With spring in full swing and summer hot on its heels, many guys are
looking for shorter and cooler alternatives. Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool
haircut, a variation of the Ivy League, is the perfect low-maintenance, spring and summer haircut for men. The style is short, cool, and easy to maintain.
When
I tuned in to the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, I almost did not
recognize Reynolds with this new cut. For the past few years, he seems
to have favored the medium-length, casual hairstyle, so it is
interesting to see him with this new look.
For this style, the hair is cut high and tight
on the sides and back with a number one blade and blended into about
one and a half inches on top just past the round of the head. The top
is cut short with scissors and can be styled with a matte-finish paste
to add control and texture. For his Tonight Show appearance, Reynolds
wore a short, somewhat scruffy beard that gave him a more rugged look.
This Ivy League style will work on most any face shape, but is especially well suited too men with oval or rounded faces.The high and tight nature of the cut can help
balance out a rounder face as the cut is more square in shape. For guys
with a square face, this cut may not work well as the square shape of
the cut combined with a square face would be a bit much. My rule of
thumb is that, to provide balance, a round face requires a leaner,
squared-up haircut while a square face require something a bit fuller.
Guys with a more square face who still want an ultra-short cut, could
go with a more traditional style buzzcut.
This
cut can also work well for most hair types. For those with very thick,
straight hair, some modifications may be required to prevent the top
from looking like a fuzzy mess. For those with thick, straight hair, a
more traditional style flattop is a good alternative.
Taking
lifestyle and profession into consideration, this haircut would be
appropriate for most any man, especially those who are military,
athletes, or blue-collar workers. Because the cut is a bit more
aggressive, it may not be well suited for conservative business
environments (although I thinks this type of cut looks great when paired
with a sharp suit -- I love the contrast). For those in a more
conservative environment, I would go clean-shaven or keep a very neatly
trimmed beard (no longer than the hair on the sides, with a clean
outline). For those in less conservative environments, I think a short
beard adds a nice rugged flair to this style.
To get this haircut,
I recommend going to a traditional barber -- barbers are typically more
skilled with shorter, clipper-based haircut (and, as a bonus, they tend
to be cheaper as well). To avoid all guesswork, I recommend printing
this photo and taking it with you, but you can always tell them you'd
like a high and tight, cut with a number one blade on the sides and back
(traditional high and tights are bald on the sides and back) and
finger-length on top. You'll also want to pick up a good matte finish
styling paste (I love Harbond Moulder for this task). Since the hair is so short, you'll only need a small amount to create the hold and texture you need.
For men wanting a short, easy-to-care-for haircut that looks great straight out of the bed, I highly recommend giving this Ivy League style a try -- it's low-maintenance and masculine and suitable for most any man.
In case you're wondering, you can see Mr. Reynolds as Wade Wilson in Deadpool in theatres on February 12, 2016.
