Mod cut

Read this out: “Scissor cut all over: top 3–4 in, layered into a rounded shape; heavy fringe to the brows; sides long enough to cover the top half of the ears; soft tapered nape (a low taper is optional).” That's 3–4 in (7.5–10 cm) on top with a tapered neckline, recut every 4–6 weeks. Your own barber card adjusts it for your part side and texture.

The mod cut and the curtains / middle part share medium length, medium to high density and a recut every 4–6 weeks, which is why they get mixed up. The mod cut is cut as “Scissor-over-fingers layering for a rounded silhouette; point-cut the fringe; curly hair: cut dry”; the curtains / middle part as “Point-cut and texturise the ends”. On texture, the mod cut takes 1A–2B hair, plus 2C–3A with adjustments; the curtains / middle part takes 1A–2C hair, plus 3A with adjustments. 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: curtains / middle part.

Yes: our catalog lists the mod cut 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 1A–2B hair at medium to high density, and it still works with a hairline a little higher at the temples. The free check measures your texture, density and hairline, then ranks the mod cut against every other men's cut.

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

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. Density is measured in the free check, and our thinning hair guide lists the cuts our engine favours for thin hair.

A trim every 4–6 weeks: 9–13 cuts a year, about $270–$390 at $30 a cut, plus 3–5 minutes of styling a day.

3C–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 2: at stage 3 it's shown with a caveat; beyond that we hide it. Barbers also flag: A low forehead, a round or short face (the fringe and side fullness shorten and widen it), fine hair (falls flat), a front cowlick, heavy glasses frames; possible with a caveat at hairline stage 3 and hidden beyond; trend-dependent (Janif 2014: rarer looks rate higher).

On proportions alone, our engine places it in the top 3 for oblong, diamond and triangle faces. Proportions are the smallest part of a real score; texture, density and hairline count for more, which is why the free check looks at your hair first.

“Mop top” 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.