- Men's cut
- Medium
- Clean & classic
- Edgy
Slick back
A medium, classic and edgy men's cut with 3–5 in (7.5–12.5 cm) on top, finished with a tapered neckline.
Also asked for as: slicked back hair, slick back undercut, slick back fade, swept back hair
- Top
- 3–5 in (7.5–12.5 cm)
- Best on
- 1A–2B
- Recut
- 4–6 wks
- Styling
- 5–10 min
Traditionally suggested for
A low or average forehead, round or square faces, a strong brow.
Stylist convention
Who it fits
Hair comes first: these decide whether the shape can hold.
- Best on 1A–2B hair (straight and wavy).Hair physics
- Possible on 2C–3A with adjustments; your results name the variant.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
Who should skip it
Any one of these moves it down your list, or off it.
- 3B–4C hair (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
- 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 a receding hairline (Norwood 2+).Barber consensus
- Scores lower if you have fine hair.Hair physics
- Scores lower if you have low-density hair.Hair physics
Barbers also flag: Hidden from hairline stage 2; a high forehead, a prominent nose or a long face are all on show.
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 3–5 in, combed back; sides tapered #2–3 or undercut; keep weight at the crown.”
Clipper guards in this spec (Wahl sizes)
- #26 mm
- #310 mm
Side options that suit this cut
- Low taper
- Mid fade
- High fade
- Sides
- Tapered #2–3 (6–10 mm), or an undercut
- Top
- 3–5 in (7.5–12.5 cm)
- Neckline
- Tapered (fades out naturally)
- Technique
- Keep weight at the crown
- Product
- Pomade (shine) or cream (matte), medium to strong hold
- Recut
- Every 4–6 weeks
Upkeep and yearly cost
Priced at $30 a cut. Your results use your own local price.
- Trim every
- 4–6 weeks
- Per year
- 9–13 cuts a year, about $270–$390 at $30 a cut
- Daily styling
- 5–10 min a day
- Product
- Styling product every day
- Heat tools
- Not needed
Proportions, by face shape
Where the slick back places in our engine’s geometry-only top 10 for a textbook face of each shape: a top-3 pick for triangle. Proportions are the smallest part of a real score; your hair counts for more.
Related cuts
- PompadourMedium · 1B–2B
- Disconnected undercutMedium · 1A–2C
- QuiffMedium · 1B–2C
- Modern mulletMedium · 2A–3C
See the slick back 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