How to Find Your Natural Parting and Make It Sit Properly
To find your natural parting, towel-dry your hair, comb it straight back from the forehead, then place your palm on top of your head and push the hair gently forward. It will split by itself at one point: that is your natural parting. Most men’s hair falls more easily one way because of the direction it grows at the crown and the hairline. Working with that line makes styling quick and keeps the parting in place through the day. You can part on the other side, but it takes more product and a few weeks of training, and a good cut makes the job far easier.
Here is the method in full, how to choose side and depth, and why a parting that will not stay put is usually a cutting issue, not a styling one.
The push test, step by step
- Wash your hair, then towel-dry until it is damp but not dripping. Product-free hair shows its natural fall best.
- Comb everything straight back from the hairline towards the crown.
- Put the flat of your hand on top of your head, roughly at the crown, and slide it slowly forward.
- Watch the front. The hair will split and fall to each side at a natural line.
- Repeat two or three times. If it splits in the same place each time, you have found it.
If it splits in the middle, you have a natural centre parting. If it never really splits and just falls forward, you may suit a forward style, such as a crop, more than a parting.
Other clues: crown, hairline and cowlicks
Look at the crown with a hand mirror. Hair grows from a whorl that turns either clockwise or anticlockwise, and the direction often hints at which side the hair wants to fall. It is a tendency, not a rule, so trust the push test over the swirl.
Then check the front hairline. Many people have a small cowlick, a patch where the hair grows in a different direction, at one corner of the forehead. A parting placed on the same side as that cowlick usually sits better, because the hair is already lifting away.
Finally, look at any recession. If one temple is higher than the other, parting on that side often makes the hairline look more even, because the parting draws the eye to the line rather than the corner.
Choosing depth: low, standard or deep
| Parting | Where it sits | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | In line with the nose | Oval faces, medium-length hair, the grown-up curtains look |
| Standard side | In line with the outer corner of the eyebrow | Most faces and most cuts; the safe default |
| Deep side | Further out, above the temple | Adding width to a long face, or more sweep over the top |
| Low side | Closer to the centre, above the middle of the eye | A softer, more casual side part |
The outer corner of the eyebrow is a good starting point. Lay a comb from there straight back towards the crown and it gives you a line that usually works with the natural split.
If you want something more defined, our posts on side parting haircuts and the hard part, where the barber shaves a fine line into the parting, cover the options.
How to make the parting sit
Set it while the hair is damp
A parting is easiest to set when the hair is damp, because hair takes its shape as it dries. Comb the line in, then push the hair on each side into place.
Use a pre-styler or a little heat
A light pre-styler or grooming tonic on damp hair gives some control without stiffness. A hairdryer on medium heat, aimed in the direction you want the hair to go, sets it far more firmly than letting it air-dry. Dry the heavy side away from the parting first, then the small side. We explain why the first product matters in grooming tonic and pre-styler.
Finish with a light product
Once dry, work a small amount of cream, paste or pomade through with your fingers, then retrace the parting with the comb. Too much product weighs hair down and makes the line collapse by lunchtime.
Changing sides: what to expect
Switching from your natural side is possible. Expect it to take a couple of weeks of setting the hair the new way each morning, with a hairdryer, before it starts to cooperate. Some people also find the hair at the crown sticks up for a while because it is being pushed against its growth direction.
A barber can help here. Removing a little weight from the side that wants to flip, or leaving slightly more length on the heavy side, makes a new parting much easier to hold.
When the parting keeps collapsing
If you set the parting carefully and it still flops back by mid-morning, the problem is usually the cut:
- The top is too long and heavy for your hair type, so it drops.
- The parting has been placed against the natural fall.
- The sides are too long and push the top outwards.
- There is a cowlick right where the parting should be, and it needs to be cut to work with it.
At our barbers in Highgate, every visit begins with an assessment: the barber looks at your hair, the way it grows and what you want from it, then recommends a cut and a parting that work with it. Bring a photo if you have a style in mind. You can book with the Highgate Cuts team by email.
A widening parting
If your parting looks wider than it used to, or more scalp is showing along it, this can be an early sign of hair thinning. It is common and often gradual. The NHS page on hair loss explains the usual causes and when to see a GP, for example if hair loss is sudden or patchy. A barber can suggest cuts that make thinning less noticeable, but cannot diagnose it.
Questions we get asked
Which side should men part their hair?
Whichever side your hair naturally falls to. The push test above will show you in seconds. If both sides work, choose the one that suits your hairline and face.
How do I make my parting stay in place?
Set it on damp hair, dry it in place with a hairdryer, and use a light product. If it still collapses, ask your barber to adjust the weight on top.
Can I change my natural parting?
Yes, with a couple of weeks of daily blow-drying and, ideally, a cut that supports the new side.
Should my parting be straight?
For a classic look, yes. For a relaxed look, a slightly broken parting made with fingers looks more natural.
Book with The Highgate House
Ready for a proper cut? Email us at [email protected] with the service and the day that suits you, and we will come back to you with times.
Visit The Highgate House · The barbers
The Highgate House, Archway Road, Highgate, London N6.
