We’re all for giving the whole untamed-hair thing a shot. Just look at Justin Theroux's new DGAF approach to grooming. A looser mane isn't just less precious and a hell of a lot easier to maintain than Don Draper–style structured ’dos, it also conveys exactly the relaxed, casual vibes you want for summer—so long as you follow a few basic guidelines, that is. Ignore them and you run the risk of falling on the wrong side of the line between “messy” and “a mess.” Case in point: Johnny Depp and the situation going on atop his head at the premiere of Disney’s Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Now, to be clear, Johnny Depp is not a man who’s afraid to take a risk and have it go awry, with regard to his hair or anything else, for that matter. Just take that stunt he pulled in Australia and the absurdist comedy that was the resulting apology video; it takes a certain amount of chutzpah to brazenly defy the government of an entire continent and then give them the acting equivalent of side-eye when all they ask you to do as penance is star in a 42-second YouTube video about the environment. So, when last night the man stepped out onto the red carpet with what looks like a dyed undercut gone wild, we weren’t exactly surprised. However, Depp’s off-kilter hairstyle illustrates one important point, and that is if you decide to go for a more untamed hairstyle, then your cut has to complement it.

Read MoreThe 19 Mightiest Hair Gods Who've Ever Lived

Some men get their hair cut; other men are their haircut. From Dylan and James Dean to Harry Styles’s hairstyle, we humbly bow before their flowing locks.

By The Editors of GQ

You see, while wild hair may seem like an easy endeavor—simply leave your locks to their own devices, right?—it actually takes a bit of skill on the part of a seasoned professional (i.e., your barber) to set the proper stage for an exceptionally tousled head of hair. Our recommendation? Texture, and lots of it, giving your mop an inherently rebellious quality that takes very little upkeep to shine through. Just ask your barber for it—he or she will know what to do.

Depp, on the other hand, seems to have gone for some form of untextured undercut, a chop that, by nature of the precise manner in which it’s snipped, requires a measure of consideration when styling to look its best. So instead of his screwed-up ’do looking haphazardly dashing, as untamed manes are meant to, it appears as if Depp’s simply got a bad case of bedhead. Then again, the man was on the red carpet for playing the Mad Hatter, so there’s a possibility that he simply decided to style his hair while in character.

Here’s to hoping.

Related Stories for GQJohnny DeppGroomingHairCelebrities