Corte de pelo con flequillo
A medium-length top worn forward, with a loose, textured fringe falling over the forehead.
A men's fringe is hair on top cut long enough to fall forward over the forehead, usually somewhere between the middle of the forehead and the eyebrows. The modern version is the messy or textured fringe, with a broken, choppy edge rather than a straight line, over shorter sides. Among more men's hairstyles, it is the one that does the most to change the shape of your face.
De un vistazo
- También se conoce como
- Messy fringe, textured fringe
- Sides
- Tapered, or a grade 2 to 3
- Top
- 5 to 9cm, worn forward
- Fringe
- Loose and uneven, towards the brows
- Mantenimiento
- Every 3 to 6 weeks
- Lo mejor en
- Oblong, heart and diamond faces, and higher foreheads
- Ten cuidado con
- A strong cowlick at the front. It does not rule a fringe out, but needs more length and product
- Popularised by
- Barry Keoghan (a choppy textured fringe on the Bird red carpet), James Blake (his long-standing go-to cut), Serge Pizzorno (the Kasabian frontman, spiky with a short blunt fringe)
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How to ask your barber
- Bring the lengthLet the front grow to at least the middle of the forehead first.
- Ask for a textured fringePoint cut so it falls in pieces rather than one block.
- Say where it should sitAt the brows or above them.
- Choose the sidesTapered or a grade 2 to 3.
Las variaciones
The same cut, worn differently. What changes is the length, where the short part starts and how the top is styled.
Will it work with your hair?
Hair type decides how a cut sits and how fast it loses its shape. The table below is the short version.
| Straight | Obras | Needs texture spray so it does not lie flat. |
|---|---|---|
| Wavy | Ideal | Waves fall forward naturally. |
| Curly | Ideal | Curls make a soft fringe. |
| Coily | Evita | Coily hair rarely falls forward. |
| Grueso | Ideal | Thin the fringe so it does not sit heavy. |
| Fine or thinning | Obras | Texture helps; avoid a heavy blunt fringe. |
¿Te quedará bien con tu rostro?
Where a cut adds height and where it takes width away decides how it sits with your face shape. Hair type matters more, but this is the short version.
| Oval | Ideal | Balanced proportions, so the cut itself decides. |
|---|---|---|
| Redondo | Obras | Keep the fringe textured; a heavy straight one makes the face look wider. |
| Cuadrado | Obras | A softer, textured fringe takes the edge off a square jaw. |
| Oblongo | Ideal | A fringe shortens the face. |
| Corazón | Ideal | A fringe narrows a broad forehead. |
| Diamante | Ideal | A fringe widens a narrow forehead. |
Beard styles that go with it
Hair and beard are one outline. These keep the proportions right with this cut.
What a messy fringe is
A fringe is defined by where it sits, not by how the sides are cut. The front of the top is left long, often 5 to 8cm, and falls forward onto the forehead. On a messy or textured fringe the barber point cuts the ends so they break into separate pieces with gaps between them, and layers the top so it moves rather than sitting as one heavy block.
The sides can be almost anything: a fade, a taper, a short back and sides at grade 2 or 3, or scissors only. The fringe is what people see.
It sits apart from the shorter crops. A French crop has a short, neat fringe well up on the forehead, and a Caesar is shorter and straighter again. The textured crop has the same choppy finish as a messy fringe, but kept short. A messy fringe is what you get when you let either crop's front grow down towards the eyebrows and keep the texture.
At the other end, once the fringe is long enough to part in the middle and fall either side of the face, it has become curtains.
How much length you need
More than most men expect.
- Straight hair: at least 5 to 6cm at the front.
- Wavy hair: 6 to 8cm, because the wave takes up some of the length.
- Curly hair: 7 to 9cm or more. Curls shrink when dry, sometimes by a lot.
Hair grows roughly 1cm a month, so from a short crop it takes three or four months to reach a proper fringe. Ask the barber to leave the front alone while they keep the sides tidy. A textured crop is a sensible halfway house while you wait.
Who a fringe suits
Forehead. A fringe makes a high or large forehead look smaller, which is the most common reason men grow one. It also shortens a long face. If your forehead is already low, a fringe can leave too little of your face showing.
Hairline. A textured fringe softens slight recession at the temples, and the broken edge avoids the hard line that a straight fringe draws across a receding front. Thinning across the front is different, because a fringe made of sparse hair separates and looks stringy. In that case, a shorter crop is kinder. The haircuts for balding men page covers the options.
Hair type. Wavy hair is the easiest, because the movement does the texturing for you. Thick straight hair works with plenty of point cutting, otherwise it falls as a heavy curtain. Fine straight hair can lie flat and thin, so keep the fringe a little shorter and use a light product. Curly hair makes a very good fringe, as long as it is cut dry. The hairstyles by hair type page goes into each texture.
Cowlicks. A strong cowlick at the front can split a fringe or push it up. It does not rule one out, but the barber will need to cut with it, often by sweeping the fringe slightly to one side.
Face shape. Square jaws are softened by a broken fringe more than a straight one. Round faces suit a fringe swept slightly to one side, which adds an angle.
How to ask a UK barber for a messy fringe
Bring a photo, ideally of someone with hair like yours, and then agree the details.
A good starting point:
"Textured messy fringe, sitting just above my eyebrows when dry. Scissors on top, point cut so it breaks up. Low fade on the sides, grade 2 down to a 0.5. Keep the fringe a bit longer than the rest of the top."
The parts to agree:
- Fringe length. Say where it should sit when dry: mid forehead, just above the eyebrows, or on them. Curly and wavy hair needs to be checked dry.
- The finish. "Point cut and textured" or "broken up" gets you the messy version. "Straight across" gets you something quite different.
- The sides. A grade 1 to 2 fade or taper for a sharper outline, a grade 2 to 3 short back and sides for something softer, or scissors only for a more natural look. A low fade is a common pairing.
- Weight. If your hair is thick, ask for weight taken out of the top so the fringe moves.
Tell the barber how long you spend on your hair in the morning. It changes how much texture they cut in.
Styling a messy fringe
Two to five minutes, and most of it is drying.
- Towel dry until damp.
- Spray a little salt spray through the fringe and top for grip and texture.
- Either let it dry naturally for a looser finish, or blow dry on low heat, pushing the fringe forward and slightly to the side with your fingers. Drying it in the direction you want it to sit is what stops it splitting.
- Once dry, rub a small amount of matte clay or paste between your fingertips and twist it through the ends of the fringe to separate them into pieces.
On fine hair, use a light cream or a texture spray instead of clay. On curly hair, skip the drying and the clay, scrunch a little curl cream into damp hair and leave it alone.
Keep it matte. Shiny products clump the fringe into strands and show any gaps.
Upkeep and how often to trim
The fringe is the first thing to go. At roughly 1cm a month, a fringe sitting just above the eyebrows is in your eyes within a few weeks.
- Short, sits above the eyebrows: a fringe trim every three to four weeks.
- Longer, messier fringe: four to six weeks.
- Faded sides: the sides will want doing every two to three weeks, which usually sets the timetable.
Many barbers will do a quick fringe tidy between full cuts. Do not cut it straight across yourself at home. That turns a textured fringe into a blunt one, and the texture takes a month to grow back.
Variations and growing it out
- Short textured fringe. Sits mid forehead, choppy, over a fade. Low effort.
- Long messy fringe. On or just above the eyebrows, layered, often over a taper.
- Side swept fringe. Cut slightly longer on one side so it falls diagonally. Good for cowlicks and round faces.
- Curly fringe. Natural curls brought forward over tapered sides, cut dry.
- Disconnected fringe. A long fringe over very short or clippered sides with no blend. More contrast, more upkeep.
To grow a fringe out, keep the sides trimmed and let the top run on. Once the fringe passes the eyebrows, you can push it to one side, part it into curtains, or keep going towards one of the medium and long hairstyles. To go shorter, a textured crop is the natural step back.
Preguntas que nos hacen
What is a fringe haircut on a man?
A haircut where the hair at the front of the top is left long enough to fall forward onto the forehead. Most men's fringes now are messy or textured, with the ends cut into broken pieces rather than one straight line.
How do I ask my barber for a textured fringe?
Say where you want the fringe to sit when dry, ask for it point cut so it breaks up rather than cut straight, and give the side grade, for example a grade 2 fade down to a 0.5. Bring a photo of someone with similar hair.
How long does my hair need to be for a fringe?
At least 5 to 6cm at the front for straight hair, more for wavy or curly hair because it shrinks as it dries. From a short crop that is usually three or four months of growth.
Who should not get a fringe?
Men with a very low forehead, where a fringe leaves little face showing, and men with noticeable thinning across the front, where a fringe separates and shows the scalp. A strong cowlick makes a fringe harder but not impossible.
Do fringes make you look younger?
They tend to, mainly because they cover the forehead, where lines and a receding hairline show first. Whether that suits you is another matter, but it is the most common reason older men grow one.
How often should you trim a fringe?
Every three to six weeks depending on length. A short fringe needs it more often because it reaches the eyebrows sooner. Many barbers will do a quick fringe trim between full cuts.
Other crops
Close relatives, and how they differ.