Men go trendy for hairstyles

A young man gets his hair styled at a salon in Bhubaneswar.

When it comes to fashion trends, young men in the city seem to be asking: Why should girls have all the fun? From head to toe, men are ready to shed the boy-next-door image and are all out to experiment with their appearance. Sporting unconventional, funky hairstyles is their latest addiction.

Although the female counterparts have several options for their tresses such as short hair, shoulder-length and long mane to choose from, men are all out to grab eyeballs with a range of metrosexual hairstyles, inspired by celebrities.

From the thick sideburns and ear-veiling hairstyles of Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan to Jackie Shroff’s punch style to Aamir Khan’s Mohawk hairdo in Taare Zameen Par and Akshay Kumar’s V-shaped tapered nape in Chandni Chowk to China, celebrity hairstyles have always created a rage. Hairstylists in the city feel while choosing the right hairstyle, it is important to keep one’s personality in mind, besides other factors such as age, shape of the head, facial features and hairline.

“Today, the trend is more towards layered, short hairstyles such as high and tight, fade, burr, spike, crew cut and clipper cuts have a classy impact of their own. They not only add a sophisticated and conventional touch but also are easy to maintain. One can style it up with hair gel or just mess it up for a jazzy, out-of-the-bed look. Many youngsters are also keen to sport a retro look of the 70s,” said Bijay Dakua, a city-based hairstylist.

Short hairstyles have some variation —short at the back and slightly longer in the front with some amount of layering. The Caesar cut, short all around, with the bangs pushed forward and upwards, created using a mixture of gel and styling mousse is also popular among college-goers. Short hair also works wonders for men with a receding hairline.

“I have shaved off my head and my stylist makes inventive designs with my sideburns and stubble. I even sported the nearly-shaven look accentuated with cut marks like Aamir Khan in Ghajini two years ago,” said Tanmay Pattnaik, an engineer.

Although trendsetters of long hairstyles, actor John Abraham and cricketer M.S. Dhoni have reverted to the mama’s boy-short-hair-look, many youngsters still seem penchant for the long and straight hairstyle. Some of the hot picks are long laser, step/ one-sided step cut, razor style and punch style – part deux.

Depending on one’s complexion, one also has the option of streaking or highlighting their hair with a variety of hair colours available in market. The colours, which can give you the metrosexual look today are honey, light blonde, garnet red, magenta, blonde green and burgundy. While the haircut and styling can cost you somewhere between Rs 50 and Rs 700, for temporary hair straightening be ready to splurge around Rs 500 to 1000 and for a longer effect, between Rs 1500 to 3500, depending on the length of hair.