Curly Undercuts: The Kinks of Styling Curly Hair: Curly hair can be hard to manage. The texture of the curls, and the kinks of hair is what dictates what styles will look best, and what styles will fail. In order to make their curls manageable, men have opted for undercuts with increasing willingness. This has given rise to the curly mop and undercut fashion that we commonly view as hipster or stylish.
While it may seem easy enough to grow out a curly undercut that looks as good as it sounds, the possibility of the look going drab rather than fab is quite high. Do it right with this guide to cutting and styling your curly hair into an undercut that is par excellence!
How to Style Curly Undercut At Home
Looking to style your curly hair at home? Here’s how to get the perfect undercut to complement your curls:
What You Need:
- Comb
- Clips to hold hair in place
- Trimmer and appropriate Guards
- Barber’s Shears
- Hair Serum
- Mirror
DIY Curly Undercut for Beginners:
Step 1 – Start by washing your hair and conditioning it. Make sure to use small quantities of shampoo as overdoing it often takes away essential nutrients and oils from the scalp, leaving it dry. Now arrange yourself in front of a mirror.
Step 2 – Untangle your hair using the comb.
Step 3 – The key ingredient of this style is your curls, so grow your curls out and identify the area of the curls that you intend to keep, the area that you intend to cut off.
Undercuts can be achieved by keeping the hair on the top of your head longer, and shortening the hair below that area to a minimal length. Some people, the braver ones, may opt to go completely bald underneath the top of the head where hair is retained. This is a bolder undercut style.
Step 4 – Once you have identified the length of hair that will be retained, part them with a comb, and use a clip to keep the hair in place on the top of your head. A good place to start an undercut is to imagine a line running latitudinal from your crown, above your ear on one side, to the other.
Step 5 – Now is where the tricky part of this style begins: First, on moisten the hair, and use the barber’s shears to cut off any excess length of the hair which will essentially form the undercut. This should help you with the next step.
Step 6 – This step involves the use of the trimmers. Use the trimmer guards numbered two or three before going lower to one and zero, as the smaller the number of the guard, the shorter the hair will be. With the trimmer, cut off the lengths of hair under the identified crown, and begin to construct the undercut all the way across the back and sides of the head.
Step 7 – Once the hair below the crown (the mop of curly length you want to keep) is trimmed to appropriate length, you can choose to create a gradient look, which would involve trimming the hair from the side of the ears to the base of the neck in a descending length.
Step 8 – After the undercut is prepped, the mop top can be opened and trimmed with the Barber’s shears, and then rinsed in water.
Step 9 – The final step here is to apply a hair serum in moist hair so as to help it retain its shape and look styled as well as chic.
Top 15 Curly Haired Undercut Styles
#1: Curly Undercut with Forehead Fringe
A fringe is a cute look on almost everyone. Not only does it make the face appear fuller, it also provides more body to the overall look. However, a controlled fringe is the way to go for men that work in professional settings. Beware, though – a dirty forehead fringe attracts dust and gives rise to acne.
#2: Curly Undercut with Elongated Fringe
An elongated fringe is a look typified by the early 2000’s, except that instead of heat treating the hair to make it straight, the fringe is allowed to retain its original texture and grow out in its natural pattern. This look is most friendly to healthy hair.
#3: Disconnected Undercut
As spoken of in the DIY section, styling an undercut can either be done by creating a gradient, or it can be achieved by creating a distinct line under the crown section, dividing the sections. This line can extend from the forehead to the point where the tip of the ear meets the head.
#4: Undercut with High Fade
Creating a high fade within an undercut is very simple – the trick is to identify a crown section which extends to only the very top of the head. This look is a cross between a mop-top and a Mohawk, and is equal measures as cool!
#5: Skin Faded Undercut
A skin faded undercut is one where the hair under the crown section is so finely trimmed that it fades to skin. This look is bold and is not a recommended for persons with thin or less dense hair. It is best attempted when the hair growth is thick and textured.
#6: Slick Back Curls and Undercut
An undercut can never be complete without at least the mention of a slick back look. Men with curly hair have two choices, either to slick the hair on the top back completely, or to slick them back leaving curls to hang down from the back. The prior look requires the use of oodles of hair styling gel, depending on the texture of your curls, and the latter requires for the curls to be left more loose than completely slick.
#7: Curly Textured Quiff and Undercut
A quiff is created by rolling the hair backward with a rolling brush and using a hair drier to set them in place. Doing this with your curls will create a look which will make you look fresh and clean, especially if the edges of the undercut are well defined.
#8: Messy Curls Undercut
Messy curls, or mop tops are popular among the younger guys, and require minimum maintenance. Simply use a hair gel or styling wax on moist hair, and scrunch the strands in your palms to get the desired look. The messy bedhead has never looked better!
#9: Angular Fringe Undercut
Angular fringes were all the rage in the 90’s and early 2000’s. No, I am not asking you to full Justin Timberlake a la NSYNC, but leaving the curly fringe to grow out, and trimming it at regular intervals to shape the fringe is a smart move for any sane man with curly hair. Don’t forget to use your shears to shape the fringe towards the side you intend to keep the fringe every week.
#10: Cropped Curly Hair and Undercut
Short cropped curls are the most formal way to wear your curls. Take it from Nick and Joe Jonas, this look can look good at the office as well as on the red carpet. Just decide how short you want to crop the hair, and make sure you crop enough to leave some curls for texture on the top, and you’re good to go, slick!
#11: Kinky Hair Undercut
Kinky hair are the perfect hair texture for an overstated undercut. For this, simply allow your kinky hair to dominate the top of your head, and with a trimmer guard set to the zero setting, trim a fine line parting the top of the hair from the undercut hair. Sexy, much?
#12: Afro Undercut
One of the most underrated and simple ways to style curly undercuts is by letting the hair do what it does best – grow out! If you are a man with curly, kinky or permed hair, letting it grow out from the top of the head can become a look served well
#13: Coloured Top Undercut
A fairly easy style to achieve, all one has to do is style an undercut, and then colour the curls left on top. This can be a subtle colour, or just bleach, or it can be a drastically different colour which will make the entire look pop.
#14: Curly Man Bun Undercut
A man bun is a hipster style statement of the millennium, and is abundantly easy to find on the internet. The easiest way to achieve this look is by untangling your curls, spraying on a salt spray for added texture, and then simply pulling back the curly hair left on top of the head and tying them up with a hair tie. This bun can be made on the top of the head, or the back, depending on what style is intended.
#15: Viking Undercut
The Viking Undercut is the style most popularised by the ancient warrior tribe. However, modern folklore has placed Vikings pretty high on the list of chic hairstyles for curly hair. This cut is for men with longer lengths of curly hair, and we mean hair that reaches the ears or below. The undercut paired with long curls parted to a side give off a vibe that Skrillex would be proud to endorse.