admin You’ve probably seen The Bear, FX’s biggest show, well, ever. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy, a culinary wunderkind with the mission of overhauling and making a success of his dead brother’s business. Season 2 gave us plenty of new words to learn and star-studded episodes to obsess over, but one thing that remained the same was White’s uncanny ability to make the internet collectively swoon. The 32-year-old actor doesn’t try too hard, style-wise: He loves crisp white tees and good jeans, and sports the sort of sweaty glow you’d expect someone spending hours in the kitchen to have. The real key to his appeal, however, might just be his perfect push-back curls.
Even White himself is aware of how alluring his locks are—even if they’re not totally up to FDA code. “I thought it looked great on the show, but it’s weird, a lot of people are calling out—and they’re not wrong—that I should have been wearing a cap,” he told Seth Meyers on Late Night in 2022. “I should have been wearing something because so much of Carmy’s hair is probably in all those sandwiches.”
Hair net be damned, though: In season 2, Carmy continues to let his mane hang loose. Big and loose and golden and curly. If you, like us, were wondering how exactly to get hair as gravity-defyingly magnificent as White’s, here’s your answer. We rung up barber Joe Mills, head of London salon Woolf, who kindly gave us the secret recipe.
1. Make Sure Your Hair is Compatible
While Carmy’s do is “a great low-maintenance and easy-to-style haircut,” Mills says it’ll only work if you have the right type of hair. “If you have thick and slightly wavy textured hair, this cut is going to work for you. You need to have mid-length locks—basically a few inches of hair all over. The top is left slightly longer than the back and sides but you need a good three to four inches of hair at the back and sides of this to really work.”
2. Chop Accordingly
“Ask your stylist or barber to keep the length but layer the hair, leaving length towards the top and front. Get them to add some texture when they cut to help promote the curl and add shape which will help you when styling.”
3. Dry It Twice
Ready to style your Carmy hair at home? To begin, Mills recommends shampooing, conditioning, and toweling dry. Then, using a hair dryer and diffuser on low speed and low heat, “dry your hair encouraging the curl and try and get some height at the front. You can just tip your head upside down and then use the hair dryer beneath your hair to help.”
4. Style Away
“Once it’s almost dry, use your finger to shape the hair where you want it and you can use the hairdryer to help at this stage. Then you need to add some finishing products. You need something with a little shine, and I’d recommend Oliver Woods Blackseed Wax. Take a (nickel-sized) amount and work into your hands and then apply through your hair. This will define the curl and add some hold but still allow you to be able to run your hands through it without it being too set. If you need a little more hold, you could swap the wax for some pomade.”
This story originally ran on British GQ with the title “So you want Jeremy Allen White’s The Bear hair, too?”
