David Beckham's 'trend-setting' hair transformations that shocked the world

When David Beckham began stepping out with Victoria Adams, as she was then known, AKA Posh Spice and one-fifth of the biggest girl band on the planet, a power couple was born. They were constantly splashing the front pages of magazines and newspapers not only by dint of their romance and status but because they were embracing dressing as one.

David may not have been the only 90s heartthrob to rock some curtains, but his look stands out as memorable in celebrity culture. Ben Vowles, Master Barber at the celebrity-adored swanky barbers in London, Murdock, told HELLO!: "No one has done as much for men's hairdressing as David Beckham.

"As a footballer, he set the way for men to experiment with their hair and beauty. Until he came along talking about hair and beauty products was taboo – but he made it acceptable and in fact, cool, to try out new styles."

David's Beckham documentary on Netflix reminded us all of the moment he walked into a media conference and, quite literally, stopped the press by sporting a buzzcut that no one saw coming. What had happened to Becks' beautiful blonde locks? Jaws did indeed drop but suffice to say, many men followed suit.

Ben added: "This style is bold, much like with the ponytail, you'll need strong features for this style - there's nowhere to hide. 

"Beck's expertly paired this with some great stubble, this is something we recommend to any client getting a buzzcut."

It wasn't long before David then decided to embrace his hair growing back with his memorable mohawk. 

Cue half the men in Britain walking around with strips of hair on their head à la Becks.

A new team in a new country came knocking on the athlete's door and as fashion evolved, so did his 'do. 

In classic David style, the then-Real Madrid star went from one extreme to the other and decided to grow out his locks and rock a longer length cut, and his ponytail became somewhat iconic. 

MORE: Victoria Beckham shares never-before-seen photo of four children as she reflects on special time in her life

"Beckham's hair at Madrid was arguably as provocative as his form on the pitch," explained Barber Ben. "This classic half-ponytail look was no exception."

Fast forward to the LA years and beyond, David began rocking a stylish pompadour cut which carried him through the majority of the 2010s. 

"The pompadour style was something David ran with for a long time, he transitioned to this style from the famous swept back, side-parted style that was so popular a decade ago - the is a great style for all men to try, it'll never go out of fashion and it's relatively easy to maintain," explained Ben.

As mentioned, having longer locks at the top and shorter sides is a style that has seen him through recent years. But what's his secret to keeping it in tip-top condition? There are a number of ways the star could be doing so.

As hair specialist, dermatologist and co-founder of PowerYourCurls, Dr Hamdan Abdullah Hamed states: "If I were to hazard a guess, I'd think his routine would include derma-rolling along with a minoxidil topical treatment.

"In order to continue to keep hair in top condition, I'd think he'd probably be doing scalp PRP treatments every six months to aid in follicle stimulation. I'd suggest using correct vitamins containing biotin, Vitamins E and D, as well as using topical treatments such as minoxidil as needed."

Fans of David are of the view that the former footballer is ageing like a fine wine – and we're inclined to agree! The 48-year-old in more recent weeks has been sporting a shorter, neat cut, something that Ben says is a great option and easy to maintain.

"It's the perfect style for a man who's getting a touch thin, the short sides and subtle texture through the top will give the appearance of a fuller head of hair. Low maintenance too!"

David undoubtedly looks great with both long and short hair, but for those who want to keep their barnet on the fuller side for as long as possible, there are ways to do so.