Spotlight Haircut: The Undercut

Men's Undercut
Photo © David Alexander | Hair by David Alexander
01
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The Aggressive Undercut Haircut

Men's Undercut Haircut
Photo © David Alexander | Hair by David Alexander.

For this haircut on actor Christian Higgins, I took the hair aggressively high up the sides and back (shaved to the part on the sides and as high as the crown in the back).  The sides and back were shaved with a straight razor and a defined part is etched in on the parted side (as you will see more clearly in the next slide. The haircut is somewhat asymmetrical as the hair is shaved all the way up to the part on one side and there is a slight blend on the side opposite the part.  The hair is blow-dried with spray gel to give height and this style is finished with MENSDEPT. Microtech.

02
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Another Angle

Men's Undercut Haircut
Photo © David Alexander | Hair by David Alexander.

As you can see in this side view, Christian's hair is slippered aggressively short all the way up the side of the head. A straight razor was used to shave the sided around the bottom 1/2 of the head, while a little hair was left near the part to emphasize the detail in the etched in parting.  

03
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The Total Look

The Men's Undercut Haircut
Photo © David Alexander | Hair by David Alexander.

As you can see in this angle, the side opposite the part is somewhat lower and blended, giving the haircut an asymmetrical look. Because of the extremely quick transition between the shaved sides and back and the long top, there is a line of demarcation when the hair is combed straight down.  Much of the blend on this side of the head is achieved through styling. Because of this, it would be very difficult to give yourself a men's undercut with this level of detail.

04
of 09

Ermin Bičakčić Undercut Haircut

Ermin Bičakčić Haircut
Photo of Ermin Bičakčić © Getty Images.

We really like this variation on the undercut on soccer player Ermin Bičakčić (one of the coolest haircuts from the 2014 FIFA World Cup). For this style, the hair is cut with a number two blade all the way up just past the round of the head. This blade is also used to shave a shorter strip along there front hairline, which is outlined and continued around one side with a shaved part.  

05
of 09

Macklemore's Haircut

Macklemore Haircut
Photo © Kevin Winter for Getty Images.

Credit recording artist Macklemore for bringing the men's undercut into the mainstream.  For this style, the hair is simply clipped with a number one blade high up the sides and back of the head. The top is styled loosely back as you would a pompadour. There is no blending between the sides and top of this haircut. 

06
of 09

Loosely Styled Men's Undercut

Men's Undercut Haircut
Photo © Simon Winnall for Getty Images.

This variation of the undercut is performed in much the same way as most of the others.  With the modern undercut (which is essentially a bowl cut with more formal styling) the styling on top is typically done as you would a pompadour, with an emphasis on neatness.  For this variation, the hair is styled loosely with a paste to add texture and give a casual, deconstructed finish. 

07
of 09

The Military Rockabilly

Military Rockabilly Haircut
Photo © Drew Gorrie | Hair by David Alexander.

For this military-inspired haircut, which is essentially an undercut, we took opera singer John Tibbett's hair extremely short on the sides and back. The hair is faded more than the typical undercut, but there is a solid disconnection between the sides and the back. Much of the blending on this haircut is achieved through styling.   

08
of 09

Oliver Giroud Undercut Haircut

Oliver Giroud Haircut
Photo © Jean Catuffe for Getty Images.

Soccer player Oliver Giroud of France is featuring a disconnected pompadour haircut which is clipper cut with a number two blade on the sides and back all the way up to the part (a very subtle part is shaved in). There is no blending between the sides and back. The top is styled with pomade as you would a traditional pompadour.

09
of 09

Men's Undercut Haircut

The Undercut Haircut
Photo © Paffy69 | istockphoto.com.

For this style, the hair is cut with a number three blade high up the sides and back of the head. The hair is styled loosely with an emphasis on a natural appearance. This style, which is not as aggressive as a traditional undercut, can be made more formal with the addition of a bit of pomade and styling the hair up and away from the forehead.