- Women's cut
- Short
- Textured & modern
- Clean & classic
Tapered natural (TWA)
A short, textured and classic women's cut with 1–3 in (2.5–7.5 cm) on top, finished with a tapered neckline.
Also asked for as: twa, teeny weeny afro, tapered twa, big chop, short natural hair
- Top
- 1–3 in (2.5–7.5 cm)
- Best on
- 4A–4C
- Recut
- 3–6 wks
- Styling
- 5–10 min
Traditionally suggested for
4A–4C hair, big-chop transitions, a long neck, round and heart faces (height on top).
Stylist convention
Who it fits
Hair comes first: these decide whether the shape can hold.
- Best on 4A–4C hair (coily).Hair physics
- Any density.Hair physics
- Holds up through a Norwood 3 hairline.Barber consensus
Who should skip it
Any one of these moves it down your list, or off it.
- 1A–3C hair (straight, wavy and curly): the shape depends on a texture it can't hold, so we rule it out.Hair physics
- A hairline past Norwood 3: at stage 4 it's shown with a caveat; beyond that we hide it.Barber consensus
- You want to keep your length: from typical medium hair this is a big chop.Your preference
- Scores lower if you have prominent ears.Barber consensus
Barbers also flag: A very long face (keep the sides fuller).
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 1–3 in shaped; tapered sides and nape; define with coils.”
- Sides
- Tapered sides and nape
- Top
- 1–3 in (2.5–7.5 cm)
- Neckline
- Tapered (fades out naturally)
- Technique
- Shape the top; keep the sides fuller for a long face; define with coils
- Product
- Leave-in plus a curl custard or gel for definition
- Recut
- Every 3–6 weeks
Upkeep and yearly cost
Priced at $30 a cut. Your results use your own local price.
- Trim every
- 3–6 weeks
- Per year
- 9–17 cuts a year, about $270–$510 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 tapered natural (twa) places in our engine’s geometry-only top 10 for a textbook face of each shape. Proportions are the smallest part of a real score; your hair counts for more.
Related cuts
- Classic pixieShort · 1A–2B, 4A–4C
- Blunt chin bobShort · 1A–2A
- French bob with bangsShort · 1B–2B
- Long pixie / bixieShort · 1A–2C
See the tapered natural (twa) 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