Guide to the Asian Undercut

Are you having trouble styling your undercut hairstyle with thick Asian hair?  The undercut is a hairstyle where the hair on top of the head is long and parted on either the side or center, while the back and sides are buzzed very short. The pictures above are an example of how the Asian undercut looks. Due to the qualities of Asian hair, it can be more difficult to style.

I’ll be going over what I’ve learned from cutting and styling my hair over the years.  There are many different variations of the undercut but I’ll be focusing on the slickback and comb over undercut.

Slick Back Undercut

This hairstyle takes a little more maintenance than your ordinary haircut. It will take at least half a year to grow out the top of your hair to an acceptable length.

Your hair will need to 4-6 inches in length in order for it to stay down when you style it, and you’ll also have to use the right product. Otherwise, you’ll end up frustrated from trying to hold it in place. Trust me, there are a lot of products that just won’t work. For a long time I just thought my hair wasn’t able to be styled properly but the solution was finding the right product.

You’ll need to commit to getting over the awkward length phase of your hair. During this time, I styled my hair as a comb over and wore a hat until it was long enough to slick back.

How to Cut

Assuming you have short hair, you’re going to want to ask your barber to:

1. Leave the top
2. Cut the sides short. I usually ask for a fade from 0 to 2.

• 0 is close to a skin shave
• 1  is not as close to a skin shave, shows less scalp
• 2 leaves your hair and doesn’t show the scalp

For 4-6 months or until the top of your hair is 4-6 inches, those are the only two things you have to tell the barber. When your hair becomes long enough you can tell your barber to:

1. Thin out the top, this gives volume to your hair, but make sure you don’t thin it too much because it’ll be hard to keep your hair down
2. Cut the length of the back of your hair and manage the length

Pomades to Use

These pomades will work well for both the slickback and the combover

Suavecito Pomade Firme Hold 4 oz

One of my favorite pomades, because if your hair is thick like mine you’re going to need a strong hold. 

• Great hold that lasts throughout the day
• Good amount of shine
• Washes out easily with water
• Smells great (Subtle masculine scent that smells like Coca-Cola)
• Hair can be restyled easily with a bit of water

Layrite Super Hold Pomade

Layrite is a great alternative, it has a strong hold as well with some minor differences

• Strong hold that does the job
• Less of a wet look and shine
• Also washes out easily with water
• Scent is more subtle, smells like vanilla

How to Style the Slickback Asian Undercut

1. Wash your hair first or get it damp
2. I like to blowdry it into the direction that I want to style my hair
3. Apply a small amount of product onto your hair, rub it in near your scalp and run your hands backwards through your hair
4. Apply more product if you find it’s not enough, but I prefer starting with less so that my hair doesn’t harden
5. I also use more product on the back side of my hair to keep in shape
6. If you want more volume you can blowdry your hair as you loosen it with your hands

Comb Over Undercut

The combover undercut is much easier to maintain and style than the slickback. You will only need to grow your hair about 2 inches long, so you’ll have to cut the top. The rest of the instructions for cutting your hair are the same as the slickback.

How to Style

1. Wash your hair first or get it damp
2. I like to blowdry it into the direction that I want to style my hair
3. Apply a small amount of product onto your hair, rub it in near your scalp and run your hands sideways through your hair
4. Apply more product if you find it’s not enough, but I prefer starting with less so that my hair doesn’t harden
5. If you want more volume you can blowdry your hair as you loosen it with your hands

Final Thoughts

I hope you found my guide to the Asian undercut helpful. My final piece of advice is to buy some hair ties because long hair can get annoying when you don’t style it. Another alternative is to buy some hats to wear for when you don’t have time and need to leave the house.