What took the African-American community by storm in the 60s is now one of the most iconic hairstyles in history. Afro hairstyles for men have been a funky fresh choice for guys of all ages for years, and are still living up to their cool status to this very day. Use our collection of retro and modern afros below to find your ideal hairstyle.
1. Natural Afro Hairstyles for Men
There’s no better way to start talking about afro hairstyles for men than with an all-natural example. Of course, afro hairstyles are defined by this quality, but here you can see an untamed version that all men with African origins can rock.
2. Soft Afro Curls
On the other hand, you may want a more relaxed approach to your hairstyle. We recommend this shoulder-length look for men who have softer afro-textured hair, which naturally falls into place when left to grow longer.
3. Low Tapered Afro
Not all men are flattered by full afros. On the contrary, some look better when they mix theirs with a taper fade haircut. Usually, this comes in the form of a low tapered afro, with just a strip of shaving down around the contour of the hairstyle.
4. Medium Afros
As with outnumbered situations balance may also be a key feature in an afro. If you’re not the one to lean towards extremes, you can shape your afro to be just the right size. Not too minimal nor too flashy, the medium afro is the best choice for a composed hairstyle.
5. High Taper Fade Afro Hairstyles for Men
If you feel that a low taper fade wouldn’t do your personality justice, you can spice your look up with a high taper fade afro. Basically, you will be shaving down both sides and the back, all the way up to your hairline. Here, we recommend a shorter afro for completing the look.
6. Mini Afro Styles
Incidentally, we want to present the mini afro as a hairstyle of its own. We warmly recommend it as a casual, everyday option to rock an afro in the first place. You won’t be required to put effort into styling it, nor will it be too “showy” if you work in a corporate setting.
7. Tight Coils Hairstyles
Having naturally tight curls is a fantastic quality. You can allow your afro to grow longer, as your curls will shrink and gather up along the way. To put it otherwise, the tighter your coils, bigger your afro can be while still looking fly.
8. Retro Afros
It’s impossible to not love the old school version of an afro. What gained mainstream popularity in the 60s and 70s is still highly fashionable for retro lovers today. Take Michael Jackson’s fresh ‘fro from his Jackson 5 days and you’ll know what we’re talking about.
9. Undercut Afro Hairstyles for Men
Nowadays, it’s often more convenient to combine afro hairstyles for men with practical haircuts. For instance, the undercut is a highly popular choice for shaping an afro. Whether it’s disconnected or faded, an undercut can help you manage your afro with more ease.
10. Ponytail Hairstyles
What if you already have long hair and a big afro in place? While you may enjoy wearing it as a classic afro most of the time, you may want to switch around the hairstyle occasionally. For this, you can wrap your curls into a high ponytail, freeing your face, nape, and shoulders at the same time.
11. Sculpted Afro Hairstyles
The sculpted afro is truly for the man with fine tastes. In a nutshell, it’s a way to embrace your natural hair texture while giving it a stylish silhouette. There are numerous methods for sporting a sculpted afro, starting with the example in the photo above.
12. Afro Man Buns
If ponytails aren’t down your alley, you can explore the man bun trend. The easygoing hairstyle involves tying your locks into a high bun, usually accompanied by an undercut. It’s an excellent alternative for short afros or dealing with long curls.
13. Flattop Haircuts
Even though flattops are typically associated with the 90s, history proves that style always comes back after some time. In our days, in addition to 90s fashion, haircuts from this decade are slowly but surely on the rise again.
14. Big Afro Hairstyles for Men
If your workplace isn’t a constraint, you should feel free to rock your afro however way you want to. For some men, this means sporting a big afro, with as much volume as possible. It doesn’t even matter what shape your face is – you’ll look awesome.
15. Afro with Short Sides Hairstyles
To switch back to fully modern adaptations of the afro, here is an example with one that features shaved sides. With this approach, you will only have to take care of the top part of your hair. Naturally, you will need to check in with your barber often to maintain the sides.
16. Locs Hairstyles
Braids and locs have always played a fundamental role in afro hairstyles. Not only are they protective for afro-textured hair, but they’re also a neat way to express yourself through your appearance. Thick locs, for example, are a popular pick.
17. Afro Hairstyles for Men with Thin Sideburns
We love how this afro hairstyle is so well-shaped. With just a bit of tapering at the edges, the clean afro also has some pretty cool sideburns. Instead of using a classically thick design, the barber opted for thin and sleek sideburns.
18. Sponge Twist Hairstyles
Sponge twists are an indispensable tool for guys who want to get those picture-perfect curls. When it comes to afro hairstyles for men, you can use a sponge twist to define your curls individually. Having a sculpted afro will get you the best results with sponge twists.
19. Line Up Afro Hairstyles for Men
Box fade, line up or temp fade all point to the same haircut – that which contours your hairline in a rectangular shape, with 90-degree angles on each side of your temple. It’s easy to see why the line up haircut is often used with afro hairstyles.
20. Puffy Hairstyles
One of the major benefits of having an afro is that you can rock puffy hair, right? If you’re all about the visual impact of your afro, don’t hesitate to let it get large and puffy. In case it becomes uncomfortable at one point, you can use the ponytail or man bun ideas we talked about earlier.
21. Messy Afros
Regardless of your hair texture, messy hairstyles will always be alluring. Whether you have a bad boy vibe or you just like leaving your hair as it is, you can count on a messy afro to satisfy your aesthetic needs. Mid-length locks should do the trick.
22. Small Afro Hairstyles for Men with Shaved Lines
If you have a smaller afro, you open up a whole world of creative styling opportunities. An easy way to get started is with shaved lines. If you want your design to be simple yet impressive, consider shaving a single line on one side of your head.
23. Afro Hairstyles for Men with Dreads
Nowadays, you will be seeing a lot of men rocking bold dreadlocks hairstyles for their afro-textured hair. Even though there are multiple ways of getting dreads, we recommend the freeform approach, also known as natural, organic or neglect dreadlocks.
24. Ombre Afros
What about bringing your hairstyle to life with some color? For tapered afros, a trendy idea is to dye the top part in a color that complements your personality. In many cases, the choice is copper or blonde, but you’re at liberty to pick your favorite tone.
25. Two Strand Twist Hairstyles
The two strand twist is a braiding staple in the African hair community for both men and women. In addition to its protective properties, the two strand twist also looks amazing on medium-length afro-textured hair.
26. Asymmetrical Afro Hairstyles for Men
If you’re an outgoing individual, you may want to work up the courage to explore asymmetrical afro hairstyles for men. They may not be a take on afros that’s suitable for everyone, but they sure look spectacular on unconventional guys.
27. Curly Bangs Afro Hairstyles for Men
With bigger afros, you’ll most likely get some curl action over your forehead too. However, you may not want to have this long approach all around. If you want to keep just the bangs portion, think about getting an undercut for the rest of your afro hairstyle.
28. Long Curly Hairstyles
Although Afro hairstyles are representative for men with African heritage, Caucasian men with naturally curly hair can also get a similar look. Celebrities like Seth Rogen, Howard Stern or Nick Jonas show that long and curly hairstyles can look wonderful on anyone.
29. 360 Waves Hairstyles
Few afro hairstyles for men can compare to the polished finish that 360 waves provide. A short, neatly-trimmed afro haircut, 360 waves involve shaping layers of grooves throughout the hair. You may also want to think about pairing your 360 waves with a temple fade.
30. Spiky Afro Hairstyles for Men
With a little bit of motivation and patience, you can turn a classic afro into an edgy modern hairstyle. To get these spiky results, simply dab some hair product on the tips of your fingers and start twisting the tips of individual strands.
31. Afro Beards
Not all men are suited for a full head of afro-textured curls. In fact, some may want to shave their head entirely but still maintain an afro aspect somehow. It’s easy to achieve if you have a generous beard that you’re willing you grow and groom.
32. Surgical Line Afro Hairstyles for Men
Shaved lines are nice, but they may be too simple for some. The funky alternative to a plain shaved line would be a surgical line. It’s defined by starting the line about half-temple and curbing it as you get towards the back of your neck.
33. Angular Afros
We’re excited to present the afro-textured adaptation of an angular fringe. Inspired by the aforementioned hairstyle, the angular afro is tapered at the back and on the sides. As you get towards the front, the afro portion is shaped at an angle above the forehead.
34. Afro Hairstyles for Men with Nape Designs
It’s a well-known fact that V-shaped haircuts are trending again. But what can you do to make yours stand out, especially when you have an afro hairstyle? Incorporate a creative design into the V part at your nape to outline your afro nicely.
35. New School Afro Hairstyles
As opposed to retro afro hairstyles for men, their new school counterparts involve two specific parts: dreadlocks and undercuts. The dreads portion can be anywhere from nose-length to chin-length, or even longer. Occasionally, you’ll even see a different hair color, like the silver used in this example.
36. Brushed Up Afro Dreads
If you have decided on going with freeform dreadlocks, you can start thinking about what overall shape to give them. In case you don’t want them growing at all angles, you can gradually shape them to be brushed up all around.
37. Tiny Afro Hairstyles for Men with Burst Fades
A burst fade haircut is a cool way to liven up your afro. In a nutshell, your barber will be using the taper fade technique on both sides of your head, but in a semicircle fashion. As a result, it will seem like your hair is “bursting” as you get closer to the main part.
38. Tall Afro Hairstyles for Men
If you’re really ambitious, you can grow a gigantic afro that will make heads turn. Nevertheless, there are different ways you can wear a big afro. If you’re not into a large circular shape, you can style your afro to be tall and long as an alternative.
39. Half Up Afro Hairstyles
Half up hairstyles work with all sorts of afro hairstyles for men, as long as the hair is long enough. For example, men with longer dreads may get a result similar to the one in the picture above. All the same, it will look just as imposing with natural afro curls.
40. Afro Hairstyles for Men with Highlights
Color can be added to your hairstyle in a variety of ways. If you’re not up for a half-and-half approach, you can throw in some highlights just to make your locks seem more lively. Additionally, highlights will better define the shape of your curls.
41. Side Part Afros
No matter if you have a receding hairline or you just prefer a distinctive shape for your afro, you can style yours with a side part. Make sure that you create the part while your hair is still damp after washing it so it can maintain the form after drying.
42. Afro Hairstyles for Men with Headbands
Long and curly hair can be problematic for some men, especially if they’re athletes. To manage the situation, all you have to do is use a headband to keep the curls out of your eyes. Choose a metal or fabric-based headband, according to your preferences.
43. Basquiat Hairstyles
The late and great Jean-Michel Basquiat had arguably one of the most unique afro hairstyles for men. Even in our times, a few other artists have followed in his steps by customizing their afro hair, such as The Weeknd. Experiment and add your own imaginative twist to your afro.
44. Mohawk Afro Hairstyles for Men
When you have afro-textured hair, a Mohawk becomes far more wearable. Instead of getting a classic liberty spikes outcome, you’ll have a nice small afro with shaved sides. You can make the main part as wide or narrow as you please.
45. Afros with Mid Fades
We’ve covered afro hairstyles for men with high and low fades, but what about going halfway with yours? You can opt for a mid fade to get a win-win situation. Your hair will be tapered on the sides and back at an inch or two above your ear.
46. Afros for Older Men
Another amazing part about afros is that they cater to all ages. Whether you’re a teen or a senior, you can still look outstanding with an afro hairstyle. If you’re an older man, you can keep a fairly long beard to match your top.
47. Peaked Afro Hairstyles for Men
In this shot, Marlon Wayans successfully combines two hairstyle ideas from our list: the angular afro and the mohawk. The blend of styles results in a peaked afro, similar to what a faux hawk would be for other hair textures.
48. Colorful Afro Hairstyles for Men
We’ve touched on a few natural colors for personalizing your afro, but what about more vivid hues? Even though they will draw attention, lively colors like blue, green or even pink can serve as a terrific method of self-expression through your hairstyle.
49. Punk Afros
If you do want to get some punk edge with your afro mohawk, the key is to allow your hair to grow longer. In addition to this, you should completely shave the sides to accentuate the upper part. In the end, you’ll look and feel like a rock star.
50. Afro Ponytails with Undercuts
Our last creative afro hairstyle is an afro ponytail with an undercut. The lower part seems to be transitioning from completely shaved to growing out, while the top is long and curly. Consequently, you can wear your hair tied up or left down.
Conclusion
To conclude, afro hairstyles for men are generous when it comes to the amount of adaptations you can experiment with. If you’re nostalgic about the 60s and 70s, you can go for a big, round, retro afro. On the other hand, you can take on a new school afro that even incorporates natural dreadlocks. It’s all up to you!