Leonardo DiCaprio's 31 Best Hair Moments

Loose Bowl Cut

"It may date back to 1995, but it might as well be from today," says Rasmus. "This is what lots of young guys look like at the moment. The hairstyle has a casual vibe to it, and it is easy to maintain." Rasmus adds that you don't need to use a lot of styling products to keep your hair smooth. He suggests a good leave-in conditioner or hair oil will suffice. We at Byrdie like R+Co's Sun Catcher Leave-In Conditioner.

Shaggy

This look helped cement Leo as the '90s heartthrob. "Now, THIS is a classic Leo look! Side part and bangs. Straight hair is needed to obtain this one," Emil says. "Again, it is easy to maintain since the length can vary, and the hairstyle will still work." To style this look, Emil recommends using pre-style heat-protection spray to towel-dried hair, blow-drying into place with a skeleton brush, and adding mud wax with shine and good hold to almost dried hair. "I recommend By Vilain's Silver Fox Hair Wax—it's made for hairstyles like this one," he says.

Spiky

It's no surprise that Leonardo DiCaprio was Robert Pattison's predecessor when it comes to mastering the disheveled look. "For this hairstyle to work, you need to build volume," says Emil. "Preferably with a clay wax and just your hands as the tool." Try American Crew's Molding Clay for high hold and medium shine.

Styled Cowlick

Here, Leo leans into his cowlick and gives it a hand-tousled sweep back with lots of volume and texture. "This is easy to uphold and style with minimum effort," Rasmus assures. "Use a mud wax with high hold and no shine. We made By Vilain's Gold Digger Wax for this exact kind of style."

Smooth Man Bun

"The man bun is still going strong. You either love it or hate it," Emil says. "No matter how you feel about the hairstyle, we can probably all agree that Leo wears it well. It requires length and, beyond styling, maintenance in the form of haircare." (Think: Good shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, regular trimmings, and the like. In other words, it takes a lot of time and attention to look this effortless!)

Side-Swept

Leo's side-swept looks always have some dramatic swoop to them—perhaps due to the rounded nature of his cowlick in front. "[This is a] no-effort look, notes Rasmus. "This is probably the result of using minimum styling products," Rasmus recommends the following steps: Blow-dry with a pre-styler and a skeleton brush or a comb, and you're good to go. Another pre-styler we love at Byrdie is EVO's Day of Grace Pre-Style Primer.

Textured and Layered

"This on-set style is a shorter version of the previous look, with the addition of texture on the layers," says Emil. "The key to this result is blow-drying. Add a light styling product to wet hair, section the hair, and blow-dry. That's it." At Byrdie, we recommend Rudy's Invisible Cream to complete the 'do.

(Not So) Parted and Slicked

Leo didn't realize it yet, but he was auditioning for his future role in The Wolf of Wall Street with this brilliantly slicked-back style. Notice how they utilize his sprawling cowlick to create a sweep that uniformly falls back rather than a defined hair part sweep. "This is easy to style with a comb and some mud wax or pomade either with wet or dry hair," Rasmus says. "That really depends on what result you're going for." (The wetter the hair when you style it, the slicker and more business-ready it will be.)

Tossed Back

"This is a casual spin on the slicked-back hairstyle we saw before. It almost looks like a second-day version, restyled with dry shampoo," says Rasmus. To maintain DiCaprio's heartthrob look for days, enlist in a dry shampoo like Oribe's Gold Lust Dry Shampoo.

Buzz Cut

A buzzed-down Leo looks almost like Chris O'Donnell from the same era, and it showcases the curvature of that natural cowlick in front. Rasmus advises against trying to do this at home, even if it looks like a doable DIY buzz. Instead, have your buzz cut—or crew cut—done by the barber, and make sure to keep the sides shorter than the top, Rasmus says.

Taller on Top

"This is a timeless hairstyle for those who don't want to attract too much attention," Emil says. "Style with your hands and your preferred high-hold product. Easy, really." (We think V76's Molding Paste would do the job to provide good texture and movement.)

Longer in Front

"Quite similar to the previous style, this differentiates with the longer front. To get the hairstyle into modern times, I'd suggest shorter tapered sides for a clean and sharp look," says Emil.

Slicked Back

Of the roster, this is probably one of the riskier looks, and we're torn on how well Leo pulls it off. It's a forced part against his center cowlick split. We do support taking risks, though, and this one probably utilized a high-hold, medium-shine pomade that's combed and blow-dried into place. Blind Barber's Premium Pomade would probably do the trick.

Short Comb-Over

"This classic short comb-over has a polished aesthetic, and it complements most heads," Rasmus says. "It's best worn with minimal facial hair since it looks great when the guy looks especially cleaned up." Leo's manicured, short goatee passes the test in this case.

Long and Gelled

This contemporary version of the slick back has a signature Leo embellishment with that swoop that falls down across his brow. "This style is loose and light, with volume and texture on top," says Rasmus. Try a lightweight texture cream, like Cremo Barber Grade Texture Cream.

Sprayed to Perfection

"The proportions here are nailed to perfection," Rasmus says. This hairstyle, he adds, can only be done with a "good blow-dry, pre-styling spray, and a good amount of dry and strong mud wax." A wide-tooth comb is highly recommended for this style. Try By Vilain's Silver Fox Hair Wax and Sidekick Pre-Style Spray.

Deep Side Part

This is a terrific execution of the hair parted against its natural proclivity, again probably styled with a high-hold, medium-shine pomade.

Short With a Clean Shave

A freshly dyed brown color, a clean shave, and hair parted against the forced cowlick can make a world of difference aesthetically.

Extra Length

There's the signature Leo swoop again, with extra length this time. "The slick wet look is super easy to pull off since you don't have to blow-dry. Just add a strong wax to towel-dried hair and comb back, using a wide-tooth comb," says Emil. Try By Vilain's XL Comb with Silver Fox Hair Wax.

Swooped

What makes Leo's hair different here is that it's styled going against the natural center part. American Crew's Pomade should give the perfect high shine and medium hold required to maintain the 'do.

Man Bun With a Full-Grown Beard

This one looks like Leo is straight off the set of The Revenant, and the beard adds a nice grit that we didn't see back with his man bun in 2001. "You can tame this style with a strong mud wax," says Emil. By Vilain's Gold Digger Wax is a prime candidate.

Side Swept

Leo executed the casual back-swept look, this time coming from the sides and flowing back rather than falling across and over the top. "This only takes five minutes of blow-drying in the morning with pre-styling products," Rasmus says. (Like By Vilain's Sidekick Pre-Style Spray.)

Sophisticated and Short

"A tip for everyone with longer hair on the sides is to get your edges trimmed every second week, so you look groomed at all times," Emil says. "By the look around Leo's ears, you can tell that it's about time to sharpen the details."

Subtle Pompadour

We don't usually see Leo with an opposite-side hairdo with a pompadour effect in front. "This is difficult with the swirl in the bangs, but he pulls it off," Rasmus says. If you have a swill like that, style it with a blow-dryer on full heat.

Classic Quiff

Here's another pompadour/quiff look, now swept in the opposite direction from the previous look, with some good geometry falling across the sides. Sometimes, on older guys with slightly recessed hair, this comb-over with a fall across one side can help soften the recession visually. By parting it on one side and masking the opposite side, it de-emphasizes any receding. (Though to be fair, Leo has kept things pretty locked and loaded across that hairline.)

"Blow-drying is the key to making the quiff stay in place," Emil says. "Apply a medium mud wax (like By Vilain's Wax Zero) and create the waves with a skeleton brush."

Simply Sleek

Leave it to Leo to always resort back to the classics. His simple and sleek hairdo at the 2023 CimenaCon follows his natural part on the side, with the front gelled back. Keep your 'do sleek all day long by opting for your go-to choice of gel.

Gelled With a Swoosh

For the Killer of the Flower Moon premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the actor subtly elevated his usual red carpet glam. For the occasion, he went for a deeper side part and slicked back the top of his hair, adding a sophisticated swoosh for the final touch. You can achieve Leo's quiff in a few simple steps: We recommend using a straightener on low heat to create a subtle bump, a small roller, and a spritz of hairspray to hold the curl in place.

Fully Slicked Back

The actor's all-slicked-back hair is simple to emulate for any upcoming black tie events. Keep your 'do in place all night long by opting for a medium wax. Opt for hard wax or gel if, by chance, you're wanting to give your look the wet-hair effect.

Bump the Front

Now, Leo loves a slicked-back hairdo, but sometimes he likes to add volume to his hair. For the 2024 Golden Globes, he did so by taking the front of his hair and bumping it upwards to create a subtle wave at the top. The curl only takes a tad bit of heat and hairspray to maintain its shape. Take cues from the actor and embrace an opposite side part for more "oomph."

Signature Comb-Over

There's nothing that says "Leonardo DiCaprio" more, hairstyle-wise, than with a simple comb back that falls to the side. The natural side part and the subtle slick back are what make his presence on the red carpet even more alluring.

With a Wave

At the 2024 AFI Awards, the actor gave his signature hairstyle a twist with a loose wave at the top. For those growing out their hair but looking to style it the Leo way, we recommend using a bit of heat, gel, and a thin comb to create an effortless touch.