Also worth noting is that – while there’s nothing exactly wrong with a classic long-on-the-sides pompadour hairstyle teamed with a beard – a sleeker, more modern and overall less Wolverine-y look can be achieved by opting for a disconnected pompadour with the hair clipped short at the back and sides. This will create some much-needed contrast between the volume of the pompadour itself and that of your beard.

Types Of Pompadour Hairstyles

If you’re considering this hairstyle for yourself, here are some of the main types of the pompadour to serve as inspiration. 

1. The Classic Pompadour

Fancy aping Elvis’s iconic hairstyle? Then this is the pompadour for you. As good as it looks today, this style is a throwback in the truest sense.

But whereas life in the 1950s might have allowed a man time to spend upwards of 15 minutes whipping his hair into shape, today’s pace means this style is best suited to those prepared for some serious upkeep.

Known for plenty of volume and high-shine, the classic pompadour requires plenty of hair that’s been scissor cut slightly shorter at the back and sides compared to the top, with the fringe left longer than the hair at the crown.

When it comes to styling, reach for an old-school pomade such as Dax, which guarantees that slick, brilliantly shiny finish.

2. The Modern Pompadour

Like the King’s do but want something more contemporary? Try a modern, disconnected pompadour.

As the name suggests, this style is defined by a clear contrast between the shortness of the hair at the sides and back compared to the length of the hair on the top. Unlike the classic pomp, which is achieved with scissor-cut hair, the modern variation requires your hair at the sides and back be clipped either to a uniform length (usually a grade four or lower) or graduated, i.e. faded, from very short at the hairline at the sides and back to slightly longer towards the crown.