UrbanUpdate

We’re glad it’s finally OK to root for Steve on Stranger Things. When he was a punk in season one, he looked so damn cool. Now that Steve, played by the dashing Joe Keery, is a good guy, there's no need to be insecure about how awesome his hair is. So we got to wondering, how does one get that kind of flow?

For the answer, we went straight to the source: Hairstylist Benjamin Thigpen, who cut and styled Keery for his GQ shoot. He knows exactly what you should tell your barber to get the style, as well as how to style it right so it doesn't look like a strange thing on your head. Here is Thigpen’s advice, with all the techniques he used on Keery for the shoot.

NetflixTell This to Your Barber

Thigpen’s first suggestion is to speak with your barber long before you intend to wear this fancy mop. That’s because there’s a strategy to growing it out: “Every couple weeks you’ll need to ‘dust off’ the ends and cut what I call ‘little upside-down triangles’ in the ends to create a more lived-in look,” Thigpen notes. “This will allow the hair to grow out in a natural way, as opposed to a ‘too perfect, neat, or blunt’ cut.” He adds that this isn’t so much a hair cut as it is a hair style. You just need to establish a good routine with your barber or stylist, to take good care as it grows. Plan on seeing them every 6-8 weeks at least for routine trimming and redirection.

Style It Like This

Thigpen says that products are the real secret to nailing this hairstyle. To get Keery’s look for the shoot, he started with 80-percent wet hair—“slightly more than damp”—and applied two Oribe mousses: the Surfcomber Tousled Texture Mousse and Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse. “Both descriptions on those Oribe products are in the name,” Thigpen says. “The Surfcomber gives the hair some grit and texture, and the Plumping Mousse gives you volume, expanding the diameter of the hair.”

Following those, Thigpen applies a texturizing cream. He’s loyal to Oribe, and uses the brand’s Matte Waves Texture Lotion. “This texturizes the hair, but more importantly it mattifies the overall look,” he says.

Last, Thigpen finishes with a texturizing paste to hold the style and lock in its many layers. He used Oribe’s Fiber Groom Elastic Texture Paste. “I start by using a nickel-sized amount, and then glide my hands over the top shell of the hair, eventually working the product through all of the hair,” Thigpen says. “But it’s important not to weigh down the hair by adding too much.”

All of these products give the style its lively volume and flow, and then it’s all finished off with a blow dryer. “Applying heat is key to activate those products and make them work,” Thigpen says. “Starting with the hairline, and going just an inch back, I dry the hair with a round brush to lock in a more polished finish in the hairline.” (Hey, if you want to wear long hair, you better get used to the products and tools that come as part of the package deal.) “I only use a round brush in the front, but not on the sides unless it is frizzy,” Thigpen says. “I use my fingers through the rest of the hair, blowing the hair forwards to really dry the roots and produce more volume, then I do it flipped backwards for the final style and hold.” If the finished look needs a pinch more volume, Thigpen shoots some texturizing spray roughly 8 inches from the head, targeted at the roots. Surprise surprise, he used Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray for Keery’s GQ shoot.

Disclaimer: You Need Lots of Hair

Guys with sparse or thinning hair will have a difficult time achieving this look. “Fine hair is manageable to create this style as long as there is a good amount of it,” Thigpen says. “Thick hair is ideal but length is also key.”

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Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQStranger ThingsHair