How To Cut a Flat Top

Q: I cut my husband's hair, and he likes a flat top. I am having trouble with the sides of a flat top and with the crown area being short. It looks too high on the sides. If I had a picture of it, I know I could do it. Is there such a thing? Where would I find it?

I would go to the barber shop with him and let them do it. But I doubt they would like me watching over their shoulder the whole time so I can take money away from them to cut his hair. Please help if you can!

A: Here you can see a diagram of how to give a basic flat top haircut. The height of the hair on top varies by personal taste, from a high-rise flat top, to the supershort version with the “landing strip” – the strip along the top of the head where the scalp is visible through the short clipped hair.

Use a comb to help you maintain your flat plane along the top of the head. Usually, the guides of the clippers are sufficient to keep the plane flat, but the edges of the head require attention be paid when cutting.

Barber who is cutting a flattop — Photo: Serhii Bobyk/Shutterstock

Personally, I wouldn’t hesitate to go to your husband’s barber with him in order to watch him get a flat top by a professional. Most barber shops are open floor plan and you can clearly see the barber at work from the waiting area.

There’s no reason for you to tell the barber why you’ve accompanied him, and while you may not be comfortable asking questions (although that wouldn’t be out of the ordinary) you will get to see the cut being performed, and as you said, watching it being done might very well help you to better understand how to imitate the cut at home.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

Clipper cutting techniques

How to cut hair with clippers

What is a number 2 hair cut?