Messy Men's Hairstyles: 29 Trending, Stylish Examples
A messy hairstyle is an attractive, modern choice for men that's all about effortless charm, rugged confidence and casual appeal, offering a stylish, textured look with enhanced volume and natural movement. This cool, versatile style provides a relaxed, edgy and scruffy aesthetic, making it perfect for those wanting to stand out with an approachable, playful vibe.
From tousled curls to shaggy fringes, the most popular messy men's haircuts are balanced, feature strategic layering and use effective styling products to achieve a fuller, dynamic finish. Adaptable and rebellious, these trendy disheveled looks work with most hair types, lengths and face shapes, allowing your barber to customize it to suit your personal preferences.
In this guide, we'll show you several stylish examples of messy hairstyles for men that will inspire you to experiment with an intentionally disheveled look.
Trendy Messy Hairstyles For Men
Messy Short Hair
Messy short hair is a low-maintenance, casual style for men bursting with rugged masculinity and modern edge, offering a textured finish that oozes cool, controlled chaos. A classy taper or sharp fade on the sides adds contrast, emphasizing the longer disheveled hair on top. Use a strong clay or pomade with sea salt spray for control and a fuller look, showing off the choppy layers and subtle spiking.
Messy Flow
The messy flow is a trending medium men's hairstyle that offers casual styling and natural movement for a fun, tousled look that feels effortlessly cool. This longer, tousled look is modern, brimming with volume and still ruggedly handsome, creating boyish charm and mature sexiness. It's ideal for those with naturally thick or wavy hair who want something edgy but wearable. Style this attractive flow with a small amount of styling cream or lightweight clay, using your fingers to scrunch the hair.
Voluminous Messy Look
A voluminous, messy look strikes the perfect balance between artful chaos and bold structure, infusing fullness, texture and a flattering shape. This style is popular with guys who want their hair to have presence and personality without feeling overdone. Ask your barber for short-to-medium layers with feathered ends and a longer fringe while keeping the sides shorter with a low or mid fade.
Messy Long Hair
A long, messy hairstyle is a statement look that uses loose layers, extra length and natural flow to channel rebellious rockstar energy. This naturally tousled look can be as wild or refined as you want. Grow your hair past the shoulders, then ask your stylist to incorporate longer, face-framing layers for shape and lightness to enhance movement.
Styling is refreshingly easy with a sea salt spray, lightweight styling cream and hair dryer with a diffuser attachment. Scrunch the hair for beautiful texture and calm waves. Use a moisturizing conditioner to keep the strands healthy.
Handsome Short Tousled Style with Low Taper Fade
A short, tousled style pairs well with a low taper fade for a clean, relaxed look that balances charming texture and structure. The heavy fringe all around exudes a confident, lived-in aesthetic while the soft, low-tapered sides keep the cut neatly trimmed. Short, messy styling is a hot choice for young men and teenage boys looking to stand out at school with an edgy style.
Messy Brush Up
The messy brush-up combines effortless texture with volume for a modern, stylish look and can be customized with a precision fade and short, groomed facial hair. This style is ideal for guys with hard-to-style coarse, thick hair, as simply brushing the hair upwards and slightly back will create a carefree, tousled finish with minimal frizz and a relaxed charm. Finger-shape the crown for a more dynamic lift across the top.
Long Messy Waves
Long, messy waves give your natural texture room to shine by pairing subtle layers with a laid-back, carefree aesthetic. Grow your hair past the shoulders to highlight wave patterns and create volume without heavy styling. Layers reduce bulk and enhance movement, while sea salt spray or mousse boosts texture. Use a side part and a wide-tooth comb to minimize frizz.
Short Messy Crew Cut
The short, messy crew cut blends easy upkeep with preppiness, providing a playful, low-maintenance style for guys. Keep the sides tight with a mid skin fade and leave just enough length on top to tousle for a relaxed, textured finish. Run your hands through the hair with matte products to volumize thin hair and bring dimension to your look.
Textured Messy Mullet
The textured, messy mullet reboots a classic style with a choppy top, short sides and loose flow at the back. Jagged layers add rebellious volume while managing bulk to keep things weightless. Use matte paste or clay to define the crown, or go full grunge with texture powder for extra grit and edge.
Casual, Messy and Textured
This hairstyle exudes a casual, messy and textured vibe with light volume, taper faded sides and clean contrast. Cut the top with point-cut layers for a natural finish, and add a taper fade along the sides and neckline for structure. Use matte clay or texture powder to enhance the flow without losing that effortless feel. Experiment with well-groomed facial hair to give this simple style a touch of rugged masculinity.
Messy Shoulder-Length Hair
Messy, shoulder-length hair brings rockstar energy while showing off natural texture and flow. Let it grow out to embrace its natural shape, and add layers for soft framing around the face. Air dry for a low-maintenance finish, tie it back in a bun or use curl cream to define coils for an eye-catching look.
Short Scruffy Hair
Short, scruffy hair lets you channel your masculinity with a simple, rugged style that gives off a lived-in, unpolished finish. Scissor-cut, taper or softly fade the sides for a clean outline that offers light contrast against the disheveled top. Focus on the roots and crown for a messy but controlled lift, and reshape with your fingers for the perfect finish.
Tousled Curly Hair Fade
A tousled, curly hair fade is a bold style that celebrates your natural coils with shape and sharp contrast. Use your hands to gently scrunch the hair upward with a curl cream for light definition, or use a leave-in conditioner and a diffuser for a soft, natural finish.
Messy Mohawk Fade
The messy mohawk fade offers a rebellious look with modern edge and everyday wearability. The lifted crown elongates rounder faces, while faded sides add contrast and draw attention upward to the voluminous top. A touch of matte paste or clay lets you scrunch in texture, creating effortless separation and purposeful imperfection for a bold, laid-back finish.
Textured and Messy with Faded Sides
This textured, messy French crop with clean faded sides is a low-maintenance, short style that blends a classic forward-styled fringe with modern, disheveled hair on top to achieve masculine volume. The low skin fade anchors the cut, while the choppy, cropped bangs deliver grit and attitude. It's a versatile approach that balances casual nonchalance with sharp styling, so apply a matte clay or paste and use your fingers to rake the style forward.
Tousled Middle Part
The tousled middle part embraces a relaxed, effortless aesthetic, combining the classic symmetry of the center part with a deliberately undone, textured finish for a stylish, casual look. This messy style moves away from rigid structure and offers an approachable, youthful vibe perfect for showcasing natural movement and flow. Use sea salt spray and styling clay or cream for the perfect look.
Short Messy Spikes with Mid Skin Fade
A short and messy spiky men's hairstyle with a mid skin fade offers a bold, energetic look that's all about sharp contrast and textured lift, delivering volume and modern edge. This athletic, low-maintenance cut features choppy spikes on top, masterfully disheveled for a devil-may-care vibe. At the same time, the mid fade delivers a high-impact transition that amps up the attitude. Perfect for thick hair, the spiky layers catch the light and add movement. To get it, work a matte clay or texturizing wax through damp hair and then use your fingers to spike and twist.
Messy, Textured Fringe with Fade
A messy, textured fringe is a sexy, modern men's hairstyle that combines dimension and charming attitude to achieve a wearable look with a rebellious edge. The fringe, tousled and full of movement, falls causally over the forehead while the understated low drop fade keeps the sides and back sharp. This lightly disheveled, statement style fuses movement and subtle structure but is meticulously crafted.
Messy Curly Mohawk with Taper Fade
The messy curly mohawk thrives on volume and lets your natural curls flex their texture and personality, making it a trendy look for younger guys seeking an intentionally daring style. The modern mohawk often involves a taper fade on the sides, adding balance and contrast while reinforcing the classic silhouette. Use a moisturizing shampoo and curl-enhancing cream or styling clay to control and define your curls without drying them out.
Short Messy Waves with High Skin Fade
A short and messy wavy hairstyle with a high skin fade delivers bold contrast and effortless texture, creating a cool, edgy look perfect for summer. The high fade features an aggressive transition into the skin and complements the shorter, wavy crew cut on top. The waves are casual and slightly tousled for stylish flow. Use a matte clay or cream with some hold to shape the style without weighing it down.
Thick, Messy Shag
A thick, messy shag is an alluring haircut that features heavy volume and artful movement, creating a flattering silhouette that frames the face without overwhelming it. The choppy layers and soft, grown-out fringe add depth, while the length through the sides and back delivers a relaxed, rebellious finish that's easy to wear and hard to ignore.
Messy Side-Swept Style
A tousled side-swept men's style is a masterful blend of structure and undone, a modern classic that delivers laid-back charm with chic allure. This look feels easygoing yet intentional, giving off that "cool without trying" energy every guy wants to embrace. The sweep adds dimension and flow, while a subtle scissor-cut taper keeps everything balanced and sophisticated. The example is especially flattering for men with straight to wavy hair.
Long, Messy Curly Hair
Long, messy curly hair is all about texture, presence and free-flowing personality that lets your natural curls take the spotlight. This style involves organic volume and movement because the cascade of defined, tousled curls fall all over to exude a carefree attitude. Styling long and messy curls is about hydration and control that define while keeping your frizz in check.
Messy Brush Back
The messy brush back is a dynamic men's hairstyle that blends elegant structure with the carefree, textured appeal of an unkempt look. This versatile aesthetic is characterized by messy layers and natural movement, exuding confidence and individuality. Unlike the traditional sleek kind, this variation doesn't aim for perfection and instead requires the hair to be brushed loosely from the forehead but left slightly undone, with subtle separation between sections. This style works exceptionally well with medium, thick hair, which offers the density to hold its shape.
Heavy Tousled Fringe with Low Taper Fade
A heavy tousled fringe is an edgy style that commands attention and pairs well with a precisely blended low taper fade that maintains focus. This voluminous look builds around a dense, forward-sweeping top and a softly tapered neckline. The messy fringe, with its choppy layers, is intentionally thick and unruly, falling over the forehead to incorporate daring depth. A high-hold styling clay or pomade is a must-have for this controlled mess, delivering texture and control without delving into the overly styled.
Fluffy Curls
Fluffy curls offer a cool, multidimensional look that's soft around the edges but full of bold personality. This style comes with natural lift, volume and movement, making it fresh, approachable and built to stand out. Rounded and airy, the weight is lifted from the ends to enhance bounce, giving the curls room to expand and fall.
Messy Man Bun
A messy man bun is a trendy hairstyle that looks deliberately undone yet undeniably stylish, relaxed but radiating confidence. It features loose strands, tousled edges and volume through the longer top. The bun can be secured high or low, with pieces intentionally left out to soften the finish.
Messy Short Spiky Hair Fade with Beard
A short, spiky hair fade is a stylish, messy men's hairstyle that delivers maximum impact with a well-groomed, full beard. The cut features a sleek low fade for a clean finish on the sides and back, while the short and textured jagged spikes are sculpted in every direction.
Tousled Mod Cut
The tousled mod cut blends vintage rebellion with simple texture, giving this iconic style a fresh, laid-back update. It involves choppy layers, soft volume and a slightly unkempt finish, capturing the spirit of the original 1960s aesthetic while feeling distinctly current and wearable.
At its core, the mod features a strong fringe, sculpted sideburns and fluid layers that push forward from the crown, but this modern take embraces more movement and messy styling. Apply sea salt spray first, then a styling cream or clay, working in the products with your fingers to create a disheveled finish.
Best Products To Create Messy Hair For Men
Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner
A volumizing shampoo and conditioner supports healthy, voluminous hair, providing the perfect foundation to create a messy hairstyle. These haircare products can enhance natural flow, texture, and fullness, which are necessary elements to achieve the perfect finish. An effective formula will get results after the first wash, making it easier to style your desired look.
Lightweight Sea Salt Spray For Men's Hair
A texturizing sea salt spray is a popular styling product for men who want a messy style with definition, dimension and movement. A few spritzes on damp hair will give you the "just rolled out of bed" aesthetic without the stiffness. Apply to towel-dried hair and scrunch with your fingers before locking in the style with an all-day hold.
Styling Clay with Natural Ingredients
A matte styling clay with a medium-to-high hold and nourishing natural ingredients is the ideal product for getting a messy men's hairstyle. The most effective clays are infused with kaolin clay, bentonite and natural oils, offering texture, control and flow. Apply more product to shape short hair while using less to avoid weighing down medium to longer styles.
How To Style A Messy Men’s Hairstyle
To get stylish messy hair, follow these simple steps and you'll achieve an effortless look that will make any guy envious.
Step 1: Wash and Condition Your Hair
Washing your hair with a good volumizing shampoo removes excess oil and product build-up, creating a clean base to facilitate texture. A conditioner will boost volume and prevent any styling products from drying out your hair.
Step 2: Start with Slightly Damp, Towel-Dried Hair
Gently dry your hair with a towel, being careful to pat down your locks and not rub aggressively. Your hair should be slightly damp, making it easier to style as your locks absorb the product and allow you to set the foundation for your messy look.
Step 3: Apply Sea Salt Spray or Texture Powder For Volume and Grit
Apply a small amount of sea salt spray to your hair, evenly distributing it all over. Gently scrunch your hair with your fingers, squeezing sections upward to encourage separation and light waves. Twist random strands for extra definition if you have waves or curls. For added volume and texture, use a hair dryer on low heat with a diffuser attachment while scrunching, but air-drying works perfectly well for a natural, lived-in look.
Step 4: Use A Styling Clay For Hold and Texture To Get The Perfect Messy Look
Use a medium or high-hold styling clay to control and lock in a messy hairstyle. Warm it up between your palms and fingers, and work it through your hair by scrunching those areas. A reliable clay product can add more definition, texture and shape to your scruffy style, whether you have short or long hair.