The right (and wrong!) way to part your hair

To the left, or to the right? Our men's style and grooming columnist, Man for Himself founder Robin James, weighs in
Man For Himself
Robin James17 June 2018

The appearance of volume, texture and thickness can all be altered and - most importantly - boosted just by changing the way that you push or comb your hair.

So which way - left or right? Follow these top tips to find the best way for you to part and style your hair.

For classic styles…

Part and style your hair in the way that it naturally sits. Your hair will sit closer to your head and allow you more control in styling.

Go for this option when you want a sleek and classic side parting (think Mad Men).

Robin James

For volume and density…

Part and style your hair in the opposite way that it naturally sits. Pushing and styling against the natural flow will boost and plump your hair giving it more volume.

I do this when I want a quiff.

Man For Himself

But, how do you know? Follow these steps...

HOW DOES YOUR HAIR NATURALLY SIT?

If you already know which way your hair naturally sits, perfect, you’re one step ahead.

For those of us who are less sure, you can follow this little trick to find out. Wash and towel dry your hair before giving your head a little shake. This will allow your hair to fall into its natural shape.

Whichever way your hair sits (left to right; or right to left) is your natural part and style direction. Styling it this way will give you the most control over your hair.

CONSIDER YOUR CROWN

Taking into account where your hair grows from (your crown) is key. If your crown spirals from left to right (clockwise), this is how your hair will naturally sit.

If it spirals right to left (anti-clockwise), then your hair will most naturally sit from right to left.

Double crown? If you have two crowns (yep, this is thing), you have the choice. See which is the most dominant and go with that.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Making a quick visit to your barber is always helpful. They’re the expert!

Your barber will be able to help you decide on a style and shape of cut that suits you. They will also be able advise you on where to place your parting.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Working with hair is a barber’s job!

YOUR PARTING: YOUR STYLE

The best way to find out what you like is to experiment. Don’t be afraid to spend a few minutes playing with your hair and seeing what works for you.

Remember, it’s your hair and your choice.

Robin James is the founder of Man For Himself, your one-stop site for men's style, grooming and lifestyle. Follow him on Instagram @manforhimself.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT