How to Get Ryan Reynolds' Scruffy Haircut, According to a Master Barber
Photographs: Getty Images
Ryan Reynolds is a man of many trades. He’s one of the biggest film stars, has added screenwriting and producing to his plate, plus owns an advertising agency and an English football club. And while Reynolds has a lot going on professionally, his grooming portfolio is much less diverse—and that’s no critique.
Reynolds is proof of why a classic hairstyle stays classic. With a few detours towards shag and buzzcuts, Reynolds almost always sports a cropped gentleman’s hairstyle. He’ll let the sides grow out, keeping things tidy but not always requiring a clipper finish. If you want to know how to get Ryan Reynolds’ haircut, then read on. For the universal advice, we sought the expertise of Alyssa Bachowski, a senior barber at Fellow Barber Williamsburg in New York City.
What to Ask Your Barber
First things first: You should be able to tell your barber that you want a gentleman’s cut, worn combed back—and they should know exactly how to modify the style to suit your face shape along with your hair density and texture. If not, then we regret to inform you that you probably need a new barber because this is some baseline 101 stuff.
That said, you can get even more specific. For the freshest clip on the sides, Bachowski says to request a number three guard clip on the sides, blended with shears over a comb as it graduates upwards. If you want a slightly more grown-out side, then you could try a higher clip or request a full scissor tidying, blended upwards.
Either way, the top is the most universal execution: “I would cut the hair so it is left long enough that it can be combed over to the side, but not too long where it would be weighed down,” Bachowski says. “I would go in and point cut to add texture and more movement to the hair.” (That’s when the barber takes a specific set of texturizing scissors and “chops” at the hairs so that they vary slightly in length and, in turn, build more volume, definition, and fullness, particularly for straight and wavy textures.)
How Different Hair Types Should Modify It
Even with a style as universal as the gentleman’s cut, there are modifications made for different hair types. Here are some ways that Ryan Reynolds’ hairstyle can be adjusted for the following hair textures and densities:
Curly: For high-texture curls, Bachowski says to keep the top longer in a way that fully expresses the curl pattern (rather than chopping things mid-curl and dealing with a single halfway-curl). If you have tight curls, this won’t be as much of a worry for you.
Thinning around the crown: Use densifying, texturizing stylers, and keep the hair in those thinning areas slightly longer than you otherwise would, to maximize fullness.
Receding hairline: Instead of sweeping the hair up and back like Reynolds, you can do more of a swoop to one side, with the hair parted down the middle of the opposite recession. So, while the part distracts from one side, the swooping, forward-worn hair distracts from the other.
How to Style
1. Use a Texturizing Hair Product Again, with a focus on volume, fullness, and texture in that swept-back hair, you want a product that emphasizes all of the above without too much shine or weight. “A texture paste would be best suited to help achieve this look,” Bachowski says (try Fellow Barber texturizing paste, $28). “Apply the paste by warming up a dime-sized amount of product between your hands and working it in thoroughly from root to tip. Once the product is worked in, style the hair using your hands for a more natural look.”
Texture Paste
$28.00, Fellow Barber
2. Consider a Blow Dryer—But Sparingly
You can also deploy a hair dryer to get added volume, says Bachowski. Keep in mind that excessive use of a blow dryer can start to fry out your strands, so consider situations where you can often let the hair air dry, too. Either way, invest in an ionic, ceramic, tourmaline, or light-fueled hair dryer.
Revolution PRO 4000i Hair Dryer
$230.00, Amazon
How to Upkeep
1. Don’t Wash Daily Don’t wash your hair every day. This is universal advice and not specific to any single hairstyle. “Shampoo no more than three times a week,” Bachowski advises. “Less is better when it comes to shampoo.
2. Try a Dry Shampoo
Dry shampoo can certainly be used (on non-wash days, to absorb excess oils), and for this look it will add texture to the hair and give it a more lived-in appearance.” Some of our favorite dry shampoo products are actually texturizing hybrids—you apply them at the roots to get that lift and body while they soak up excess oils simultaneously.
Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste
$34.00, Amazon
Read More: The Best Shampoo for Every Type of Hair
The Maintenance
If you keep this style close-cropped (with buzzed lower sides), then Bachowski advises getting cleaned up every two weeks. Guys who wear the sides slightly fuller can probably go four weeks without too much bulk and mushrooming at the upper sides. Regardless, you should plan on a full-reset haircut every four to six weeks, she adds.
Originally Appeared on GQ
