Ah, the undercut. An epic look that has sort of wiggled in and out of the hottest trends in mainstream style. As barbers, you know that the undercut demand never really wavered–the tried-and-true enthusiasts of this trend have never given up on it (no matter if it was considered a hot-or-not look in the mainstream).
But here’s the thing.
The undercut is making a mainstream comeback–and that means you’ll need to be more prepared than ever to offer the go-to undercut services to clients of all kinds–the newbies just flocking to the in-style look, the undercut loyalists, and the ones who are a little on the fence about taking such a bold barbering stance.
Translation? You need to know how to cut the perfect undercut. But first, a little background on the return of the undercut might help.
What to Know About the Undercut Comeback: Why is the Undercut Coming Back, Anyway?
For the real answer on why the undercut is making a heavy return, we really only need to focus on one word: androgynous.
Not familiar with the term? Don’t sweat it. Androgynous simply means an equal balance between traditional masculine and feminine qualities or characteristics. Androgynous doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing as gender-neutral, but in terms of hairstyle basically means having the traits of both traditional female and male styles.
We’re not big on gendering hairstyles anyway (because hair is hair, right?), but an androgynous cut is one of those styles that’s supposed to be just as applicable to both men's and women’s styles. Anyone can rock it, no matter who they are or what their favorite look is.
The point here is that androgynous styles are really hitting the map big time lately. There’s a mass influx of folks lookin’ to opt into styles that are a bit more gender-neutral and don’t lean in any sort of masculine or feminine direction.
Search terms like “undercut” and “undercut women” have been really popping up on the search engine results lately and seeing major hits that are growing monthly. If history tells us anything, that means a growing trend is on the way.
A few other androgynous styles to be on the lookout for? Peep some of these and keep your skills sharp–folks are going to be on the move to get these styles cut:
Bixies
Mullets
Shags
Shullets
Wolf cuts
Pixie cuts
Faux hawks
And so much more! Truly, an androgynous cut is whatever you make it–these are just a few of the most common.
The Benefits of an Undercut Style
The Style is Second to None–And it’s for Everyone
We’re starting this list off with an easy one–the undercut style just looks cool AF.
And it’s pretty translatable to any style you want to add it to, whether your client loves an edgy, hardcore look or just wants to add a subtle pop of surprise to their style.
An Easy Way Manage Thick Hair
If you’ve got a client with some seriously thick and hard-to-manage hair, an undercut is the perfect middle ground for a sweet, edgy look without having to keep it all maintained on the daily.
With an undercut, you do need to deal with maintenance and trimming (probably on a weekly basis, but we’ll get to that in a minute), but you don’t need to style that section of hair daily.
Translation? This is an easy look for folks with hard-to-manage hair.
A Light Weight Look for All
The major benefit of an undercut is that there’s less hair to deal with. Sure, you get a sweet look, but you don’t have to opt for a ton of layers of hair to find it.
The benefit here? Less hair = less weight. That means a cooler scalp, a hot look, and less hair to lug around (a major benefit in the summer months).
Easy on the Frizz
Undercuts take away a pretty good chunk of hair–that means there’s less to deal with in general, but especially if you’ve got a client with hard-to-control frizz. Often, lopping off some layers, length, and thickness can cool the frizz down (and make it far easier to manage).
More Maintenance = More Barbershop Visits
OK, OK, this one is really more of a barbering benefit, but that’s kind of what this blog is all about. You should obviously let your clients know before they opt for an undercut that they’ll need to focus on more meticulous maintenance so they can determine if this choice is a good fit for their lifestyle.
But ultimately, you can also teach them how to maintain the look at home if they don’t want to pop into the shop every week for a touchup. No harm in encouraging them to have a standing appointment with you, though!
Love what we’ve got to say about the undercut? Still need a little advice on how to manage this epic look? Our best advice is this–practice! Like it or not, undercuts are coming back into style with a vengeance, which means you’ll need to know how to offer a top-notch undercut. Start getting back into the swing of things with a little extra undercut practice.
Got some undercut tips of your own? We want to hear them! Take a walk on the sharing information side and leave us a comment with your go-to tips for awesome-looking undercuts.
