Tapered Nape Area

Nape view of a short haircut — Photo: Shutterstock

Q: Hi! I'm writing to you from Portugal, and I'd like to ask you a question about my hair. Every time I go to my hairdresser; he cuts my hair the way I like it except in the nape of the neck area where it remains with a "geometrical" cut.

But as I'm not a hair expert, I don't know how to explain to him how to do it. I've tried to draw it on paper, but it always disappoints. If there is any special name for this kind of hair cut, I'd like to know so I can explain him better. I've included a drawing, so you can understand better what I want.

A: The trouble with trying to use a "name" for a haircutting technique is that the names are often non-standardized. This means that a term used in the U.S. would not be known in other countries. The terms may not even be the same from region to region in the same country.

You have actually created the perfect tool for getting what you want across to have done to your hair. If you take the image you created to show me what you want and show it to the stylist you use, he or she should be able to create the look you desire.

Simply show the stylist your illustration and explain that you would like the nape area of your neck tapered and the hairline trimmed to follow the shape you have drawn. The neck hairline is curved and tapered to a point in the center back of the neck.

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See also:

Anatomy of the head

Do you think buzzed nape hairstyles will ever be in fashion again?

Is it appropriate to use clippers to tidy up the stray hairs on the nape of the neck?

What exactly is a nape whorl and what can be done about it?