Classic pixie

Read this out: “Top 1–3 in; tapered sides and nape; soft side fringe; debulk if thick.” That's 1–3 in (2.5–7.5 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 classic pixie and the stacked / inverted bob share short length and low to medium density, which is why they get mixed up. The classic pixie is cut as “Point-cut; debulk if thick; coily hair: shape the top, taper the sides”; the stacked / inverted bob as “Graduation at the nape; front left longer (chin to collarbone)”. On texture, the classic pixie takes 1A–2B, 4A–4C hair; the stacked / inverted bob takes 1A–2B hair. Beyond the trim the classic pixie needs nothing beyond the trim, the stacked / inverted bob needs volume at the crown and a blowout in humid weather. 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: stacked / inverted bob.

Yes: our catalog lists the classic pixie as a women's cut, so it comes up when your check is set to women's cuts, and not in the men's list. That is where gender stops counting: the shape is decided by your hair and your proportions. The spec wants 1A–2B, 4A–4C hair at low to medium density, and it still works with a clearly receding hairline. The free check measures your texture, density and hairline, then ranks the classic pixie against every other women's cut.

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

Yes: the catalog allows low to medium density, so low-density hair isn't ruled out. Nothing else in its spec marks it down for fine strands or low density. 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 5 minutes of styling a day.

3A–3B hair (curly): the shape depends on a texture it can't hold, so we rule it out. A hairline past Norwood 3: at stage 4 it's shown with a caveat; beyond that we hide it. You want to keep your length: from typical medium hair this is a big chop. Barbers also flag: A short neck, a jaw-heavy lower third, prominent ears, a crown cowlick, thick coarse hair (needs debulking); grows out awkwardly.

On proportions alone, our engine places it in the top 3 for round and square 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.

“Pixie haircut” 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.