--- title: "Short Back and Sides" date: 2026-11-15 published: 2026-11-13 author: "" --- # Short Back and Sides [Home](/) / [Men’s hairstyles](/mens-hairstyles/) / Short Back and Sides# Short Back and Sides The traditional British barbershop cut: short at the back and sides, a little longer on top, and a side parting. ClassicSide partingGrade 2 to 4 sidesEvery 4 weeks A short back and sides is the traditional British barbershop haircut. The back and sides are cut short and neat, usually a grade 2 to 4 or scissor over comb, with a little more length left on top, enough to part or comb into place. It has no dramatic contrast and no skin. It is simply a tidy, sensible haircut that every barber in the country knows how to cut. It is the plainest entry among [all the hairstyles we cover](/mens-hairstyles/), and arguably the most useful. ![Grey-haired older man with a classic short back and sides and a side parting, front view](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/short-back-and-sides-haircut-front-photo.jpg)Front ![Profile of a grey-haired man with a short back and sides, the sides and back clipped short and tidy](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/short-back-and-sides-haircut-profile-photo.jpg)Profile The same cut from the front and in profile. ## At a glance Also calledSBS, gentleman’s haircut SidesA grade 2 to 4, or scissor over comb Top3 to 6cm, long enough to part PartingOn the side UpkeepEvery 4 weeks Best onEvery face shape Avoid ifYou want a lot of contrast or volume Popularised byCillian Murphy (as Tommy Shelby in The Immortal Man (2026)), Daniel Craig (a grade 3 to 4 back and sides in his Bond years), Richard Madden (styled with a quiff) Upkeep**2 / 5** Every 4 weeks Styling effort**2 / 5** A comb and a little product Length needed**2 / 5** Very little ## £5 off your first delivery A fresh cut looks sharpest with a clean neckline. A sharp blade keeps it that way between visits, without the razor burn a blunt one leaves. *This page has a form, which is not reproduced here. Use the page itself to fill it in.* £5 off your first subscription or VIP order – one per customer, unsubscribe with 1 click ## How to ask your barber 1. **Ask for a short back and sides**Every barber knows it. Then say how short. 2. **Give the side length**A grade 2 to 4, or scissor over comb. 3. **Say how much off the top**So you can still part it. 4. **Say where you part it**Left or right, and whether you want it natural or a hard part. ## The variations The same cut, worn differently. What changes is the length, where the short part starts and how the top is styled. **Scissor over comb** Sides cut with scissors Softer, more traditional. **Clipper SBS** Grade 3 sides Quicker and tighter. **With a taper** Neckline faded A cleaner finish. **Longer top** 6cm or so More to style. **Hard part** Parting shaved in More defined. ## 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 Ideal Parts cleanly. Wavy Ideal Waves on top add body. Curly Works Keep the top shorter so it holds the parting. Coily Works Works short and neat. Thick Ideal Thin out the top so the parting sits. Fine or thinning Ideal A short neat cut that does not draw the eye. ## Will it suit your face? 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. Round Works Add a little lift at the front so it does not sit flat and wide. Square Ideal A neat parting suits a defined jaw. Oblong Works Keep the top fairly flat rather than lifted. Heart Ideal A side parting breaks up a broad forehead. Diamond Works A parting with some fullness on top works. ## Beard styles that go with it Hair and beard are one outline. These keep the proportions right with this cut. [![Clean-shaven man with short fair hair in a light blue shirt, smooth cheeks, chin and top lip, three-quarter view](/wp-content/uploads/beard-styles/photos/clean-shaven-beard-style-three-quarter-photo.jpg) **Clean shaven**The traditional pairing.](/beard-styles/clean-shaven/) [![Man in a navy suit and white shirt with a corporate beard, short, neatly trimmed and kept full on the cheeks and jaw, three-quarter view](/wp-content/uploads/beard-styles/photos/corporate-beard-beard-style-three-quarter-photo.jpg) **Corporate beard**A short, tidy beard suits a classic cut.](/beard-styles/corporate-beard/) [![Greying man in a navy zip jumper with a chevron moustache, thick and wide, covering the top lip, three-quarter view](/wp-content/uploads/beard-styles/photos/chevron-moustache-beard-style-three-quarter-photo.jpg) **Chevron moustache**A full moustache with a neat short back and sides.](/beard-styles/chevron-moustache/) ## What a short back and sides is The name is the description. The back and the sides are cut short. The top is left longer, usually 3 to 6cm, and normally worn with a side parting or combed into place. The sides are kept short with clippers or scissors. On a clipper short back and sides, the barber takes the sides down with a single grade, often a grade 3 (9mm), and shapes the transition into the top. On a scissor cut version, called scissor over comb, the barber lifts the hair with a comb and cuts along it. Scissor over comb is softer and more traditional. Clippers are quicker and a little tighter. Either way, the sides and top are blended so the shape reads as one haircut. The ears and neckline are tidied, and that is it. It is the default British barbershop cut, and has been for generations, which is why “short back and sides, please” still gets you something sensible almost anywhere. ## Short back and sides vs fade vs taper All three describe the sides. The difference is how short the bottom goes and how gradually. **Short back and sides.** The sides are short but not shaved. A typical grade 2 to 4 all the way down. No skin showing above the neckline. **Fade.** The sides shorten gradually towards the bottom, finishing much shorter, usually a grade 0 or skin. More contrast, more upkeep. The [types of fade](/mens-hairstyles/types-of-fade/) page explains the heights and versions. **Taper.** Only the very edges, the sideburns and the nape, are shortened. The rest of the side keeps its length. Many barbers taper the neckline on a short back and sides as a matter of course. If you want that finish to be the feature, see the [taper fade](/mens-hairstyles/taper-fade/). So a short back and sides is not a fade. You can add a low taper or a low fade to one, and plenty of people do, but at that point it has become a slightly different cut. If you want plain short sides with no fade, say so. ## Who a short back and sides suits Almost everyone. That is not a dodge. Because the cut does not commit to anything extreme, it works across face shapes, hair types and ages. ![Profile of a bearded man in a white shirt with a short back and sides and a side parting](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/short-back-and-sides-side-parting-profile.jpg) **Face shape.** It suits every face shape, with small adjustments. On a round face, ask for the sides a little shorter and some height on top. On a long face, keep the sides a touch fuller, a grade 3 or 4, and the top flatter. On a square face, a soft side parting sits well against a strong jaw. **Fine or thinning hair.** One of the best choices there is. A short, neat cut with no extreme contrast does not draw the eye to thin areas, and shorter hair on top separates less. [Haircuts for balding men](/mens-hairstyles/haircuts-for-balding-men/) covers more options. **Thick hair.** Works well, but ask the barber to thin out the top so the parting lies flat. Otherwise thick hair puffs up and loses its shape within a fortnight. **Wavy and curly hair.** Waves add body to the top. Curly hair works too, with the top kept shorter so it holds a shape. Coily hair works short and neat. **Work and school.** The safest cut there is for strict dress codes. **Avoid it if** you want a lot of contrast or volume. It is a tidy cut, not a statement. ## How to ask a UK barber for a short back and sides “Short back and sides, please” will get you one, but four details get you the one you want. 1. **Give the side length.** A grade number for clippers, or ask for scissor over comb. A grade 2 (6mm) is tight. A grade 3 (9mm) is the common middle. A grade 4 (12mm) is softer, with no scalp showing through. 2. **Say how much off the top.** In centimetres, or “enough to still part it”. A useful phrase is “no shorter than finger length at the front”. 3. **Say where you part it.** Left or right, and whether you want a natural parting or a hard part shaved in. 4. **Choose the neckline.** Tapered (blended into the neck, grows out softly), natural (follows your own hairline) or squared (blocked, crisp on day one, untidy sooner). Two example orders: - “Short back and sides, grade 3 on the sides, tapered neckline, about 4cm on top so I can part it on the left.” - “Scissor over comb on the back and sides, just a trim on top, natural neckline.” If it is your first time or a new barber, go a grade longer than you think. You can go shorter next time. You cannot go longer. Mention cowlicks, a double crown or ears that stick out. The barber can adjust the length around them. ## Clipper grades for a short back and sides A quick reference, in UK grades: ![Grey hair cut in a short back and sides, seen from behind and to the side in a barbershop](/wp-content/uploads/mens-hairstyles/photos/realistic/short-back-and-sides-grey-hair-barbershop-rear-view.jpg) - **Grade 1 (3mm).** Very short. Scalp shows through. Tight for a short back and sides. - **Grade 2 (6mm).** Short and sharp. A tight version. - **Grade 3 (9mm).** The usual choice. Short, neat, no obvious scalp. - **Grade 4 (12mm).** Fuller and softer. Grows out the most gently. Half grades exist too. A barber can set the clipper lever between guards to get a 2.5, for example. ## Styling a short back and sides Very little. A comb and a small amount of product, two minutes at most. **Side parting.** Towel-dry, comb in the parting, work a little cream or light paste through the top from back to front, and comb it into place. That is the classic version. **Textured top.** If you would rather not wear a parting, rub a small amount of matte clay through dry hair with your fingers and push it forward or up. More like a [textured crop](/mens-hairstyles/textured-crop/) in style. **Forward and short.** Cut the top shorter and push it forward with a fringe, and you are halfway to a [French crop](/mens-hairstyles/french-crop/). Fine hair needs very little product. Thick hair may need a firmer cream to keep the parting down. ## Upkeep and how often to cut a short back and sides Every four weeks for most people. Tighter versions on a grade 1 or 2 look their best cut every two to three weeks. A grade 4 or a scissor cut with a tapered neckline can stretch to five or six. It grows out more gracefully than almost any other cut, because there is no hard line to lose and no skin to grow back. Hair grows about 1cm a month, and on a grade 3 side that just makes it look slightly fuller. Book in earlier if the sideburns start to flare out or the neckline looks fuzzy over your collar. Those go first. ## Variations The structure stays the same. Small changes alter the look. - **Scissor over comb.** Sides cut with scissors. Softer and more traditional. - **Clipper short back and sides.** Grade 3 sides. Quicker and tighter. - **With a taper.** The neckline faded for a cleaner finish. - **Longer top.** Around 6cm, for more to style or a swept-back look. - **Hard part.** A parting shaved in for a sharper line. - **Shorter top.** Take the top down to 2 to 3cm and it moves towards a [crew cut](/mens-hairstyles/crew-cut/). To grow it out, keep the sides and neckline tidied every four to six weeks while the top grows. Because the shape is so simple, it stays recognisable all the way through. ## Questions we get asked Is a short back and sides a fade?No. A short back and sides keeps the sides short but not shaved, typically a grade 2 to 4 all the way down. A fade gets gradually shorter towards the bottom and finishes much shorter, usually a grade 0 or skin. You can add a low fade or taper to a short back and sides, but the classic cut has neither. What grade is a short back and sides?Usually a grade 2 to 4 on the sides, which is 6 to 12mm. A grade 3 (9mm) is the most common. Some barbers cut it scissor over comb instead of clippers, which gives a softer finish. What does a short back and sides look like?Short, neat sides and back with a slightly longer top, usually combed into a side parting. The ears and neckline are tidied. There is no skin showing and no sharp contrast between the sides and the top. What is a tapered back and sides?A short back and sides where the neckline and sideburns are graduated shorter at the very edges, so the hair blends into the neck rather than stopping at a line. It grows out more neatly than a squared neckline. How often should you get a short back and sides?About every four weeks. A tight grade 1 or 2 looks best every two to three weeks, and a softer grade 4 or scissor cut can go five or six. Does a short back and sides suit thinning hair?Yes, it is one of the best cuts for it. A short, even cut with no extreme contrast does not draw attention to thin areas. Keep the top on the shorter side so it does not separate and show the scalp. ## Other classic cuts Close relatives, and how they differ. [UndercutLong top](/mens-hairstyles/undercut/)[QuiffGrade 3 to 4 sides](/mens-hairstyles/quiff/)[Slick BackLong top](/mens-hairstyles/slick-back/)[PompadourLow fade](/mens-hairstyles/pompadour/) ## Browse by what matters to you The same directory, cut a different way. [Buzz Cut Lengths and Clipper GradesGrade 1 to grade 4, and the short cuts built on them.](/mens-hairstyles/buzz-cut-lengths/)[Classic Men’s HaircutsBarbershop standards that have outlasted every trend.](/mens-hairstyles/classic-haircuts/)[Haircuts for Balding and Thinning HairShort cuts that make thinning hair look deliberate.](/mens-hairstyles/haircuts-for-balding-men/) [All 29 hairstylesThe full directory](/mens-hairstyles/) [Men’s shaving subscription, UKFor a clean neckline between cuts. Five-blade refills from £10](/)