More recently, men’s braids were considered exotic and part of the image of some informal person or a hero of a historical film. But now «dragons» on the head or «Padawan» pigtails are no longer surprising and adorn even business men in stylish suits. Society is gradually getting rid of the stereotype that braids are a symbol of femininity and deprive a man of masculinity.
Fashion for men’s braids
Many people still look around at the sight of a man with pigtails at the back or crown of his head, although since ancient times such a hairstyle was considered a symbol of masculinity and strength.
Men began to wear braids centuries ago for purely practical purposes. The Vikings braided their hair to keep it out of the way during sea voyages or battles. The same can be said about the men of many other ancient peoples:
- Nomads (Cumans, Scythians, Tatar-Mongols) left on their heads a small clump of hair, braided into a braid.
- The Manchus adorned the back of their heads with three pigtails.
- The ancient Egyptians shaved their heads baldly, but wore braided wigs.
- The North American Indians also braided their hair.
- The ancient Celts built something like modern dreadlocks on their heads, wetting their hair with lime.
In the Middle Ages, men’s braids became a distinctive feature not only of warriors, but also of men of the noble classes, who wore wigs with long curls, ponytails, and braids.
Representatives of some religions consider it compulsory to wear men’s hairstyles with a pigtail at the back. Buddhists or Hare Krishnas, for example, completely shave off the hair on the head, leave a few curls on the back of the head and make a long thin braid out of them.
In the second half of the 20th century, African long hair braids became a new fashion trend, popular among musicians and hippies, whose main desire was to stand out from the crowd, to show their individuality.
This caused an ambiguous, sometimes negative, reaction from others. Therefore, part of the youth went to the other extreme — they began to wear short hedgehogs on their heads, although the bulk of men at all times adhere to the classics.
In recent years, men’s braid hairstyles have confidently become fashionable, which is facilitated by the Internet, television, and show business. Boxing braids (braids) are considered a symbol of brutality and are slowly replacing the beard, which until recently was considered the main decoration of a real macho.
This is not surprising, because an ordinary man needs courage and fortitude to go out with pigtails, when the bulk of the population considers it a truly feminine attribute.
To whom does
Despite the great popularity of men’s braids in the West, in our country only athletes, public figures, actors, and artists wear such a hairstyle. At the same time, the classic braid, which women have braided for centuries, is not used in men’s fashion:
- French braids are often seen in athletes;
- braids are worn by footballers, swimmers, boxers, runners;
- well-groomed braids can often be seen in offices and other serious institutions.
The most neutral type of braids for men is «Padawan», which became fashionable thanks to Konstantin Dzyu. It is very thin, located in the temporal or occipital part of the head. This men’s hairstyle looks organic both on the sports field and at a serious event in combination with a formal suit.
Braids are suitable for young, creative men, artists, dancers, representatives of informal youth movements. When deciding on decorating your head with braids, you need to remember that they visually expand the face and neck — all facial features and ears look more massive. Therefore, such hairstyles are not recommended for men with large facial features.
An elongated male face and a long nose also require caution when choosing braids. The structure and health of the hair matters — thin, weak ones do not withstand such a load, they become brittle.
Varieties of braids
Unlike women’s braids, men’s braids do not always require long hair, the options for braided hairstyles for men are limited. The most common and familiar are French braids, braids, African American braids and dreadlocks. Usually men’s hairstyles are done only by specialists in salons, and it takes several hours.
French braid
This is the simplest and most popular version of men’s braids. Outwardly, it looks like a «spikelet» braided at the back of the head, crown or around the entire head. This hairstyle can be woven even from short hair. Strands are captured right at the roots, intertwined. In this form, the hairstyle is worn for about a week.
Brady
The name translates as «weaving», «pigtail». This hairstyle consists of many (at least 100) braids, which are often called boxing ones. Braids are common among athletes, as they do not lose their shape for a long time. Requires hair from 10 centimeters long.
Braids are one of the varieties of African men’s braids. They are made from your own hair, and for strength special threads are woven — kanekolones, although ordinary acrylic threads can be used. They are matched to the natural shade of the hair or, conversely, in contrast to them.
They are braided in different directions, often creating bizarre patterns around the temples, the back of the head, or around the circumference of the entire head. Sometimes the braids are fixed at the back. This hairstyle takes several hours, it lasts 2-4 weeks. It is allowed to wash your hair every 7-10 days, although such a braid tolerates moisture well.
African braids
This men’s hairstyle is a kind of braids, originating from ethnic fashion and reggae culture. It is a set of loosely hanging thin braids.
Short or medium-length hair, gathered in afro-braids, looks very beautiful in men. They are braided along their entire length, starting from the roots, left loose, sometimes collected in a tail or bun on the crown or back of the head. The downside is the duration of weaving, it often takes 5-6 hours.
Bright ribbons and ropes are used for weaving, which makes the hairstyle look unusually stylish, even extravagant. At the same time, the threads help lengthen the braids. Hair care is quite simple — shampooing your hair no more than once a week.
Dreadlocks
The hair is not braided, but curled into tightly knitted braids. This is how they differ from other types of men’s braid hairstyles. There is a legend that the Hindu god Shiva wore such mats, then Indian hermits began to wear them in honor of their deity. Dreadlocks have become extremely popular with hippies, and also thanks to the famous musician Bob Marley.
There are 2 known options for such a hairstyle:
- Dreadlocks are woven from their own hair, which are then cut over time. These are dangerous dreadlocks, as it is almost impossible to untangle them.
- Safety dreadlocks are created using faux strands that are woven into your own. After a while, the artificial threads are removed, and their own ones are preserved.
Dreadlocks are made even for short hair, their weaving takes several weeks, although you can not comb it at all for a couple of months and get dreadlocks on your head. However, a modern man is unlikely to decide on such a radical method.
The hairstyle requires special care, unlike other types of braids. The first month they do not wash their heads, then periodically it is required to twist the mats.
A feature of dreadlocks is that such braids cannot be unraveled, the only way to get rid of them is shaving. Beads of different colors are often used.
How to braid men’s braids
On the back of the head or at the temple in men, one can most often see one thin tight braid. This is the «Padawan» braid worn by many athletes. It is allowed to do one thick braid on the back of the head, but this is associated with a female image, therefore such male hairstyles with pigtails are not so common.
The easiest option is one side braid. It may or may not be very subtle. They begin to weave at the forehead, gradually move to the back of the head or temples, where the finished braids form a tail. If desired, the hairstyle is unraveled and, after a shower, is woven again even without the help of a master.
The following combination looks unusual and stylish — a men’s haircut with a pigtail and, for example, a mohawk. Different combinations of styles and lengths look great, for example, one long strand is made into a braid, and the rest of the head is cut short. Thin pigtails are often woven along the edges of the shaved area.
Experienced craftsmen use different weaving techniques when creating men’s pigtail haircuts:
- female braids of the «spikelet» type, in which weaving begins with three thin strands at the base of the forehead and continues throughout the head, while strand by strand is woven in the desired direction;
- «Fish tail» — small strands are intertwined alternately into a tail that looks like fish scales;
- «French pigtail».
When weaving, it is imperative to take thin strands, braid them very tightly, otherwise the finished hairstyle will be fragile and sloppy.
Beards and men’s braids
Braids in men are often combined with a beard. This does not always look beautiful, since a man’s hairstyle with braids itself looks extravagant, while the beard looks superfluous.
Therefore, it is required to carefully think over the image, consult with professionals, so that the hair on the man’s face is in harmony with the hair on his head. The correct length of the beard adds masculinity and beauty to the look.
There is an unwritten rule: the longer a man’s beard, the shorter the hair. The voluminous lush vegetation on the chin is combined only with braids on short hair. Light unshaven looks great with dreadlocks, carries a light shade of grunge.
A braid is sometimes woven even on a beard, but this is usually a matter of personal taste. It is better to arrange a thick, long beard in one or several braids; with a length of more than 5 centimeters, it is possible to collect it in braids or locks.
Loki is a cross between African American braids and dreadlocks. They are made using kanekalons. For the owner of such a beard, dreadlocks on the head are suitable.
Any hairstyles with braids, long or short, gathered in a bun or ponytail, or in combination with a mohawk look great with a «Viking beard». It is as long as possible, braided in one thick or many thin braids. Moreover, it can be decorated with rings, clips, and other accessories.
Despite the great popularity in the West, men with pigtails on their heads sometimes cause mixed reactions among Russians. However, the hairstyle is a personal matter for everyone who does not serve in the army or security forces. Pigtails are very practical, hygienic, perfect for men leading an active lifestyle.
Therefore, you should not dwell on the opinions of others if a man has a need to decorate his appearance in this way. After all, the pigtails can be shaved or trimmed at any time.
