How To Choose The Best Short Back & Sides Haircut For You
Being a classic man or the perfect gentleman requires a lot of effort and hard work. You have to be intentional about your taste in fashion, your choice of outfits, and of course, your grooming, especially your haircut.
There’s a myriad of short haircut options for men, from tapers and fades to everything in between, trying to figure which fits you best might be challenging. You might choose the most-trendy or coolest haircut, hire the best barber in town, and end of with a disaster of a haircut because you have failed to figure out which haircut option fits you best.
However, the secret to a great haircut is majorly two-edged – the first thing to consider is the shape of your face, and the second is the texture of your hair or hair type. How do you choose the short back and sides haircut best for you before going under the barber’s scissors?
First, Figure Out Your Face Shape
There are seven main types of men’s facial shapes. Hence, the need to figure it out and eventually find the best haircut for you. Wondering how to determine which category you belong to? It is simple, I promise! Get a flexible tape measure and take measurements of your forehead, cheekbones, jawline, and face length.
For the forehead, measure across your face from the end of one eyebrow arch to the end of the other eyebrow.
For cheekbones, measure across your cheekbones from each end below the outer corner of each eye.
For jawline, measure from the tip of your chin to below your ear, then multiply the number by two to arrive at your jawline measurement.
For face length, measure from the center of your hairline to the top of your chin.
After putting down all these measurements, highlight which one is the largest amongst the four, then compare with the seven main face shapes listed below to determine where you fall.
Oval: Usually, the face length is more than the width of cheekbones, and the forehead is the widest part of the face (more prominent than the jawline). The angle of the jaw is also rounded, as opposed to being sharp.
Round: The face length and width of cheekbones are about equal measurements. They are also more extensive than the forehead and jawline – which are also similar in measurement. The jaw angle is soft, and the cheeks stand out as the widest part of the face.
Rectangle/Oblong: The width of the cheekbones, forehead, and jawline are almost the same. The face length is the greatest measurement of all, so the distance from the forehead to chin is more than the distance from ear to ear.
Triangular: The jawline measurement is more than that of the cheekbones, and the cheekbones measure than the forehead.
Heart: The forehead’s measurement is greater than that of the cheekbones and jawline—pointed chin, which usually looks like the shape of an inverted triangle.
Square: Usually, all measurements are similar, with equal lengths vertically and horizontally. The angle of the jaw is sharp instead of rounded.
Diamond: Face length measurement is the largest, followed by the cheekbones, forehead, and jawline – which is the smallest. Defined by high cheekbones, a narrow forehead, and a pointed chin.
Then Choose The Best Cut According To Face Shape
Oval-faced men can opt for almost any haircut style, as the face shape effortlessly does pretty much any kind of hairstyle justice. The most suitable style is the classic short back and sides with slightly longer hair on top and a side parting. With this face shape, you can choose any of the typical short back and sides haircuts – the Crew Cut, the Ivy League, French Crop, Buzzcut, etc. However, you might want to avoid a forward fringe and also ditch the beards.
Round-faced men can also have short haircuts, but these haircuts must create an illusion of height and angles. Therefore, the best thing to do is to make the crown longer and the sides short, as this will draw the eyes down and visually lengthen the face. Square line-ups, side parts, and messy v-cuts are options to consider. You might want to avoid buzzcuts and bangs.
Square-faced men have options varying from short crew cuts to classic undercuts. You may consider applying scalp scrubs to soften the edges around the forehead. To get the perfect look, go for hairstyles with softer angles from buzz cuts to French crops, crew cuts, and quiffs.
Oblong-faced men, due to their narrow forehead and wide jawline, need to go for a style with volume. You should consider haircut options that soften edges, such as the crew cut, buzz cut, side parts, and sleek top knots.
Diamond-faced men should go for haircut options that are layered and high-volume. That is haircuts that add width at the forehead and chin area. However, don’t make the sides too short so your ears don’t look bigger. Consider styles like faux hawks and other side-swept cuts like the textured French crop.
Triangle-faced men should also consider hair with volume due to their narrow forehead and wide jawline. Triangle haircuts should be textured with a medium-length top, like crew cuts, textured quiffs, comb overs, and other side-swept haircuts. You will definitely look good with light stubble beards as well.
Heart-faced men have their forehead as the broadest part of their face, so it is crucial that they go for haircuts with aggressive fades and avoid very tight cuts (learn the difference between a taper vs. fade). It is advisable to let your hair grow out on the back and the sides of your face. Messy tops, shaggy haircuts, and short fringe haircuts should be considered.
Don’t Forget About Your Hair Type & Texture
Fine Hair: Keep things blunt and short and avoid too much layering.
Medium Hair: Choose simple short classic cuts without extras.
Thick Hair: Go for layering options to debulk density.
When it comes to choosing haircuts, there is no one-size-fits-all, neither are the rules cast in stone. So, if you are adventurous, you might decide to try out different haircuts regardless of your face shape. However, experts advise that you find out which cuts fit your face shape best before breaking the rules.
Charlie Gawlik
