Grooming inspiration from some of Hollywood’s leading men – from Mr Dev Patel’s mane for The Lion to Mr Ryan Gosling’s La La Land style.

Bored of your current hairstyle and fancy a change? A lot us feel stuck in a rut when it comes to our hair, because plucking up the courage to try something new and fresh is a big decision – one that you’re going to have to live with for at least a few weeks. It can be daunting to sit in the barber’s chair and ask for something drastically different. It can also be a bit embarrassing to take out your iPhone, point at screengrab of Mr Ryan Gosling and, coughing slightly, mumble “Er, can you make me look like that, please?”

So to make all this a little easier, we have enlisted the help of two of Britain’s best barbers. Mr Ross Parlane runs the coolest barbershop in the coolest part of Manchester, RPB in the Northern Quarter. Mr Larry King’s clients include Messrs David Beckham, Jared Leto, David Gandy and Zayn Malik. He has just opened his own hair salon in South Kensington, London.

Together they have picked out four men of the moment whose styles we currently admire. They explain what to ask your barber for, how to style it once you get home, and what products to use.

British actor Mr Dev Patel is almost unrecognisable from the clean-cut, gawky teenager that burst onto the scene in Skins and Slumdog Millionaire a few years ago. Now 26, he grew his hair out for his latest role in Lion, for which he has just been Oscar nominated, and has wisely decided to stick with it for awards season. “After years of so many guys going for a similar type of neatly groomed pompadour, this is almost the opposite,” says Mr Parlane. “It’s a loose, relaxed style that works well for men with a natural wave to their hair.”

What to tell your barber

“Firstly, if you’re trying to grow your hair, make sure you tell your barber that, so he or she doesn’t take too much of the length off, especially at the back,” says Mr Parlane. “As any man who has ever tried to grow his hair out will know, there’s always an awkward in-between point where you get frustrated and hate it and want to cut it short again, but a good barber will be able to cut in textured layers in such a way that you keep the length but lose some of the weight.”

How to style it

“Comb it through with conditioner in the shower to get rid of any knots,” says Mr Parlane. “Depending on how much curl you have, use a hair dryer on a low setting with a diffuser so you don’t give it too much volume.” You could work in Sachajuan’s leave-in conditioner with your hands, or Pankhurst’s light serum to lock in fly-away ends. A sea-salt spray can also give light texture but still allow natural movement. “The longer your hair, the less product you use, otherwise you risk weighing it down and making it look really oily,” adds Mr King. “You could actually go three days without washing it and it would probably look best on days two and three.”

“Tom Hardy’s latest cut is a very masculine style,” says Mr King. “It’s quite a hard look which will suit guys who are going for a stronger, tougher image. It’s also low maintenance: quick and simple to style. You can’t imagine Hardy spending more than a couple of minutes doing his hair, can you?”

What to tell your barber

“Ask for a disconnected crew cut with skin fade,” says Mr Parlane. “You can use scissors over comb on the sides to get a tight fade all the way up to the curvature of your head, or clippers and a blade if you really want to see skin. Leave a bit of length on top but break into it for maximum texture.”

How to style it

“With short hair, you can wash it every day,” says Mr King. Use a good shampoo to get rid of any product build up on the top. “Towel dry, then if you want a bit of shine and hold, work in some pomade like Patricks S2 through the top,” says Mr Parlane. “For a matte look, use some clay like this one from Baxter of California.”

This is a timeless style that suits the classic Hollywood leading man that Mr Ryan Gosling has been Oscar-nominated for in the much-hyped throwback musical La La Land. It’s a good style to think about if you’re getting married because it’s not one that will date in the framed picture on your mantelpiece.

What to tell your barber

“Ask for a classic short back and sides – a scissor cut, no clippers,” says Mr Parlane. “Half an inch on the sides, three to four inches on top so you have enough length to part and sweep over. Keep it soft around the ears and back for a cut that looks as if it’s a week or two old – not too neat and severe.”

How to style it

Mr Gosling has a clean side parting. “Most guys have a natural side parting which your barber can show you if necessary, but this often exposes the highest point of the forehead so you can adjust the position of the parting for more ‘coverage’ if you’re worried about your recession line,” advises Mr King. “Towel dry and then spritz in some texturing spray before you blow dry,” says Mr Parlane. “Give it a bit of lift and volume at the front. Then get a pea-sized amount of Patricks M1 light hold pomade and rub it evenly into your palms before working your hands through the hair. Alternatively you could use a styling cream like this from Fellow Barber for a lighter hold and maybe finish with Oribe’s dry texturizing spray.”

“This is a good rugged style to go for if you have quite thick curly hair,” says Mr King. “It suits guys with some stubble or a well-groomed beard who go for the beanie-and-peacoat look.”

What to tell your barber

“Ask for a textured scissor cut, not too short,” says Mr Parlane. “An inch and a half to two inches on the sides, about three inches on top, soft around the ears. Keep the natural wave to the hair.”

How to style it

“Use a good shampoo like Aesop to get rid of any product build-up,” says Mr Parlane. “Thick and curly hair tends not to need a hair dryer, which can give too much volume, so just towel dry or blow dry on low.” The type of product you should use is open to personal preference, but Mr King would choose a fairly heavy wax to give the curls separation. “Rub the product all over your hands for even coverage,” he says. “Start from the back and move all through the hair, right from the roots, not just the ends. Put it in to shape after that, wearing it forward rather than giving it height at the front.” Try the 60 Proof Wax from Blind Barber.

Keep up to date with The Daily by signing up to our weekly email roundup. Click here to update your email preferences