Most men’s haircuts follow the short sides, longer top formula. These short sides, long top hairstyles take that contrast even further.
Looks for every hair type use the short-long combination – pompadours, slick backs, flat tops, undercuts, mullets, hair curtains, and two blocks.
That doesn’t even cover short sides, long top looks for wavy, curly, and Black hair.
Check out these 33 short sides, long top looks for cool, classic, trendy, curly, and Black hair.
Long Hair On Top – Short On Sides Haircuts
1. Messy Top + Short Sides
This medium length gets a surfer vibe with volume and tousled texture.
2. Pompadour + Taper Fade
Or for a modern-meets-classic look, this blonde pompadour with a taper fade is both fresh and timeless.
3. Curtain Haircut With Off-Center Part
Tight sides give these long hair curtains extra impact.
4. Long Curly Hair On Top, Short Sides
Long curly bangs with short hair around the sides and back emphasizes the jawline.
5. Undercut Fade + Man Bun + Beard
An undercut is the definition of long top, short sides and back haircut.
6. High Undercut + Braids
Braids are just one cool way to style long hair for men.
7. Cool Hair Design
This haircut style can be classic but it doesn’t have to conservative. The neckline is a great spot to get creative like this slashed style.
Classic Men’s Haircuts With Short Sides + Long Top
The short sides, long top is far from a new look for men. Check out these classic men’s look that are still in style today.
8. Low Fade + Side Part
At work or play, this cut and style looks good.
9. Short Sides + Long Top + Side Part
With a lower fade on the sides, this side part feels a little bit more conservative.
10. High + Tight
Here’s a long version of the high and tight.
11. Slicked Back Hair
Slick it back with some shine to get this cool, and slightly menacing, look.
12. Quiff + High Taper Fade
This cool quiff splits the difference between a pompadour and slicked back style. The line up and taper fade keep it clean and make hair on top appear even thicker.
13. Pomp + Taper Fade + Flow
Wearing hair longer at the back is far from a new style. The temp fade keeps the sides tight and gives the appearance of taller, longer hair.
Short Sides + Long Top Hair For Black Men
With the exception of the Afro, most haircuts for Black men also feature short sides with longer hair on top. These cool cuts all have long hair on top.
14. Blowout + Low Fade
A mid-low fade takes the sides and back up higher on this cool blowout haircut.
15. Rounded High Top Fade
The high top fade is the epitome of the long top, short sides and back for Black men. This is a rounded version but it can also be worn flat.
16. High Fade Haircut + Line Up
Without a high fade and line up this would be an afro, with them it has more of a mushroom shape.
17. Flat Top
Longer hair creates a higher flat top.
18. Dreadlocks + Undercut Fade + Beard Fade
This undercut fade with line up concentrates attention on the dreads and beard, minimizing the appearance of the receding hairline.
Trendy Haircuts
The latest trends aren’t too cool for the long top, short sides look. Although the mullet keeps the back long too.
19. Messy Flow
This is such a versatile haircut for men and just a little bit more effort than wearing hair short. This messy look is only one way to style this cut.
20. Crop Fade + Long Fringe
It’s a crop fade with longer fringe.
21. Comb Over Fade
With a nod to the 90s, this cut leaves a few pieces of hair loose.
22. Green Hair + Taper Fade
Cool green highlights emphasize the long hair over darker short hair.
23. Taper Fade Mullet
This permed mullet has short sides and long everywhere else.
24. Punk Mullet
Mullets are popular in plenty of subcultures from country to punk.
Wavy + Curly Hair With Short Sides
The curly fade is one of the most popular cuts for textured hair. Here are some more high fade styles.
25. Curly Hair + High Fade
For this curly mop top style, take the fade way up high. The brow slash is less of a commitment to a bold look than the nose ring.
26. Curly Comb Over Fade
The comb over gets a bad name but it’s a cool look. It makes long wavy hair easy to style – just work some product in with fingers and work it over to the side.
27. Wavy Side Part Haircut
Short sides instead of a fade have a different look and feel.
28. Wavy Slick Back
Instead of styling hair over, gently pull waves back to keep the texture and hold hair in place.
29. Long Curls + Short Sides and Back
The long top is worn forward, showing off those curls to the world.
Undercut Hairstyles
The undercut takes the short sides and back even shorter and up even higher.
30. Disconnected Undercut
This disconnected undercut takes the sides down to the skin for the boldest contrast possible.
31. Undercut + Curly Hair
The undercut goes up higher than a high fade, keeping only hair on the top of the head. This makes it easy to wear hair up in a man bun or ponytail, as well as down.
32. Long Hair + Undercut Fade
This undercut fade takes the sides up even higher than the last.
33. Cornrows + Undercut Fade
These cool cornrows are tight to the skin up top and flow down at the back over the undercut.
Keep that ink visible with regular shaves. The defined line of the undercut means it could be done at home.
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