A Celebrity Stylist's Guide to Better Hair
Celebrity hairstylist Amit Yashwant on haircut trends, product overload, and why less is usually more.
Hair, for most Indian men, is a mix of tradition, guesswork and whatever product their girlfriends recommends that day.
However, Amit Yashwant has spent the past decade watching the hair scene up close.
The Mumbai-based celebrity hairstylist, who comes from a family of barbers, didn’t exactly stumble into the profession. “It was always in me,” he says. But while generations before him worked in traditional barber shops, Yashwant decided to push the family craft somewhere bigger—into fashion shoots, film sets, and celebrity dressing rooms.
After moving to Mumbai, he assisted celebrity stylist Dhruv Abhichandani, learning the rhythms of the industry before stepping out on his own. The turning point came when he began working with Tiger Shroff, a collaboration that quietly introduced him to Bollywood’s grooming circuit.
Over the years, his client list has expanded to include Nick Jonas, Disha Patani, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sonakshi Sinha, Suhana Khan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Malaika Arora, and Jackie Shroff, among others. The work ranges from red carpets to editorial shoots to the kind of meticulous styling that makes a haircut camera-ready.
But beyond the celebrity roster, Yashwant’s real expertise lies in something far more relatable: understanding how Indian hair behaves and how badly most of us treat it.
From overusing gel in humid weather to ignoring beard dandruff, the everyday grooming mistakes he sees are surprisingly basic. Which is precisely why they’re worth talking about.
Below, Amit shares his thoughts on Indian hair, the grooming habits men still need to fix, and the haircut trends taking over 2026.
Indian hair has a certain reputation globally — what's actually special about it?
A: Indian hair is appreciated globally, being known as the sweet spot. It's versatile in nature — best fit for several styles and also for the purpose of making wigs. The cuticle layer is thick and voluminous, making it stand out when compared to East Asian and Caucasian hair types. It goes from straight to wavy. Honestly, we should be more proud of what we're working with.
What's the biggest grooming mistake Indian men are still making in 2026?
A: Several, honestly. A lot of men still don't use a proper facewash suited to their skin — they grab any cheap soap or random product off the shelf. Some overuse hair products, causing serious damage to the scalp and hair growth. In our humid climate, over-gelling and spraying without moderation will ruin your hair's natural density. Men also overlook dandruff in their beard — that's very unhealthy and very visible. And then there's the perfume problem: people don't choose a scent as per the season. That's an easy fix that makes a massive difference.
What does a proper hair care routine actually look like for men?
A: For men it's easy and doable, because of the hair length — most men are working with short to medium. Shampoo daily with a sulphate-free shampoo, follow it with a conditioner applied only on the hair, not the scalp. If you're in a high-pollution or extremely humid environment, exfoliate your scalp with a good scrub once a week. Always use a heat protector before a blow dryer. And don't skip the traditional approach — oil your hair once every two weeks at minimum. It gives the hair the lubrication it needs. Think of it as maintenance, not a ritual your grandfather follows.
How often should men actually be washing their hair?
A: Every day! With a good sulphate-free shampoo and a conditioner. The damage caused by using hair products daily can be countered by washing regularly. The sulphate-free part matters. Most men are washing with the wrong thing, which is worse than not washing at all.
What haircut trends are you actually seeing everywhere right now?
A: Sharp and edgy hairstyles are back — gone viral over the last couple of months. The Modern Mullet and the Wolf Cut have serious momentum. An overgrown buzz cut is also picking up pace — easy to maintain and it highlights facial features well. The throughline across all of these is that they look deliberate but not overthought. Which is exactly where men's style is heading right now.
How should men choose a hairstyle based on their face shape?
A: It's essential — and always worth the conversation with your hairstylist. One wrong choice can spoil an entire look. As a general rule: men with round or square faces should opt for high-volume styles to add verticality. A good hairstylist will read your facecut and know exactly what it needs. Don't walk in with a reference photo of someone with a completely different face structure and expect it to work the same way on you.
Pomade, wax, clay — break it down. And are they actually bad for your hair?
A: Pomade is oil or water-based — gives you a shiny, sleek, wet look. Neat and controlled. Wax is a solid styling product that provides control and structure with flexibility — you can restyle even after application. Clay is heavy, for a high-hold matte finish. All three are fine used correctly. The problem is proportion. Overuse of any of them leads to scalp clogging, hair fall, heaviness, and dull-looking hair. Use them occasionally, not as a daily foundation.
One product every man should own. Go.
A: You need three, really — a good sunscreen, a hair serum, and a pomade or wax paired with a suitable hair-setting spray for occasional use. If I'm forced to pick one: the hair serum. It does the most work quietly — moisture, frizz control, a bit of shine — without the damage of heavy products. It's the thing men skip and then wonder why their hair looks the way it does.