How to Grow and Style a Flow Hairstyle

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Barber and Men's Grooming Content Creator Barry Hairston explains the popular hairstyle and how to style it

Co-authored by Barry Hairston and Luke Smith, MFA

Last Updated: January 19, 2026 Fact Checked

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• What is the flow hairstyle?
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• Growing out Your Hair
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• Getting a Flow Cut
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• Types of Flow Styles
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• Styling a Flow
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• Video
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• Expert Q&A

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The flow hairstyle was popular during the Victorian era, but recently it's been making a comeback. Unlike sleeker hairstyles like the undercut and pompadour, the flow hairstyle is relaxed, rugged, and effortless-looking. To grow a flow hairstyle, first you'll need to grow your hair out to a medium or long length. Then, just style it back and to the side so it looks like it's flowing away from your face. We explain all that and more with expert tips from professional hairstylists and barbers.

The Flow Hairstyle: Quick Overview

Barber and Men's Grooming Content Creator Barry Hairston says the flow haircut is a longer hairstyle known for its smooth, flowing layers and relaxed, effortless look. The cut is longer on the stop and slightly shorter on the sides and back, with lots of layering and texturizing throughout.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

What is the flow hairstyle?

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1. 
   The flow hairstyle is a medium-to-long men’s haircut with flowy layers. Hairston says a flow haircut is longer on top, shorter and tighter on the sides, with a lot of transition to it. The top is usually around 6–7 inches (15–18 cm)) with a shorter, blended back and sides (around 3–4 inches (7.6–10.2 cm)). The secret to this hairstyle is lots of layering, which creates that effortlessly flowy, textured, and relaxed look. “Layering hair gives you movement—it gives the hair body, allows a style to hold longer, and it gives a symmetrical shape to the hair,” explains professional hair stylist Courtney Foster.

   • This hairstyle is also sometimes called the “bro flow,” and it works well on straight, wavy, or curly hair. Hairston says he’s seen flow hairstyles with braids and dreads, as well.
   • Male celebrities who have rocked the flow hairstyle include Timotheé Chalamet, Harry Styles, Chase Stokes, Bradley Cooper, Milo Ventimiglia, Dev Patel, and Keanu Reeves.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Barry Hairston is an award-winning master barber and men’s grooming specialist with more than a decade of experience.

   Courtney Foster is a professional hairstylist whose work has been featured on The Wendy Williams Show, Good Morning America, and The Today Show.

   Frankie Sanderson is a master hairstylist and the founder of TheStudeo, a styling business in Washington, DC that specializes in hairstyling, makeup, and personal image consulting.
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Section 2 of 5:

Growing out Your Hair

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1. 
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   Start growing out the top of your hair first. For a flow hairstyle, you want the hair on the top of your head to be the longest. If it's shorter than medium to long length, you'll want to start growing it out, which may take several months depending on how long it currently is and how long you want your flow hairstyle to be.

   • The exact length of your flow is a matter of preference, but generally, the top of your hair will need to reach your ears for it to be considered a flow hairstyle.
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   Keep the sides and back trimmed short until the top is 3 inches (7.6 cm) long. With a flow hairstyle, the sides and back of the hair are generally shorter than the top. Before you start growing the sides and back out, wait until the top is longer so they're not all the same length.

   • While you're waiting for the top of your hair to grow out, you can keep the sides and back buzzed, or you can keep them tapered by asking for a scissor cut when you go to the salon or barber.
3. 
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   Grow out the sides and back once the top is 3 inches (7.6 cm) long. Once there's a 3 in (7.6 cm) difference between the top and the sides and back, you can grow the rest of your hair out without having to worry about it being too long compared to the top.

   • Once you start growing out the sides, you'll want to avoid having them buzzed whenever you go in for a trim.
4. 
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   Continue growing your hair until the top reaches your ears. At that point, your hair will be medium length, and you'll be able to style it in a flow hairstyle. You can continue to grow out your hair if you'd prefer a longer flow, or you can keep it trimmed to that length.

   • You might go through awkward stages while you're growing your hair out, but that's normal! You can wear hats or use more product to style and tame your hair while you're waiting for it to grow out.
5. 
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   Get your hair trimmed every 2-3 months to keep it healthy. It might seem counterproductive, but it's important to trim your hair every few months to get rid of split ends. Untrimmed split ends can travel further up your hair and actually make it harder to grow your hair out.

   • Make sure you tell your barber or hairstylist that you're growing your hair out so they don't trim too much off.
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Section 3 of 5:

How to Ask Your Barber for a Flow Haircut

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1. 
   Ask your barber for a flow cut with longer layers and blended sides. For a classic flow hairstyle, ask your barber to keep the length longer on top. Usually, this should be about 7 inches (18 cm), or long enough for it to reach the end of your nose if you pull a lock down the front of your face. For the sides and back, ask them to cut your hair to around 3–4 inches (7.6–10.2 cm)—shorter than the top, but still long enough to tuck your hair behind your ears and achieve that relaxed, flowy look.

   • The flow hairstyle is pretty popular right now, so your barber will likely know what you mean if you say you want this cut. However, it’s always a good idea to bring in a few reference pics of haircuts you like, just to be safe!
   • These instructions go over what to ask for to get a classic flow hairstyle, but there are a few different variations of the look you could get. We’ll go over them below!

Section 4 of 5:

Different Types of Flow Hairstyles

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1. 
   1
   Short Flow Hairstyle This is a great option if you like the texture and movement of the flow hairstyle, but you aren’t quite sold on the length. Like the classic flow hairstyle, the top is longer than the back and sides, but it’s only about 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) long, rather than 6–7 inches (15–18 cm) long. The hair is also layered and blended, to give you that flowing shape and natural movement.
2. 
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   Medium Flow Hairstyle A medium flow hairstyle is about 4–5 inches (10–13 cm) long on top and slightly shorter on the back and sides. As with all flow haircuts, this style features lots of layering and texturizing to create its flowy movement and voluminous shape.
3. 
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   Long Flow Hairstyle A long flow hairstyle is exactly what it sounds like—a classic flow haircut, but longer. If your longest layers are past your chin or reaching down to your shoulders, this would qualify as a long flow hairstyle. Like the other variation, this style is slightly longer on top than it is on the back and sides, and it has lots of layering.
4. 
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   Curly Flow Hairstyle Hairston says he sees a lot of curly flow styles. This style has lots of volume, shape, and movement thanks to the hair’s naturally curly texture. Like all flow haircuts, the hair is longest on top, with the curls blending smoothly down into the slightly shorter backs and sides.
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   Wavy Flow Hairstyle Wavy hair is totally perfect for a flow haircut. The natural texture of wavy hair works super well with the layering and texturizing of a flow cut, leaving you with a super voluminous shape and effortlessly tousled look.
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   Straight Flow Hairstyle The flow haircut also works well with straight hair, but you may want to amp up the texture and volume a bit with your styling. “You can do a perm, which will dry the hair a little bit—dryness isn’t a bad thing! If you are used to having really fine hair, coloring it with permanent color, bleaching, or perming can make it a little dry, which can help give it some texture,” explains master hair stylist Frankie Sanderson.

   • Sanderson also suggests using texturizing products and/or hairspray for hold to achieve a more textured look.
7. 
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   Curtain Flow Hairstyle This version of the look features face-framing layers. It’s usually worn with a middle part, so that the swoopy, flowy layers hang down around your face, kind of like curtains (which is where the look gets its name!).
8. 
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   Hockey Flow Hairstyle The hockey flow hairstyle is an extra-long version of the flow cut, with the sides and back kept long enough to flow out even from underneath a hockey helmet (hence the name). It’s usually worn with a wavy texture and a middle part.
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   Surfer Flow Hairstyle The surfer flow hairstyle is a longer flow cut with extra texturizing for the effortlessly tousled, beach-wavy look. It’s often worn with minimal styling to keep a super relaxed and casual vibe, like a surfer who’s just come from the beach.
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    Tapered Flow Hairstyle This version of the look features more tapered sides and a more tapered neckline. This gives the hairstyle a bit more of a clean, polished feel, rather than the extra-relaxed and flowy vibe of the classic version.
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    Side Part Flow Hairstyle Many people wear the flow hairstyle with a middle part or with the hair brushed straight back from the face, but this version of the look features a side part. The hair swoops over from one side to the other, creating a super voluminous appearance.
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    Fringe Flow Hairstyle A fringe flow haircut is just like a regular flow haircut, but with one addition—bangs. This style is great if you want to soften the look of a larger forehead, or if you just really like the look of tousled fringe.
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Section 5 of 5:

Styling Your Flow Hairstyle

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1. 
   1
   Style your hair right after you get out of the shower. A flow hairstyle is easiest to create when your hair is damp. When you get out of the shower, let your hair air dry slightly, or gently squeeze out the excess water with a towel. Make sure it's still a little damp.

   • Avoid rubbing your hair with a towel to dry it since that can cause damage.
   • Let your hair air dry if possible instead of using a blow dryer since heat can damage long hair.
2. 
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   Brush your hair back and away from your face to one side while it's damp. You can use a brush or your hands. The key is to get all of your hair off of your face and brush it back so it's flowing to one side.

   • The flow hairstyle is supposed to be effortless and casual, so you don't have to use any products. However, you can use a grooming cream or leave-in conditioner to keep your hair pushed back if you'd like.
     • Hairston notes if you do knots or twists, apply the leave-in conditioner with a hair curl sponge. Using the sponge helps to separate and coil your twists.
   • Hairston explains that curly flow styles might benefit from a product, like gel or mousse, for definition and hold. When choosing a hair product, he says to consider how much hold and movement you want.
3. 
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   Put on a hat while your hair is still damp if you want wings. One optional component of the flow hairstyle is flipping the ends of your hair out so they look like flowy, wavy wings. If you're interested in the wing look, wearing a hat while your hair dries is an easy way to achieve it. Once your hair is completely dry, take the hat off and run your fingers through your hair to finish styling it.
4. 
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   Limit how often you shampoo your long hair to keep it healthy. Shampoo strips your hair of its natural oils, and washing it too frequently can make it dry and brittle. Try to limit how often you wash your hair to once or twice a week.

   • If your hair gets greasy in between washes, apply a dry shampoo to the roots to absorb the oils.
5. 
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   Condition your hair every day to keep it hydrated. Unlike shampoo, conditioner won't strip your hair of its natural oils. Instead, conditioner hydrates your hair and locks in moisture. To keep your flow hairstyle healthy, use conditioner more often than shampoo.

   • You can also get a co-washing product, which washes and conditions your hair at the same time. That way, you never have to use shampoo.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How often should I get my hair trimmed when I'm growing it out?

  

  Janet Miranda
  Professional Hair Stylist & Makeup Artist

  Janet Miranda is a Professional Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist, and the Founder of Be.NYLA. With over 15 years of experience, Janet specializes in makeup and hair for advertising, commercial, editorial, runway, special events, television, and videos. She was trained at Vidal Sassoon Academy and with top hair and makeup artists including MAC Cosmetics and Redken. Janet has worked five seasons of New York Fashion Week and one season on Project Runway. She continues to add brands to her growing client list including Armani Exchange, Neutrogena, and Pantene. Janet’s work has been featured on CBS, Brides Magazine, 100 Layer Cake, Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, Ireland Image Brides Magazine, and Elle Japan.

  

  Janet Miranda

  Professional Hair Stylist & Makeup Artist

  Expert Answer

  I always recommend getting it trimmed every 4-6 weeks to help maintain the shape.

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