Snip Shape: The style

Today, men's hair isn't so much about getting a haircut as it is about styling hair in different ways. Wild experimentation is the key, finds Paras Tomar. Hair experts today say, it's not about getting the right haircut anymore, it's about styling it in different ways. Says Adhuna Akhtar of Mumbai's blunt hair salon, who conceptualised the look for the Dil Chahta Hai heroes."Today, most people want rough edges and cuts that are rather random and stylish. The thing to remember this season is hair texture. The right look only comes about when you combine a good cut and use the right hair product." Try texture: For those unfamiliar with the concept of hair texture, "It's the styling that makes individual hair portions look different. The idea is not just to have one tone through the hair. One adds texture so the hair looks more separated. That helps you develop a certain movement within your hair," explains Mumbai stylist Osh Bhabani. Salon snips: Ask for random, abstract cuts that break all protocol. Give your hair stylist absolute creative freedom. Make sure you carry reference pictures from the glossies with you, because most of today's cuts have no names. And if you're stuck for ideas, just choose a celebrity hair do. Ensure that your stylist recommends what suits your face and body type. In the closet: While the cut begins the look, the products bring about the end result. Hair wax, wax sticks and gels are some of the broad categories of products that will help you. The wet and dry look battle is an endless one, and calls for a personal decision. Straightening irons are a good idea if you want a certain portion of your hair to be straighter than the others. You can also use these to streamline the direction of your hair. Interestingly enough, the 'anti-direction' style is a good bet too! When using products or equipment, try not to use the same method through the entire length of your hair. Spike some parts of your hair and straighten the rest. Robbie Williams: Rock DJ USP: The key to this one is to adopt a slightly African tribal appearance. The cut: The length of your hair at the top of your head should be longer than on the sides. The style: The central hair needs to be gelled upwards to appear conical while the sides remain short. You can play around with this cut by casually styling your hair with hair product to make it spiked and ruffled. Tip: Avoid the wet look and keep away from gels. The Robbie Williams persona is all about donning a sexily ruffled 'out of bed' avatar! Nick Carter: Dude-Next-Door USP: This one's all about organised chaos. The cut: The length of the hair should be uneven. The style: The key is the hair product. Use hair wax to straighten some sections of hair and leave the rest product free. Tip: Make sure the back hair isn't too long. The idea of this look is to look unkempt and not unclean! David Beckham: All Over The Place USP: If your hair is all over the place all the time, you already have a touch of the Beckham look! The cut: For the Beckham advantage, your hair needs to be of medium length. The style: Your product can be either wet or dry. The interesting thing about this look is that it is a combination of spiking, ironing and ruffling up. While the hair on the sides of the head is spiked, that on the top is ironed. This way, the ironed hair stays in place, but can also sway with body movement. Tip: If you want to occasionally experiment with styles that thrive on longer back hair, this is the look to adopt. Ashton Kutcher: Crisscross Chic USP: The idea is to bring all your hair onto your forehead. This look is differentiated from the 'Vivek Oberoi look' by the fact that in Ashton's case, the individual strands have a definite character. The cut: Opt for longer hair at the nape and shorter near the sidelocks. The style: This is where texture plays an important part. Run your fingers through your front hair and ensure that it all looks like it's falling in a downward direction. Separate the back hair into sections and carefully part it, then regroup into clusters in a crisscross pattern. Tip: To get a truly natural crisscross look, stay away from combs as much as you can.