Most guys with curly hair know the routine. The curls get big, the top puffs up on a humid day, somebody says it looks like a helmet, and out comes the clipper guard. Three weeks later the curls start creeping back and the whole thing starts over.
The buzz feels like a fix, but it only skips the problem. Curls go frizzy and shapeless when they are cut like straight hair, rubbed dry with a rough towel, or loaded with heavy gel. None of that is the fault of your hair.
The best curly hairstyles for men start with a shape that expects the curl to shrink and spring. Shorter sides keep things tidy. Length on top lets each curl clump together instead of puffing out. A little leave in conditioner and a light hand do the rest.
Below are 22 cuts and styles that work with curls instead of fighting them. Each one tells you what to ask your barber and how to style it in a few minutes, so the clippers can finally stay in the drawer.
1. Curly Top With a Low Taper Fade
Start here if you are tired of the buzz. It keeps the clean edges you know and gives the curls a real job on top.
What to tell the barber:
- Leave three to four inches on top, cut dry with scissors so each curl is shaped where it sits.
- Start a low taper just above the ear and blend it up with a number 2 guard.
- Keep the neckline natural, not squared off.
The low taper matters. A high fade on curly hair can make the top look like a mushroom cap. Keeping it low lets the curls fall over the blend and hide it.
Quick tip: Scrunch a pea sized dab of curl cream into wet hair, then leave it alone until it dries.
2. Short Curly Crop With a Soft Fringe
Tight little curls dropping onto the forehead, short sides, and a top that looks messy in a planned way. That is the crop.
It suits guys with a high forehead or a hairline that is starting to move back, since the fringe covers both without looking like a cover up.
Ask for:
- About two inches on top, a little longer at the front
- A fringe cut into the curl, not straight across
- A mid taper on the sides
Skip heavy wax here. It flattens the curls into one lump. A light sea salt spray on damp hair, a quick scrunch, and you are out the door.
3. Curly Undercut With Length Left on Top
An undercut and a fade look close at a glance, but they behave differently once curls grow out.
A fade blends. An undercut drops off hard. The sides are clipped short in one length and the top sits over them like a lid. With curls, that lid has real volume, so the contrast is strong.
Why pick it over a fade:
- The top can stay longer and heavier without looking bulky
- The sides grow out evenly, so a monthly trim is plenty
- The curls can be pushed back, swept to one side, or left to fall
It is a bold shape. Guys with a narrow or oval face carry it best.
4. Shoulder Length Curls Left Loose
Most men who grow their curls long give up around month four. That is the stage where the hair is too long to be short and too short to hang. Push past it and the weight finally pulls the curls into loose spirals.
Long curls need fewer cuts than you think, but the ones you get matter. Ask for long layers so the bottom does not turn into a triangle.
A wash routine that keeps them soft:
- Shampoo twice a week at most.
- Condition every shower and rinse with cool water.
- Squeeze water out with an old cotton T shirt.
A rough bath towel is the main reason long curls frizz.
5. Curly Shag With Choppy Layers
People say layers make curly hair poofy. Bad layers do. Good ones take out bulk so the curls stack on each other instead of spreading sideways.
A men’s curly shag keeps length around the ears and the back of the neck, with short choppy layers through the crown. It looks messy on purpose, a little 70s, and it moves when you walk.
Ask the barber to cut it dry, curl by curl. Wet cutting can leave you with a shape that shrinks a couple of inches shorter than planned.
Best for: thick hair with loose to medium curls. Fine curls can look thin in this cut.
6. Curly Mullet With a Tapered Neck
The common mistake with a curly mullet is going too long, too fast. Curls already add volume at the back, so a long tail can swallow the neck and look like a costume wig.
Keep the back at collar length, just past the nape. Keep the top short and textured, and taper the sides so it still reads as a mullet from every angle.
What that looks like:
- Top: two to three inches of loose curls
- Sides: tapered close above the ear
- Back: curls resting right on the collar
Wear it with a crew neck tee. A high collar hides the best part of the cut.
7. Tight Curls on a Short Burst Fade
Cool sides, a hairline that hides sweat, and curls people can still see. That mix is why guys who work out a lot tend to land on a burst fade.
The fade curves around the ear in a half circle and leaves length at the back of the neck, so the shape stays round instead of boxy. On top, about two inches of tight curls.
A quick routine after the gym:
- Rinse with water only.
- Scrunch in a few drops of curl gel.
- Let it air dry while you cool down.
Book a touch up on the fade every two to three weeks.
8. Curly Pompadour Pushed Back
Here is the one rule: blow dry before you push. Curls pushed back while wet spring forward again as they dry.
Leave four to five inches at the front, getting shorter toward the crown, with a scissor taper on the sides. Then:
- Towel dry gently and apply a light cream.
- Blow dry on low heat with a diffuser, lifting the curls up and back with your fingers.
- Finish with a small dab of matte clay, worked in from the back.
The front will still curl, and that is what keeps it from looking like a 50s copy. Good for weddings, interviews, and anything with a jacket.
9. Curly Hair With a Hard Side Part
Monday morning, a meeting at nine, and the curls went sideways overnight. A hard part gives them a direction even on a bad day.
The barber shaves a thin line where your natural part falls. Curls on the heavy side get swept over it, and the light side stays short.
- Natural part: check where your hair splits when it is wet and use that spot
- Line: thin and soft, not a deep trench
- Product: a light cream, combed through with fingers only
The line grows back in about two weeks. Book the barber at that pace, or let it soften into a natural part.
10. Medium Curly Flow Swept Back
Medium length curls usually hit a wall around the ears. They are long enough to get in your eyes but too short to tie back.
The flow fixes this by sweeping everything back and letting the curls fall behind the ears. The ends flip out at the nape, which is exactly the look.
Ask for even length all over, about five to six inches, with only the ends cleaned up.
Quick tip: Apply product with your head tipped back in the shower, then let it dry in that direction. The curls set where you trained them.
11. Curly Man Bun at the Crown
Long curls tied up stay cleaner and last longer between washes. The trick is tying them without crushing the curl pattern.
- Flip your head forward and gather the hair loosely at the crown.
- Twist once and wrap a spiral coil tie or soft scrunchie around it.
- Pull a few curls loose at the front and sides.
Tight elastic bands snag curls and leave a dent that will not shake out. Spiral ties hold just as well with less grip.
Keep the bun loose. A tight bun worn every day can pull on the hairline over time.
Tie curls up when they are damp, not soaking, so they hold their shape.
Move the bun a little higher or lower each day.
Take it down before bed and loosen the curls with your fingers.
Thin rubber bands that grab and break curls.
Brushing the hair back flat before tying it.
Sleeping in a tight bun night after night.
12. Half Up Curly Top Knot
Only the top section goes up. Everything below the temples hangs free, so the back still shows the full length of the curls.
It is a good middle ground for guys who want curls out of the face but not hidden away. It also takes about thirty seconds.
How to section it:
- Draw a line across the crown, temple to temple
- Gather only that top part into a small knot
- Leave a curl or two loose at the hairline
It looks best on curls that reach at least the chin. Shorter than that, and the knot slips out of the tie by lunch.
13. Short Even Curls Cut All One Length
Plenty of guys skip the fade altogether, and honestly the curls often look better for it. A short, even scissor cut, about two inches all over, lets the curls wrap around the whole head like a soft cap.
No skin, no lines, and no fade to keep fresh. It grows out slowly and evenly, so you can stretch barber visits to every six to eight weeks.
What keeps it neat between cuts:
- A quick cleanup around the ears and neckline
- A spray bottle of water to wake up the curls on day two
Good for men who want low effort and hate that freshly buzzed feeling.
14. Curly Top With a Drop Fade
A drop fade looks a lot like the low taper from the top of this list, until you look behind the ear. There, the fade dips down toward the nape in a curve that follows the shape of your head.
That dip makes the back look fuller, which helps if your curls are thinner at the crown.
Low taper or drop fade?
- Low taper: straight and subtle, easy in an office
- Drop fade: curved and sharper, more noticeable from the side
Both need upkeep. The drop needs a cleanup a bit sooner, since the curve loses its shape first as it grows.
15. Rounded Curly Fro Shaped With Scissors
Volume is the whole point here. A rounded fro shows off what most curly guys spend years trying to hide. Big, soft, and even all around, it reads as confident rather than messy.
The shape comes from the cut. Ask for it to be cut dry, picked out, and shaped with scissors into a round outline, a little longer on top than at the sides.
- Detangle only in the shower, with conditioner in
- Lift the roots with a wide tooth pick, never drag it through the ends
- Sleep on a satin pillowcase to keep the round shape overnight
Tight 3B and 3C curls hold this shape best.
16. Curtain Curls With a Middle Part
The 90s middle part is back, and it suits curls better than straight hair. With curls, the two sides fall away from the face in soft bends instead of hanging flat.
Grow the front to at least your cheekbones. Any shorter and the curls spring up instead of parting.
How to set the part:
- Part it with a fingertip while the hair is soaking wet.
- Scrunch cream into each side, working away from the face.
- Clip each side back with a duckbill clip while it dries, then take the clips out.
The clips leave a gentle lift at the root. Oval and long faces wear this best.
17. Side Swept Curls With a Scissor Taper
Clipper sides under curls can look harsh on some faces. The usual mistake is going even shorter on the sides to fix it, which only makes the top look bigger.
A scissor taper keeps about an inch on the sides, so the curls blend softly into the top. Sweep everything to one side and the whole head looks full and even.
Ask for:
- Scissor over comb on the sides, no clippers above the ear
- Three to four inches on top, a bit longer on the heavy side
- A soft, natural neckline
It is a quieter cut, and that is the point. It suits men over 40 who want curls without a trendy edge.
18. Long Layered Curls With a Full Beard
Long layered curls and a full beard look like one shape when they are cut to match. When they are not, it can look like two different haircuts on one head.
Keep the beard about as full as the volume at your jaw. If the curls hang wide at the cheeks, trim the sides of the beard tighter so the face does not look square.
Care that covers both:
- Use the same leave in conditioner on curls and beard
- Comb the beard, but only finger comb the curls
- Tidy the beard weekly and trim the hair every eight to ten weeks
Red and auburn curls look especially striking with a beard in the same tone.
19. Grow Out Cut for the Awkward Buzz Stage
This is the cut for guys who just stopped buzzing. Weeks four through ten are rough. The curls come back unevenly, the sides poke out, and the top feels flat.
Shape them instead of starting over:
- Keep the sides at a short taper so they do not stick out.
- Leave every bit of length on top, trimming only stray points.
- Clean up the neckline so it still looks intentional.
Then wait. Each month, ask for a slightly longer guard on the sides.
Most guys who quit the buzz give up during this stage. A barber who knows curls makes it bearable.
New curls come in patchy, the sides puff out above the ears, and the top lies flat until the clippers come back out.
The sides stay tidy, the top gets room to clump into real curls, and the cut looks planned at every month of the grow out.
20. Slicked Back Wet Look Curls
Rule number one: gel goes on soaking wet hair, and then your hands stay off. Touching it while it dries is what turns a wet look into a crunchy one.
This style suits evenings out. The curls are combed back with your fingers, pressed with a strong hold gel, and left to set. The ends at the nape stay curled, so it never looks like a helmet.
- Pick a gel with real hold, not a cream
- Once dry, scrunch gently to break the stiff cast
- Leave one curl loose at the front if the full slick feels too formal
It needs curls long enough to reach the top of the ears.
21. Curly Faux Hawk With Short Sides
Some guys think a faux hawk needs spikes and half a tub of gel. With curls, it needs neither.
The curls do the lifting for you. Keep the sides short and blended, leave a strip about two inches wide down the middle, and let that strip grow three to four inches long. Pushed toward the center with a little cream, the curls pile up into a soft ridge.
It looks sharp from the side and relaxed from the front.
Quick tip: Dry the top with a diffuser while tipping your head side to side. That nudges the curls toward the middle without any extra product.
22. Chin Length Curls Parted Off Center
Chin length is where curls start showing their true pattern. The weight pulls them out just enough that each curl has room to form.
An off center part, about an inch to one side of the middle, keeps it from looking too symmetrical. On windy days, tuck the lighter side behind your ear.
Ask for:
- Long, light layers so the ends do not bunch up
- No thinning shears, since they leave curls frizzy at the ends
- A trim roughly every ten weeks
This one looks right even when it is still damp from the ocean.
Curly hair is not a problem to shave away. Most of the time it just needs a cut that expects it to shrink, a light product, and a softer towel.
Start with one change. Ask your barber to leave the top longer next time, or go two weeks without the clippers and see what grows in. The curls that come back may be looser and softer than you remember.
Every cut on this list of curly hairstyles for men works with the hair you already have, so the morning fight can stop.
Save this list to your Pinterest board and bring it along to your next barber visit.