, to coloring, harmony, and soft features being
desired which is where hairstyle plays a very important role. A study By Terry, Rodger confirmed
this hypothesis and concluded that hair was the third most important component of an attractive
face after the eyes and mouth. In the past I’ve stated that the face makes the hair
and I still stand by that, in every hair evaluation research paper, the first step is to identify
the face shape and distinct facial features.[b] Bolduc and Shapiro (2001) noted that hair,
in particular, is an important and distinct aspect of appearance that plays a major role
in self-perception. Since its shape, color, and length can be manipulated to create different
styles, it is a tool of self-expression[c]. We covered this aspect of social influence
in our first video on hairstyles.[d]
The problem is, many misconceptions around hair and hairstyling still exist. In specific,
there is no ideal or trendy hairstyle which is optimal for attractiveness. There is no
one size fits all unlike say for something more universal such as jaw protrusion where
normally aligned jaws are always rated the most attractive worldwide, and any large deviation
is considered a dentofacial defect.[e] The best hairstyle is one that works in harmony
with your facial features, facial coloring, and mitigates your flaws and accentuates your
positive features. [f]
Since there is no ideal male hairstyle, we see lots of diversity among male models that
epitomize masculine aesthetics. One analysis[g] of Male magazines categorized and classified
the different hairstyles of models shown in advertisements[h]. They discovered the only
significant similarity between the models' hair was that it didn't have a major recession
and that their hair was not oily and dirty. In regards to hair length and style, while
the moderate length was the most popular, there existed lots of variations. This provides
further evidence that there is no universally ideal hairstyle, rather each individual's
ideal hairstyle is different for men.[i] In the first video research pointed at longer
length hair being seen as more feminine, youthful and attractive for women but there were caveats
and exclusions for those with above average facial attractiveness where the rule actually
works against them.[j]
Before we get into how to identify what styles look better for certain face shapes and features,
we need to examine the hair individually rather than holistically, and determine what is needed
for optimal hair aesthetics.
A study comparing the attractiveness of different hair colors discovered that brunette hair
was chosen as the most attractive,with blonde as the second most attractive, and red as
the least attractive.[k][l] [m]However, there is not much deviation for preference because
each has a unique theory for being attractive. A journal article f[n]or male and female color
preferences note that individuals are attracted to; “1) hair colors familiar or similar
to them, such as their mum, dad, or their own hair color, 2) rare hair colors for their
ethnicity, 3) blonde hair because it represents youthfulness” Blonde here refers to children
having lighter hair colour which darkens naturally with age.[o]
What’s more important is that your eyebrows are a few shades darker than your hair color.[p]
For example, both Justin Bieber and KJ Appa have eyebrows much darker than their hairstyle
which contributes to their attractiveness.[q] This rule applies to pretty much everyone
of light to dark skin. Typically northern Europeans are the most likely to have very
pale eyebrows that reduce perceptions of virility and attractiveness, especially for men who
have dimorphically darker facial hair. [r]
Unsurprisingly, what is much more detrimental in overall attractiveness is hair density
and hairline positioning. This transcends modern beauty trends and fads, even in ancient
Rome; baldness, especially for men who were young, was frequently ridiculed.[s] The opinion
of ancient Romans on balding is best described by a poem from Ovid, Ars Amatoria who wrote
“Ugly are hornless bulls, a field without grass is an eyesore, So is a tree without
leaves, so is a head without hair.[t]” Men would go as far as to paint and dye their
heads to escape the ridicule and stigma of balding.[u]
Using the Norwood scale to define balding, the lower your Norwood level the more ideal.
[v]A study[w] comparing various levels of recession noted that[x] “Consistent with
the model, a decrease in the amount of cranial hair was associated with increased perceptions
of social maturity, appeasement, and age, and decreased perceptions of attractiveness
and aggressiveness[y].” Another study[z] comparing generated faces with a normal hairline
and a Norwood 6 hairline,[aa] discovered that not only was the more receded morph rated
almost half as attractive physically, but was also socially less desirable.[ab] The
reverse effect was seen with patients who underwent hair transplantation[ac]. Compared
to inthe pre-surgery images, the results were as follows for a group of 7 men who underwent
a hair transplant.[ad]
It’s a harsh reality for men but there are more solutions now than ever before. If you
are having trouble with recession, Minoxidil and micro-needling are a great first line
of defense against hair loss. Minoxidil is an antihypertensive agent that causes vasodilation
and increases blood flow to the hair follicles and reduces hair loss[ae]. Microneedling works
to stimulate bloodflow with small levels of induced skin damage. Both of these treatments
have shown clinical efficiency both as monotherapy and in combination.[af] With that, there are
more complete treatments in development such as antiandrogenic Breezula aka clascoterone
which is also used to treat [ag]acne but these are set to be released in the next few years
with FDA approval.[ah] Instead of reducing hormone levels and messing with your body’s
endocrine balance, it stops the hormones ability to bind to hair follicles to minituarise hair
so it’s looking pretty promising.[ai] There are also existing prescription options such
as finasteride and dutasteride which reduce the hormone responsible for minituarising
hair and are more permanent solutions that you take daily but those have a low but existing
risk of side effects[aj]. There are plenty of support groups such as r/tressless on reddit
[ak]and i Youtubers such as More Plates More Dates who break down content on hair loss
research[al] but visiting a hair specialist dermatologist first is worth it to see if
your hair is even prone to recession as 50% of men are.
There are some exceptions to individuals who can pull off the bald look such as Dwayne
Johnson.[am] Generally, to look attractive without cranial hair, a robust lower third
and dark eyebrows are essential.
Looking at the hair holistically, it needs to bring harmony to the face. Hair is unique
since it can easily be manipulated to add to the illusion of both width and height to
your face. It needs to be styled according to your facial proportions.
The most vital part of your hair and what needs to be taken into consideration is your
Facial Thirds proportions[an]. Individuals with a high set hairline or recession causing
a disproportionately large upper third [ao]can benefit greatly from hair covering the forehead
slightly creating the illusion of more proportionate facial thirds. [ap]This is commonly done with
curly bangs or curtains.[aq] This hairstyle is also recommended for phenotypes
which commonly have light eyebrows, as they make the forehead appear larger.[ar] Alternately,
if your upper third is too small in proportion to your facial thirds, a hairstyle where the
hair is styled upwards is ideal. This has the opposite effect on your proportions and
makes your upper third seem balanced.[as]
Secondly, the styling of the hair is dependent on your bizygomatic: bitemporal ratio. [at]For
males, the average Bitemporal width is around 115mm and should be approximately 80-85% of
the bizygomatic width.[au] Individuals with a small bitemporal width should attempt to
have longer hair on the sides to create an illusion of a larger temporal region. In contrast,
people with larger temporal widths should keep the sides shorter to not exaggerate that
feature.
Curtain hairstyle is one such hairstyle which is becoming increasingly popular as it can
both disguise small bitemporal width, but also create the illusion of a larger bizygomatic
width. [av]Large bizygomatic width, or cheekbone width, is a feminine feature influenced by
estrogen and so curtains by nature are a more feminine hairstyle.
Another popular trend for men is long hair. Long hair is an extremely unique style and
can make the face appear much wider. [aw]Similarly, a Curtain hairstyle also has the benefit of
covering the forehead in the facial profile view.[ax] For males the forehead slope should
be around 10 ° ± 4 °, compared to Female: 6 ° ± 5 °[ay]. Those with a more vertical
feminine forehead would benefit from disguising it with the curtains hairstyl[az]e. As touched
on with our analysis of Mads Mikkelsen, men with a greater slope can get away with much
more hair recession as its such a strongly defining masculine feature[ba]. Rounded upper
thirds are a juvenile feature and so curtains look good when you're young but theres a reason
why it’s a more uncommon hairstyle for older men.
[bb]
Long hair can look attractive for males, however for long hair to look attractive two crucial
features are required. Firstly, you must take care of your hair and ensure it looks healthy
and groomed. A College research paper analyzing the perception of males with long hair discovered
that the perceptions of men with well-maintained long hair were extremely positive[bc][bd],
However, when males' hair were ungroomed the response was strongly the opposite.[be] Secondly,
a masculine face is a requirement for long hair, no ifs or buts about it. Long hair is
seen as a feminine trait, and works well in contrast with a masculine face, however without
a masculine face long hair can ruin the dimorphism of your face.[bf] It’s hard finding an accurate
example of this, but I think Youtuber Brett Maverick is close enough, with a very masculine
face and healthy hair.[bg] In comparison, someone with higher facial fat, softer features
and oilier hair might not fair as well[bh]. On that note of oily hair, there is a sweet
spot for how much you should be shampooing that depends on the person. Dry, fluffy hair
after a shampoo clean strips your hair of its natural oils and for men, means using
more product to style your hair which introduces dirt and oil back in anyway. This can result
in an overdone look making you look like a metrosexual Johnny Bravo rather than the natural
woke up this way style you see in modelling.[bi] If you go to r/nopoo, the shampoo alternative
subreddit, there are plenty of people with healthy looking hair. [bj]Personally, I’d
recommend using shampoo alternatives to keep your hair clean and less aggressive shampoos
when needed to retain more of your natural oils for a natural looking hairstyle. This
is important if you have medium to long length hair as a guy as natural and styled are completely
different aesthetics that work for completely different faces.[bk]
In general, it is recommended to keep your hair medium length unless you have the strong
masculine features required,[bl]For most people[bm] short hair was perceived more positively than
long hair because short hair is the safer low risk option.[bn] Keeping a medium length
all around gives you the best of both worlds as you can tighten the sides with strong hold
products as needed, and have more control on the top for stying.[bo] I know just how
annoying it is when there's a few flyaway hairs near the parting that refuse to style
because they're too short, but long enough to be a visible problem.
In contrast to long hair, short hair was rated more professional and was preferred by conservative
women. [bp][bq]A buzzcut is a suitable low maintenance option, however again, a strong
masculine face is required to pull it off. Soft feminine features don not harmonize
with this hairstyle, accentuating the roundness of the skull further.[bs] There is a trend,
where too short and too long both require above average facial attractiveness to pull
off, very similarly to our findings from the first video for women. Medium to average length
works best for the large majority of men, provided they have the hair density and hairline
to pull it off, otherwise cutting it shorter, using hair thickening fibres such as Toppik
[bt]or even getting micropigmentation tattoos are viable options.[bu]
In addition, ensure that the length of your hairline is not significantly less than your
bitemporal width. If the hairline length is too narrow your upper head is less harmonious.
[bv]Considering the rule of facial fifths, your hairline should become straight where
the outermost fifth and adjacent facial fifth meets. [bw]This is the difference between
a juvenile and mature hairline where matured hairline with a little bit of temple recession
is actually attractive.[bx]
For a more feminine and recessed face, a bolder hairstyle is required. Realistically, if your
facial features are too weak, especially at the jaw, no hairstyle is going to provide
a significant boost to your aesthetic. Hairstyles work as a multiplier, and 5 x 0 is still 0.
The recommendation in that case would be to focus on correcting the large dentofacial
flaws first to get a more accurate assessment of your face shape[by]. Those with more feminine
but strong dentofacial features fall into the pretty-boy category and emphasize their
feminine aspects with curtains or bangs.[bz] Men with more masculine but still strong dentofacial
features can adopt a shorter hairstyle to enhance their masculinity, especially when
paired with a beard. This is most commonly done with a side fade that joins up with the
beards[ca], but nothing too overdone to the point of being overly manicured.[cb]
A good fade should end at the temples and not go all the way up to the parting which
A) makes your head look more rounded and soft and B) makes your appearance asymmetric. [cc]Cristiano
Ronaldo got the high part line sometime in the mid 2000’s and some men adopted the
look as a trendy hairstyle regardless of their face shape or aesthetic[cd]. Unless you have
the same male model bone structure as him there's a very limited subset of people that
this would work on for a grown man.[ce] Instead, ending at the temples symmetrically is much
more timeless, socially accepted and mature. For people with larger ears, having short
sides can also be an aesthetic disadvantage which is something to consider.[cf] Most respectable,
matured faces in modelling and pop culture never go past the temples. For instance, Stephen
James has a low fade with plenty of hair covering the par[cg]t, Zayn Malik with a medium fade
ending well below the parting, [ch]medium fade with hair covering the parting[ci]. Point
being, for whatever length of hair, it’s generally not a good idea to cut upto the
natural hair parting and then getting a line through it is a great way to look like a grown
child who makes bad decisions.[cj]
At the end of the day, its your hair and you can style it however you like, but in the
inte rests of educating the 30% of men who watch this channel these are the factors that
matter for purely aesthetics[ck]. If you would like for your face to be analysed and to get
in depth recommendations, you can order a facial analysis report written by our resident
doctors over at the QOVES website.
[a]1 [b]0.1, 0.2
[c]Bolduc, C. and J. Shapiro. 2001. ‘‘Hair Care Products: Waving, Straightening, Conditioning,
and Coloring.’’ Clinics in Dermatology 19:431–36.
[d]1.1 [e]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTVWw1F3R9E
10:59 onwards [f]dot points
[g]Kolbe, R. H., & Albanese, P. J. (1996). Man to Man: A Content Analysis of Sole-Male
Images in Male-Audience Magazines. Journal of Advertising, 25(4), 1–20. doi:10.1080/00913367.1996.10673509
[h]2.1 [i]2, highlight:
'no apparent hair loss' "receding hairline"
"Moderate (off the ear)" rows [j]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqCN7twFA7A
10:38 -10:48 [k]The role of hair color in the perception
of attractiveness Pamela R. Hinney
West Virginia State College [l]in bullet points
[m]b1 next to the text [n]Male and female hair color preferences
Jen Wortham, Abraham Miller and Daniela Delvescovo Florida Scientist
Vol. 81, No. 1 (Winter, 2018), pp. 33-54 (22 pages)
Published By: Florida Academy of Sciences, Inc.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/26477962 [o]3.1
[p]Cara Delavigne [q]3 and 4
[r]4.1 [s]5
[t]6 and text next to it [u]6.1
[v]7 [w]The evolutionary significance and social
perception of male pattern baldness and facial hair
Frank Muscarella Michael R.Cunningham https://doi.org/10.1016/0162-3095(95)00130-1
[x]7.1 [y]8
[z]Exp Psychol. 2019; 66(5): 340–354. Published online October 11, 2019. doi: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000457
PMCID: PMC7037739 PMID: 31603047
Bald and Bad? Experimental Evidence for a Dual-Process Account
of Baldness Stereotyping Dirk Kranz,corresponding author1 Lena Nadarevic,2
and Edgar Erdfelder2 [aa]9
[ab]10 [ac]Perception of Hair Transplant for Androgenetic
Alopecia Kristin L. Bater, BA, Masaru Ishii, MD, PhD,
Andrew Joseph, MD, MPH, Peiyi Su, BA, Jason Nellis, MD, and Lisa E. Ishii, MD, MHS
[ad]a2 [ae]11.1,
Suchonwanit P, Thammarucha S, Leerunyakul K. Minoxidil and its use in hair disorders:
a review [published correction appears in Drug Des Devel Ther. 2020 Feb 10;14:575].
Drug Des Devel Ther. 2019;13:2777-2786. Published 2019 Aug 9. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S214907
[af]11 then 12+13 [ag]13.3
[ah]13.1 [ai]13.2
[aj]Label: Do not touch finaesteride if you're under 21. Consult your physician.
[ak]get a pic [al]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8hjNlYavao
16.40 onwards [am]15 and highlight the features which are
mentioned in the next sentence [an]16
[ao]16 [ap]17
[aq]17.1 + 17.2 comparison [ar]17.3
[as]19 [at]20
[au]21 [av]22 and 23
[aw]24 [ax]24.1
[ay]Facial Aesthetics Concepts & Clinical Diagnosis
A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication Farhad B. Naini
[az]24.2 [ba]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEZRvIz1PgM
1:45-1:50+ [bb]24.3
[bc]Bhandari. et Al. Perception of people and society on boys with long hair.
[bd]25 [be]26
[bf]Jason momoa, + other handsome men with long hair
[bg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syqaKq5QTKI
2:47+ [bh]28,29 comparison
[bi]30.1, 30.2 comparison [bj]scroll through subreddit
[bk]31.1, 31.2 [bl]36
[bm]Length of Hair and Beardedness as Determinants of Personality Impressions
S. Mark Pancer, James R. MeindlFirst Published August 1, 1978 Research Article
https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1978.46.3c.1328 [bn]37
[bo]37.1 [bp]Influence of Men's Clothing and Hairstyle
on the Evaluation of Professionalism and Preference Seung-Hee Kang·Myoung-Hee Lee†
Dept. of Clothing & Textiles, Sungshin Women's University
Received May 12, 2009; Revised May 31, 2009; Accepted June 8, 2009
[bq]c1 picture
[bs]c2 [bt]38.2
[bu]38.1 [bv]39.1 ,c3 animate
[bw]c4 [bx]39.2, point to temples
[by]40.1 [bz]22, 23
[ca]40.1, 40.1.1 [cb]40.2, 40.2.1, 40.2.3
[cc]40.3 [cd]40.4 Label: It's technically an undercut
but you get the point. [ce]40.5
[cf]40.6, point to temple hairline (if wrong ill fix the arrow)
[cg]40.7, 40.7.1 [ch]40.8, 40.8.1
[ci]40.9, 40.9.1 [cj]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M7vAYuA5lY
2:55 - 3:00 [ck]41