This article was co-authored by Janet Miranda and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Janet Miranda is a Professional Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist, and the Founder of Be.NYLA. With over 15 years of experience, Janet specializes in makeup and hair for advertising, commercial, editorial, runway, special events, television, and videos. She was trained at Vidal Sassoon Academy and with top hair and makeup artists including MAC Cosmetics and Redken. Janet has worked five seasons of New York Fashion Week and one season on Project Runway. She continues to add brands to her growing client list including Armani Exchange, Neutrogena, and Pantene. Janet’s work has been featured on CBS, Brides Magazine, 100 Layer Cake, Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, Ireland Image Brides Magazine, and Elle Japan.
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Need an easy hairstyle that looks suave but won’t take hours to achieve every morning? Look no further than the flow. This Victorian haircut made a major comeback with hockey, baseball, and lacrosse players before it broke back into the mainstream, and now it’s here to stay. With a flow, medium-length hair is swept back from your face in casual, layered waves that lend the style its name. We’ll show you how to grow out to achieve luscious, beachy locks, then how to style it into a flow that’d make ocean waves jealous.
Things You Should Know
- Grow the top section of your hair until it touches the tops of your ears.
- Trim your hair every 2-3 months to keep split ends at bay, which damage your hair and ruin the flow.
- Cut your shampooing routine to only 2-3 times a week, and condition every day to moisturize your hair and improve flow.
- Brush your damp hair back and away from your face with a brush or your fingers to style your new mane.
Steps
Growing out Your Hair
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1Grow out the top of your hair first. Flow hairstyles work best when the hair on top of your head is longer than the sides. If it's shorter than about 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm), start growing it out, which may take several months depending on how long it currently is and how long you want your flow hairstyle to be.[1]
- The exact length of your flow is a matter of preference, but for a good flow, wait until the top portion of your hair reaches down to the top of your ears.
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2Keep the sides and back short until the top is 3 in (7.6 cm) long. While the top portion of your hair grows out, trim or buzz the sides and back. This gives that top portion a head start, and gets you on the road to flow more quickly.[2]
- Alternatively, ask your barber for a scissored taper cut to stay stylish while you grow it out.
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3Grow out the sides and back once the top is 3 inches (7.6 cm) long. Once the top section of your hair is about 3 in (7.6 cm) longer than the sides and back, give those sides a chance to grow in without clipping them. At this point, you’re letting every portion of your hair get long and lustrous.[3]
- Keep trimming the sides every few months, which encourages healthy growth and deters split ends, but avoid going for the full buzz.
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4Continue growing your hair until the top portion reaches your ears. At that point, your hair will be medium length, and you'll be able to properly style it into a flow. Keep growing it out if you want those long, North-Shore waves, or keep it trimmed for tidier, more manageable length.[4]
- You might go through awkward stages while you're growing your hair out, but that's normal! Wear hats with your medium-length hair or use more product to style and tame your hair while you're waiting for it to grow out.
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5Trim your hair every 2-3 months to keep it healthy. It might seem counterproductive, but it's important to trim your hair every few months to get rid of split ends. Untrimmed split ends can travel further up your hair and actually make it harder to grow your hair out.[5]
- Make sure you tell your barber or hairstylist that you're growing your hair out so they don't trim too much off.
- For best results, ask your barber to cut your hair into layers, which encourage texture and flow. Or, layer your own hair at home.
Styling Your Flow
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1Keep your hair slightly damp after you get out of the shower. A flow hairstyle is easiest to create when your hair is damp. When you get out of the shower, let your hair air dry slightly, or gently squeeze out the excess water with a microfiber towel. Make sure it's still a bit wet so you can sculpt those waves.[6]
- Avoid drying your hair with a chunky, macro-fiber towel, which can damage or overdry your hair.
- If you’re short on time, use a hair dryer to blow your hair backward. Set the dryer to cool or low-heat to avoid damaging your hair.
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2Brush your damp hair back and away from your face. Use your fingers or a brush to sweep your hair back with your fingers until it loosely holds. The key is to get all of your hair off of your face and brush it back so it's flowing neatly away from your forehead side.[7]
- The flow hairstyle is supposed to be effortless and casual, so you don't need to use any products. If you like, though, use a grooming cream or leave-in conditioner to keep your hair out of your eyes.
- Use your fingers to part your hair in the center, then sweep both sections back for a trendy middle part.
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3Put on a hat while your hair is still damp if you want wings. One optional component of the flow hairstyle is flipping the ends of your hair out so they look like flowy, wavy wings. If you're interested in the wing look, wearing a hat while your hair dries is an easy way to achieve it. Once your hair is completely dry (after an hour or 2), take the hat off and run your fingers through your hair to finish styling it.[8]
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4Limit shampooing to every 2-3 days to keep your hair moisturized. Shampoo strips your hair of its natural oils, and washing it too frequently can make it dry and brittle. Limit how often you wash your hair to once or twice a week, and no more than 3 times a week.[9]
- If your hair gets greasy in between washes, apply a dry shampoo to the roots to add some moisture back between washes.
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5Condition your hair every day to keep it hydrated. Unlike shampoo, conditioner won't strip your hair of its natural oils. Instead, conditioner hydrates your hair and locks in moisture. To keep your flow hairstyle healthy, use conditioner more often than shampoo.[10] Simply work a dollop of conditioner into your wet hair for a few minutes, then rinse it out under the shower head.
- Alternatively, use a co-washing conditioner, which washes and conditions your hair at the same time. That way, you never have to use shampoo.
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow often should I get my hair trimmed when I'm growing it out?
Janet MirandaJanet Miranda is a Professional Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist, and the Founder of Be.NYLA. With over 15 years of experience, Janet specializes in makeup and hair for advertising, commercial, editorial, runway, special events, television, and videos. She was trained at Vidal Sassoon Academy and with top hair and makeup artists including MAC Cosmetics and Redken. Janet has worked five seasons of New York Fashion Week and one season on Project Runway. She continues to add brands to her growing client list including Armani Exchange, Neutrogena, and Pantene. Janet’s work has been featured on CBS, Brides Magazine, 100 Layer Cake, Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, Ireland Image Brides Magazine, and Elle Japan.
Professional Hair Stylist & Makeup ArtistI always recommend getting it trimmed every 4-6 weeks to help maintain the shape.
References
- ↑ https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-long-hair-for-men
- ↑ https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-long-hair-for-men
- ↑ https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-long-hair-for-men
- ↑ https://www.thetrendspotter.net/bro-flow-hairstyles/
- ↑ https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-long-hair-for-men
- ↑ https://www.styleseat.com/blog/how-to-style-hair-men/
- ↑ http://nextluxury.com/mens-style-and-fashion/flow-hairstyle-for-men/
- ↑ http://nextluxury.com/mens-style-and-fashion/flow-hairstyle-for-men/
- ↑ https://manofmany.com/fashion/mens-hairstyles/often-men-shampoo-hair
About This Article
A flow hairstyle is a modern, rugged style that looks great if you're going for a more casual look. To get a flow hairstyle, first you'll need to let the top of your hair grow out while you keep the rest of your hair trimmed short. Once the top of your hair is 3 inches long, let the sides and back grow out until your hair reaches down to your ears. Styling your flow is really easy. Just wet your hair and brush it back away from your face to one side. Remember to keep up on getting your hair trimmed every few months so it stays healthy and doesn't get split ends. For more tips, including how often to wash your flow-styled hair, read on!
