Men's cut
Long

Flow (medium swept back)

Model M1 before the cut, with their own hair. AI reference on a synthetic model — not a real person.

BeforeFlow (medium swept back)

AI reference on a synthetic model — not a real person

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A long, soft and textured men's cut with 4–7 in (10–18 cm) on top, finished with a tapered neckline.

Also asked for as: hockey hair, flow haircut, bro flow, lettuce, medium length swept back hair

Updated September 30, 2026

On top: 4–7 in10–18 cm
Best on: Wavy hair
Recut: Every 8–12 weeks
Styling: 3–5 min a day

Traditionally suggested for

Heart and diamond faces (adds jaw width), a strong jaw.

Stylist rule of thumb

The flow (medium swept back) on 3 synthetic models

2 skin tones and 2 hair types, each shown only on hair the cut can hold. AI reference on a synthetic model — not a real person.

Flow (medium swept back) · Model M1light skin · straight hair · 20s
Flow (medium swept back) · Model M2fair skin · fine-wavy hair with some gray · 40s
Flow (medium swept back) · Model M3medium brown skin · thick wavy hair · 30s

AI reference on a synthetic model — not a real person. Each picture starts from one AI-made portrait per model; only the hair is changed, and we publish it only if our check finds the face unchanged. Your own preview uses your photo.

Who it fits

Hair comes first: these decide whether the shape can hold.

Best on wavy hair.How hair behaves
Possible on straight hair with small changes; your results name the version for you.How hair behaves
Medium to thick hair.How hair behaves
Still works with no recession.Barbers agree
Scores higher if you have a square jaw.Stylist rule of thumb
Scores higher if you have prominent ears.Barbers agree

Who should skip it

Any one of these moves it down your list, or off it.

Curly to coily hair: the shape needs a texture it can't hold, so we rule it out.How hair behaves
Low-density hair: the cut relies on bulk that thin hair doesn't have.How hair behaves
A hairline a little higher at the temples or more: we flag it one step past its limit and stop suggesting it after that.Barbers agree
Scores lower if you have fine hair.How hair behaves
Scores lower if you have low-density hair.How hair behaves
Scores lower if you have a receding hairline.Barbers agree

Barbers also flag: Round faces; fine low-density hair; hidden from hairline stage 2; a long grow-out.

Flow (medium swept back) vs long layered / man bun

The flow (medium swept back) and the long layered / man bun share long length, medium to high density and a recut every 8–12 weeks, which is why they get mixed up. Below are only the specs where they differ.

The flow (medium swept back) and the long layered / man bun compared on the catalog fields where they differ
Spec	Flow (medium swept back)	Long layered / man bun
What the barber cuts	Flow (medium swept back): Long layers; clean tapered nape	Long layered / man bun: Dust the ends only; long layers to keep the shape
Length on top	Flow (medium swept back): 4–7 in (10–18 cm)	Long layered / man bun: 8–14 in (20.5–35.5 cm)
Neckline	Flow (medium swept back): Tapered (fades out naturally)	Long layered / man bun: Rounded
Best on	Flow (medium swept back): 2A–2C hair, plus 1B with adjustments	Long layered / man bun: 1B–3A hair
Daily styling	Flow (medium swept back): 3–5 min a day	Long layered / man bun: 5–10 min a day
Traditionally suggested for	Flow (medium swept back): Heart and diamond faces (adds jaw width), a strong jaw.	Long layered / man bun: A square or angular jaw, heart-shaped faces.

Every row is a catalog field or our engine’s geometry ranking; “traditionally suggested for” is stylist convention. Which of the two suits you comes down to your own texture, density and hairline: check your hair for free, or read the full long layered / man bun spec.

What to tell your barber

The catalog spec, in barber terms. Your own card adjusts it: the part side from your crown, notes for your hair type, and a QR code your barber can open.

Read this to your barber

“Grow to 4–7 in; long layers; ends behind the ears; clean tapered nape.”

Sides: Left long and tucked behind the ears
Top: 4–7 in (10–18 cm)
Neckline: Tapered (fades out naturally)
Technique: Long layers; clean tapered nape
Product: Light cream or sea-salt spray
Recut: Every 8–12 weeks

Get the look

Products and tools for the flow (medium swept back)

Product types, not brands, picked from the barber spec above and split by hair type. Your own results match them to your hair.

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links; it doesn't change what we recommend.

Straight hair

Wavy hair

Upkeep and yearly cost

Priced at $30 a cut. Your results use your own local price.

Trim every: 8–12 weeks
Per year: 4–7 cuts a year, about $120–$210 at $30 a cut
Daily styling: 3–5 min a day
Product: Light product
Heat tools: Not needed

Proportions, by face shape

Where the flow (medium swept back) places in our engine’s top 10 for a textbook face of each shape, on proportions alone. Proportions are the smallest part of a real score; your hair counts for more.

Where the flow (medium swept back) places in the geometry-only top 10 for each face shape
Face shape	On proportions	Position in the top 10
Oval	Not in the top 10
Round	Not in the top 10
Square	Not in the top 10
Oblong	Not in the top 10
Heart	Not in the top 10
Diamond	Not in the top 10
Triangle	Not in the top 10

Guides that mention the flow (medium swept back)

How to grow out your hair: a stage-by-stage planGrowing out your hair, men's and women's: the order of cuts to ask for, roughly how long each stage takes, and how to get through the awkward phase.

Flow (medium swept back): questions

What do I ask my barber for with a flow (medium swept back)?

Read this out: “Grow to 4–7 in; long layers; ends behind the ears; clean tapered nape.” That's 4–7 in (10–18 cm) on top with a tapered neckline, recut every 8–12 weeks. Your own barber card adjusts it for your part side and texture.

Flow (medium swept back) vs long layered / man bun: what's the difference?

The flow (medium swept back) and the long layered / man bun share long length, medium to high density and a recut every 8–12 weeks, which is why they get mixed up. The flow (medium swept back) is cut as “Long layers; clean tapered nape”; the long layered / man bun as “Dust the ends only; long layers to keep the shape”. The neckline differs too: tapered against rounded. On texture, the flow (medium swept back) takes 2A–2C hair, plus 1B with adjustments; the long layered / man bun takes 1B–3A hair. Our engine scores both against your own texture, density and hairline, so the free check tells you which of the two ranks higher for you. Full spec: long layered / man bun.

Is the flow (medium swept back) a men's cut?

Yes: our catalog lists the flow (medium swept back) as a men's cut, so it comes up when your check is set to men's cuts, and not in the women's list. That is where gender stops counting: the shape is decided by your hair and your proportions. The spec wants 2A–2C hair at medium to high density, and it still works with no recession. The free check measures your texture, density and hairline, then ranks the flow (medium swept back) against every other men's cut.

Does the flow (medium swept back) work on curly or coily hair?

It's best on 2A–2C hair and possible on 1B with adjustments. On 3B–4C hair the shape doesn't hold, so our analysis rules it out.

Does the flow (medium swept back) work on thin or fine hair?

Not as a first pick: the catalog allows medium to high density, because the shape relies on bulk that thin hair doesn't have. Our analysis scores it lower if you have fine hair and low-density hair. Density is measured in the free check, and our thinning hair guide lists the cuts our engine favours for thin hair.

How much upkeep does a flow (medium swept back) need?

A trim every 8–12 weeks: 4–7 cuts a year, about $120–$210 at $30 a cut, plus 3–5 minutes of styling a day.

Who should skip the flow (medium swept back)?

3B–4C hair (curly and coily): the shape depends on a texture it can't hold, so we rule it out. Low-density hair: the cut relies on bulk that thin hair doesn't have. A hairline past Norwood 1: at stage 2 it's shown with a caveat; beyond that we hide it. Barbers also flag: Round faces; fine low-density hair; hidden from hairline stage 2; a long grow-out.

Is a hockey hair the same as a flow (medium swept back)?

“Hockey hair” is one of the names people use for it. Ask for it by the spec above rather than the name, since names vary between barbers.

All haircuts

Will the flow (medium swept back) fit you? Find out before you sit down.

We check it against your face and hair. Your best cut is free, shown on your own face. Members see every cut that fits, with the numbers for your barber.