- Men's cut
- Short
- Edgy
Faux hawk
A short, edgy men's cut with 2–3 in (5–7.5 cm) on top and a fringe, finished with a tapered neckline.
Also asked for as: fohawk, fauxhawk, faux hawk fade, burst fade mohawk
- Top
- 2–3 in (5–7.5 cm)
- Best on
- 1B–3B
- Recut
- 3–4 wks
- Styling
- 5 min
Traditionally suggested for
Round or short faces, creative workplaces.
Stylist convention
Who it fits
Hair comes first: these decide whether the shape can hold.
- Best on 1B–3B hair (straight, wavy and curly).Hair physics
- Medium to high density.Hair physics
- Holds up through a Norwood 3 hairline.Barber consensus
Who should skip it
Any one of these moves it down your list, or off it.
- 1A, 3C–4C hair (straight, curly and coily): the shape depends on a texture it can't hold, so we rule it out.Hair physics
- Low-density hair: the cut relies on bulk that thin hair doesn't have.Hair physics
- A hairline past Norwood 3: at stage 4 it's shown with a caveat; beyond that we hide it.Barber consensus
- Helmets, hats or daily swimming: they flatten the volume the shape needs.Hair physics
- A conservative workplace: it reads as a statement cut.Stylist convention
- Scores lower if you have a long face.Stylist convention
- Scores lower if you have prominent ears.Barber consensus
- Scores lower if you have a narrow forehead.Stylist convention
Barbers also flag: Long faces; conservative workplaces.
What to tell your barber
The catalog spec, in barber terms. Your own card adjusts it: part side from your crown whorl, curl notes for your texture, and a QR code your barber can open.
Read this to your barber
“Mid/high fade; 2–3 in strip centre front to crown, pushed to a peak.”
Side options that suit this cut
- Mid fade
- High fade
- Burst fade
- Sides
- Mid or high fade
- Top
- 2–3 in (5–7.5 cm)
- Fringe
- Pushed up and in toward the centre
- Neckline
- Tapered (fades out naturally)
- Technique
- Leave a 2–3 in strip from the front to the crown
- Product
- Strong-hold clay or fibre
- Recut
- Every 3–4 weeks
Upkeep and yearly cost
Priced at $30 a cut. Your results use your own local price.
- Trim every
- 3–4 weeks
- Per year
- 13–17 cuts a year, about $390–$510 at $30 a cut
- Daily styling
- 5 min a day
- Product
- Styling product every day
- Heat tools
- Not needed
Proportions, by face shape
Where the faux hawk places in our engine’s geometry-only top 10 for a textbook face of each shape: a top-3 pick for round and heart. Proportions are the smallest part of a real score; your hair counts for more.
Related cuts
All haircutsSee the faux hawk on your own face before you sit down.
Free analysis first. Previews only change your hair, and if one doesn’t look like you, the redo is free.
Check it on my face