Since those early days as High School Musical hero Troy Bolton and that oft-copied long, sweeping fringe, Hollywood golden boy Zac Efron has been igniting pangs of hair envy in men all over the globe.
Of course, that’s not the only thing to be jealous of. There’s the top-notch singing and dancing skills, an increasingly impressive filmography, abs that look drawn on and the fact that he’s best mates with Dwayne Johnson.
You’re never going to match him on those points, though. No, the best way is to try and look like him, which is why we showed Zac Efron’s best haircuts to barbers and asked them for pointers on how to shamelessly rip them off.
The Big Boy Sweep
The most classic and enduring of hairstyles on this list, this is the cut that Hollywood legends are made on.
“This is an iconic scissor cut, often done with club cutting and cut so the parting is easy to find,” says barber Tom Chapman, founder of mental health charity Lions Barber Collective, who work closely with men’s grooming brand The Bluebeards Revenge to prevent male suicides all over the world. “It’s very reminiscent of the silver screen. Maintain some length on top and once again be prepared to spend some time on styling.”
Also, note the moustache and stubble ménage à deux going on in the facial hair, a look also successfully sported last year by Superman himself Henry Cavill. The beardtache modernises the throwback ‘tache and simply requires a beard trimmer to trim the sides a grade or two shorter than the hair on your upper lip.
Pulling Out The Platinum Card
Efron isn’t the only A-lister to have had a white-out up top recently. Everyone from Jonah Hill and Justin Bieber to Adam Levine and Riz Ahmed has bleached their hair platinum blond in recent years and every time we’ve been surprised at how good it looks.
“This cut is similar to the side-part pomp but you have to use a lot of bleach,” says Chapman. “If you are going to go silver then invest in a good treatment and moisturising conditioner. To get the silver colour the hair must be lifted to a base 10, the lightest blonde you can get, and then toned with a silver toner, which may differ from brand to brand.”
Rough And Ready
Something between a fauxhawk and a side-sweep, Chapman describes this style as “a modern twist on the mullet, just shorter around the ears and with more length through the back and a quiff on top.” Whatever you want to call it, it’s one of those styles that’s just untidy enough, without looking like you haven’t made an effort.
The lengthy sideburns will flatter a round face making it look less ball-shaped, while also helping to offset a long face or chin. If you’re trying to shorten a long face, be careful not to push the quiff too high which will just end up extending that length – not that there is anything wrong with a long face, am I right, Cumberbitches? Anyway back to Efron.
“This style won’t take long to style with a good product and a little bit of blowdrying through the fringe,” says Chapman. There’s a slightly wet finish to the style that suggests a pomade or gel was used, but be careful not to go overboard. Use just a penny’s worth, any more and the gel will turn crispy and flaky.
Matinee Idol
Mid-century style is going strong at the moment. Wide-legged trousers, knitted polo shirts and blouson jackets – all hot ticket items in the current menswear scene and all heirlooms of a time when taste was certainly not forgotten. The pompadour is the hairstyle to match.
This cut would be perfect for anyone looking to really channel the 50s rocker look. “Simply ask for a classic scissor cut pompadour with enough length to get that height at the top,” says Chapman, “and be prepared to take some time styling your hair.”
Pomade will work wonders here. Towel dry your hair before working it into your hair and using a hairdryer to style the fringe away from your face and build that height. A hardy hairspray may also come in handy to keep it all in place during the day. Pop a can in your desk drawer at work for regular top-ups through the day.
Hit The Bleach
Ah, the beach blonde tips as sported by 90s one-hit wonder Vanilla Ice and the northern rockhopper penguin. Zac chose this cut for his role in the resurrected 90s nostalgia trip Baywatch and it’s certainly a tip of the hat to the decade. Of course, everything 90s is very much on trend in fashion at the moment, and this cut succeeds largely cue to a contemporary take on the undercut that doesn’t leave it looking too severe.
“Ask for a messy undercut with a long grade 3 or 4 on the sides, completely disconnected,” says Chapman. “To get the colour ask for a balayage, where the blond does not reach the roots for that out-grown look.”
For product, anything too wet on top will dirty the blonde, so pick up a matte clay instead and just sweep the front back and to the side with your fingers.
High School Baller
That Troy Bolton fringe sweep really is really yesterday’s news, so if you liked it, update the style just as Efron did. Go a little shorter on the fringe so it shows off those sparkling peepers and as a bonus, you’re no longer having to constantly push it to one side like a shy schoolgirl. Then it’s all about that surfer texture on top.
“Ask your barber for a scissor cut on the sides with a slight taper to and grade 2 or shorter if desired at the hairline,” says Chapman. “Pointcut on top and get lots of texture through the fringe to create a really easy manageable style that will only take a few minutes to style each morning.”
In terms of products, pluck something that offers a matte finish like a texturising clay. Anything too shiny will fail to give you the desired texture.
