- Men's cut
- Medium
- Clean & classic
- Edgy
Pompadour
A medium, classic and edgy men's cut with 4–6 in (10–15 cm) on top and a fringe, finished with a tapered neckline.
Also asked for as: pompadour haircut, pomp, pompadour fade, modern pompadour
- Top
- 4–6 in (10–15 cm)
- Best on
- 1B–2B
- Recut
- 3–4 wks
- Styling
- 10–15 min
Traditionally suggested for
Round or short faces, a strong brow; medium-to-coarse straight or slightly wavy hair.
Stylist convention
Who it fits
Hair comes first: these decide whether the shape can hold.
- Best on 1B–2B hair (straight and wavy).Hair physics
- Medium to high density.Hair physics
- Holds up through a Norwood 1 hairline.Barber consensus
- Scores higher if you have a low forehead.Stylist convention
- Scores higher if you have coarse hair.Hair physics
Who should skip it
Any one of these moves it down your list, or off it.
- 1A, 2C–4C hair (straight, wavy, 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 1: at stage 2 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 humid climate with wavy or curly hair: it needs a blowout to hold.Hair physics
- No heat tools: it needs a blow-dryer to look like the reference.Stylist convention
- Less than 10 minutes a day for styling: it needs 10–15 min a day.Your preference
- Scores lower if you have a high forehead.Stylist convention
- Scores lower if you have a wide forehead.Stylist convention
- Scores lower if you have fine hair.Hair physics
- Scores lower if you have low-density hair.Hair physics
- Scores lower if you have a receding hairline (Norwood 2+).Barber consensus
- Scores lower if you have a long face.Stylist convention
Barbers also flag: Hidden from hairline stage 2; long faces, high foreheads and fine hair.
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
“Top 4–6 in, longest at front; high taper or undercut; blow-dry up and back.”
Side options that suit this cut
- High taper
- Mid fade
- High fade
- Sides
- High taper or undercut
- Top
- 4–6 in (10–15 cm)
- Fringe
- Longest at the front, blow-dried up and back
- Neckline
- Tapered (fades out naturally)
- Technique
- Blow-dry up and back with a round brush
- Product
- Pre-styler, then pomade or strong cream
- 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
- 10–15 min a day
- Product
- Styling product every day
- Heat tools
- Blow-dryer needed
Proportions, by face shape
Where the pompadour places in our engine’s geometry-only top 10 for a textbook face of each shape: a top-3 pick for square. Proportions are the smallest part of a real score; your hair counts for more.
Related cuts
- Slick backMedium · 1A–2B
- QuiffMedium · 1B–2C
- Disconnected undercutMedium · 1A–2C
- Modern mulletMedium · 2A–3C
See the pompadour 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