30 Most Popular Black Male Hairstyles in 2024

Check out this big list of the most popular black male hairstyles of the year! You’ll see dozens of examples of the best styles for textured, natural hair in this photo guide.  

Looking for Black Mens’ Hairstyles?

Hairstyle trends for men are constantly changing. As a black man, your unique hair type and texture really open up the number of styles you can wear. From short buzz cuts and fresh fades to natural curls, braids, and dreads, the sky’s the limit for black male hairstyles. 

If you’re about to try something different with your hair, you should take a look at some of the most popular black male hairstyles to get ideas. We put together a list of today’s best styles for men of color to help you find new ways to wear your hair. 

Whether you’re all about the timeless classics, enjoy a good throwback hairstyle, or thrive on wearing the coolest trends of the moment, we’ve got some great options to show you. 

Top 30 Black Male Hairstyles

Check out the 30 most popular black male hairstyles below. From specific cuts to styles you can create daily, we found dozens of great options for men of color with a kinky or coily hair texture. Make sure you’re staying on trend by experimenting with any of these looks. 

Dreadlock Fade

If you’ve been rocking dreads for a bit and are ready for a change, this bold hairstyle is a great way to change up your look without shaving off all your locs. Fade the sides and back (or just the sides to style a dreadlock mohawk fade) to concentrate all eyes on top. 

#2 Buzz Cut

For easy maintenance and a look that is always neat and tidy, we like a simple #2 buzz cut. This one can easily be done at home if you’ve got a good set of clippers around.

Just pop the #2 guard on (it’ll leave your hair about a quarter of an inch long) and run the clippers all over your scalp!

Read Next: Hair Clipper Sizes & Haircut Numbers

Senegalese Twists With Undercut

If you’ve been growing your hair out but are running out of ways to style it, this undercut with Senegalese twists on top is perfect. It’s lightweight and cool thanks to the shaved sides and back.

But you get the best of both worlds with plenty of length on top to style into twists, braids, dreads, or wear it natural!

Read Next: Braids for Men

Medium-Short Waves With Drop Fade

This style features subtle waves in hair that is a few inches long and styled with gel on top. The back and sides are faded for a cropped, neat look. Keep the fade line where the hair is gradually shortened about midway down. Let it drop down in the back to create a mid drop fade.  

Double Puffs

What’s better than one puff? Double puffs. When you’ve got to get your long hair out of your face and off your neck, divide it into two sections down the center and pull them into high ponytails in the crown area. 

Picked-Out Tapered Afro

With your hair’s incredible volume and texture, why keep it short or locked up in braids? If you like things loose and free, get a tapered cut to take the weight and volume out of the ends. Work your favorite moisturizer through your hair and pick it out for a full, confident look. 

Fade With Triple Lines

A mid fade kept short to contrast with clean shaved lines in a cool pattern is like having a built-in hairstyle. This triple-line fade features precise lines that are eye-catching with a classic touch. If your barber has a steady hand, this is a great style to wear! 

#8 Buzz Cut With Burst Fade

The #8 clipper guard cuts your hair to a one inch length, which is perfect to create a little softness and volume on top. This is a great haircut for black men with round or square faces! A skilled barber can add a burst fade around each ear for a smooth transition to shorter hair around the face. 

Picked Out and Tapered With Hard Part

This is a fresh and clean-cut style with just a little edge thanks to the shaved hard part. It works best on hair that is trimmed to about an inch and a half long on top and gradually tapered on the back and sides. The hard part becomes the focus point of this style. 

Bald Drop Fade With Line-Up

This super clean bald drop fade requires regular trims to look fresh and precise, but it’s well worth it. The fade line is high in front and dips down low in the back for an angled effect on the sides. Shave it down to the skin for the most contrast. 

Box Braids With Beads

Hanging box braids are a classic way to keep your hair contained and looking nice, but why not try a throwback style and add beads to the ends? This style is back in full-force in hipster circles and it adds a little interest to otherwise basic braids. 

Half-Up Locs

Finding new ways to wear your dreads will give you a whole new appreciation for them. Try pulling the top half of your dreads up and secure them with an elastic or hair tie. You’ll keep your dreads out of your face without the heaviness of pulling them all up. 

Medium Taper With Square Line-Up

A square line up to define the hair around the front hairline and temples gives this look a really clean-cut, precise vibe. Style your hair with a little medium-hold gel and work in some moisture to define and separate your curls. It looks really good with the tapered length on the sides. 

#2 Skin Fade With Shaved Line

This mid skin fade starts with hair that is about ¼” long and gradually shortens down to the skin just above the ears. A short shaved line is the finishing touch for this look. 

Braided Faux Undercut

Undercuts are trendy but they take forever to grow out. If you want the look of an undercut without committing to shaving the back and sides of your hair, try a braided faux undercut instead.

Flat braids running horizontally along the sides of your head keep the sides low and tight so all the focus is on your natural hair’s volume and curl on top.

Read Next: Undercut Fade Haircuts

Mid Drop Fade With Ducktail Beard

It’s a bald fade, mid fade, and drop fade all rolled into one. This is a clean and precise look for men who pride themselves on a flawless appearance. Paired with a long and groomed ducktail beard (comes to a point in the middle), this look is more balanced.

Read Next: Types of Beards

Medium-Short Natural Curls

If you’re growing your hair out, keep things looking good up top by trimming your hair to a single length all over. Twist medium-hold gel into existing curl sections to define your texture. Be sure to moisturize your curls often to keep the texture defined and soft! 

#3 Buzz Cut With Line-Up

How do you make any one-length buzz cut look fresher? A line-up will clean up the edges of your cut and give you a polished, sophisticated look that shows you care about your appearance.

We like the #3 guard length (about ⅜”) to keep the hair neat but long enough to create a clear contrast with the skin.

Read Next: Buzzcut Hairstyles

#4 High Fade

This fade starts high up near the temples, which helps elongate a round or square face. The length on top is trimmed to about ½” long (using the #4 clipper guard) to create some nice contrast between it and the short faded back and sides.

Read Next: High Fade Haircuts

Frohawk 

A mohawk haircut on your highly-textured hair is a look that’s bold and easy to maintain. Shave the sides as short as you’d like. The guy here used a #2 guard on the sides. Leave a strip of longer hair about 3 inches wide running down the center from your front hairline to your neckline to copy this look.

Zig Zag Flat Braids

Flat braids are done along the scalp and hang loose at the ends. These zig zag flat braids bring a modern twist on classic cornrows. Try tying the ends up like the man pictured to keep your braids contained if your hair is long. 

High Drop Fade With Shaved Line

A curved line shaved into the top side of this high drop fade is the focal point of this hairstyle. It guides the eye back to draw attention to the similarly curved line that the high drop fade follows. Have your fade shaved down to the skin (bald fade) to copy this look. 

Criss-Cross Flat Braids

If you’ve got a good go-to braider, let them show off their skills by doing criss-cross flat braids for you. These artistic cornrows run vertically, horizontally, and diagonally along the head so it’s not just containing your hair – it’s styling it. 

Short Finger Coil Twists

Finger coils or single-strand twist outs are always a popular style for men with highly textured hair.

These easy coils are done by dipping fingers into gel with your preferred hold and twisting a small section of hair in one direction until it starts to coil back on itself. Wear the twists for a few days or up to 2 weeks. When you take them out, you’ll have defined and lasting curls. 

#1 Shaved Buzz Cut

The #1 guard leaves hair a mere 1/8” long – barely there and as short as you can get without taking the clipper guard off. This is a popular way for men of color to wear their hair, and it’s a great option if you’re experiencing some thinning, too. 

Tree of Life Flat Braids

The branching lines in these artistic flat braids remind us of the tree of life. Thick cornrows run vertically from the front to the back of the head and smaller braids branch out from them. The branched braids are connected around the sides with thick, curving braids that create the outlines of the trees. 

Double Dreadlock Bundles

All you need to do to create this easy hairstyle is two elastics and dreadlocks. Divide your hair into a top and bottom half. Pull each half into a bundled ponytail, making sure that the top ponytail is placed high so the locs fan out and forward. 

Defined and Tapered Fro

Get that pick out of here – you’re going to put in a little work to make your long hair look like this. Start with clean, wet hair and work your favorite curl cream through to start defining those curls as they dry. Finish up by twisting medium-hold gel into each curl to get this high-definition look.  

Throwback High Top Bald Fade

A high top fade has lots of volume and height on top, where the hair is kept several inches long. The sides and back are much shorter and faded down to the skin for a classic and high-contrast look that almost styles itself. 

Samurai Top Knot With Undercut

A clear line of definition separates the shaved short sides and back from the long hair on top in this popular black male hairstyle.

Use firm-hold gel to slick the top back and gather it into a high ponytail. Let the ends curl to create your samurai top knot that looks polished enough for formal events but is easily dressed down when you want to look casual. 

Things to Consider

We’ve looked at 30 of the most popular black male hairstyles out there. If you’ve picked out a few that you like, we’ve got a few things you should consider before you commit to any single style or haircut. You want to make sure you’ll love the look you end up with! 

• Learn what your curl type is. Black male hairstyles are centered around your hair’s unique type and texture. There are several curl types and learning which you have will make it easier to choose a hairstyle that will work for you. Check out our guide on curl types to see what yours is how to care for it: Curl Types: The Ultimate Guide to All 6 Types of Curls. 
• Invest in some good curl products. Whether you usually use hair products or not, investing in some good curl products designed for coily or kinky hair is always a good idea. Curl cream and medium to firm-hold gel are the main essentials, but you’ll also want a good moisturizing oil to keep your curls soft and manageable. Find our recommendations for the best here: Best Products for Curly Hair.
• Alternate braid patterns. If you like to keep braids in to protect and contain your hair, you’re doing a good job keeping your hair healthy and manageable. But make sure you’re not getting the same pattern of braids over and over. Traction alopecia is hair loss due to repeated strain and stress on the scalp when the hair is pulled over long periods of time. By alternating your braid patterns each time you get them done, you’ll take the strain off your scalp and avoid traction-related hair loss. 
• Choose a haircut that gives you options. We love a good undercut, but once you get it, you’re limited on the number and type of styles you can wear. The same thing goes for fades – they look great, but they’ll commit you to a single style for the most part. If you like to change up your look regularly, don’t get a haircut that won’t allow you the freedom to do so. 
• Leave the detailed work to a pro. There’s nothing wrong with DIY haircuts and styles – it’s great to be able to do your own hair. But if you’re thinking about getting a style with any type of detailed work, like shaved lines or a bald fade, you need to leave it to a professional with skill and experience. It’s easy to move the clippers or razor and mess up a precise line (or worse, cut your scalp). Find a barber you trust and leave anything detailed to them.

What’s Your Favorite Black Mens’ Hairstyle?

There are so many black male hairstyles for you to choose from. You could rock a different style every day and never run out of ways to wear your hair!

Keep an open mind, look at lots of photos to get inspired to try different looks, and work with a skilled barber who can bring your unique vision to life. Whatever hairstyle you choose, you’ll rock it with confidence.

A new hairstyle will boost your self-esteem every time you catch a glimpse in the mirror. When you look good, you feel good. And if you choose any of the popular options from this list, who could blame you for feeling yourself?

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