- Women's cut
- Medium
- Textured & modern
- Edgy
Shag
A medium, textured and edgy women's cut with 3–5 in (7.5–12.5 cm) on top and a fringe, finished with a rounded neckline.
Also asked for as: shag haircut, modern shag, shaggy haircut, 70s shag, shag cut
- Top
- 3–5 in (7.5–12.5 cm)
- Best on
- 2A–3B
- Recut
- 6–8 wks
- Styling
- 5–15 min
Traditionally suggested for
Square or angular faces (softens), oblong faces (side width), diamond faces, thick hair.
Stylist convention
Who it fits
Hair comes first: these decide whether the shape can hold.
- Best on 2A–3B hair (wavy and curly).Hair physics
- Possible on 1B with adjustments; your results name the variant.Hair physics
- Medium to high density.Hair physics
- Holds up through a Norwood 2 hairline.Barber consensus
- Scores higher if you have a square jaw.Stylist convention
- Scores higher if you have a high forehead.Stylist convention
- Scores higher if you have a wide 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, 1C, 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 2: at stage 3 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
- Scores lower if you have fine hair.Hair physics
- Scores lower if you have low-density hair.Hair physics
Barbers also flag: Very fine low-density hair; a round face if the volume sits at cheek level (move it to the crown); straight 1A–1B hair needs daily styling.
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
“Choppy layers with volume at the crown; short layers framing the face; curtain bangs; cut to air-dry.”
- Sides
- Short face-framing layers
- Top
- 3–5 in (7.5–12.5 cm)
- Fringe
- Curtain bangs
- Neckline
- Rounded
- Technique
- Choppy layers with volume at the crown; cut to air-dry
- Product
- Texture spray or light mousse
- Recut
- Every 6–8 weeks
Upkeep and yearly cost
Priced at $30 a cut. Your results use your own local price.
- Trim every
- 6–8 weeks
- Per year
- 7–9 cuts a year, about $210–$270 at $30 a cut
- Daily styling
- 5–15 min a day
- Product
- Light product
- Heat tools
- Not needed
Proportions, by face shape
Where the shag places in our engine’s geometry-only top 10 for a textbook face of each shape: a top-3 pick for oval, heart, diamond and triangle. Proportions are the smallest part of a real score; your hair counts for more.
Related cuts
- Wolf cutMedium · 2A–3B
- Curly shag (Rezo-style)Medium · 2C–3C
- Curtain-bang layered cutMedium · 1B–2C
- Curly rounded cut (Deva-style)Medium · 3A–3C
See the shag 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