Haircuts for Little Boys: The Long and the Short of It

When I had my son almost ten years ago, I decided I was going to teach myself how to cut boys' hair. I went out and bought some high-quality scissors and clippers. Trouble was, I could easily buzz-cut his hair but didn't have the slightest idea how to give it an actual style. So I started studying up on the subject by looking at pictures and finding styles I wanted to imitate. Along the way, I learned a few things. I'm not going to actually teach you how to cut hair, but I will give you a few hairstyle ideas with pictures.

There is a lot of variety when it comes to layered cuts for boys. The sky's the limit, essentially, but different types of layers will create different looks, of course. Shorter layers offer a tidier, less tousled appearance. Longer layers will frame the face better and can have that cute, messy look. Naturally, the personality of your boy will come into play when you're choosing his haircut, as will your tolerance for certain styles.

If you have an active young man who is always on the go and/or involved in sports, a buzz cut is a great choice. You can either buzz it the same length all around the head or leave the top or back layers a little longer.

A crew cut means you leave the hair on top longer than on the sides or back. If your son has a difficult to manage cowlick as does mine, this cut can do a world of wonders to tame that little tuft.

Spiked hair is very popular with boys today, no doubt since some young celebrities have been sporting the look. This is basically a layered cut that's short on the sides and the back with a longer layer on top. This is another simple hairstyle. All you need is some gel or mousse to spike the top. If your son is not in the mood to fuss with it, he can just leave the top layer flat, too. It's a very versatile hairstyle.

Who would have thought we'd see a re-emergence of the Mohawk? I really thought that was gone with the '80s and A Flock of Seagulls. But alas, it is back and with a vengeance. I'm seeing little boys sporting the do's all over the place: at our elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.

It's taken me some time to get used to their come-back, but I can definitely see the attraction. First of all, they're relatively easy haircuts to maintain. If you don't feel like using gobs of gel to make the spikes on top, you can just allow the long top layer to lie flat. And, frankly, it looks pretty good that way.

There is also some versatility in the type of Mohawk you get. You don't have to completely shave off the sides; you can still leave a bit of hair there and just spike up the top. This is sometimes referred to as the "faux-hawk," the most famous of which is the one worn by David Beckham.

Of course, if you don't mind going through gel or mousse by the bottle, then you can go the traditional route and style it into a Liberty Spike. And, yes, boys are definitely pulling off this look.

A final variation is what's referred to as the Ray-hawk, inspired by the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. It's a Mohawk, but the top layer is also cut fairly short but not as long as the sides or back. Some boys enjoy putting designs on the top of their Rayhawks, too. See the photo of the little boy above with the arrow on his head!

A bowl or bob is a great cut, especially if your son has super straight hair. Don't even consider trying this on a kid with very thin and fine hair. It just won't lay down correctly; it needs some weight!

The shag is a forgiving hairstyle, so it tends to work with many different types and textures of hair. It will look different depending upon how much natural curl or wave a boy has in his hair. Dare I say, part of the reason for the popularity of the shag cut is from Justin Bieber fever. His famous 'do was basically a straight shag that's swept over to the side. Imitating this style requires very straight hair. I don't see me using a flat iron on my son's hair!

I'm not sure about you, but I'm seeing a lot of fairly long boys' hairstyles these days. Some boys are going for super-long shag cuts. One thing's for certain: There are lots of boys running around with bangs in their faces. Personally, it would drive me nuts.

You can also go for the more hippie hairstyle and let your boys' hair grow. Of course, when you are both sick of it, a ponytail can come to the rescue. Just make sure to trim the ends often so it stays healthy and tidy-looking.