Pixie Haircuts for Guys: 9 Styles & How to Maintain Them

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Learn how to properly cut & maintain a pixie cut

Co-authored by Jenny Tran and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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Male Pixie Cut Styles

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Getting the Pixie Cut

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Maintenance

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Do pixie cuts look good on guys?

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Pixie cuts are a classic look for those who want short, easy-to-manage hair, and although it’s often worn by women, there are just as many pixie haircuts for guys to choose from. In this article, we dig into all of the different styles to choose from, from classic to windswept, explain how to cut and maintain a pixie cut, and more! Read on to learn about which cut works best for you.

Is there a pixie haircut for guys?

An illustration of different pixie cut styles on men.

Yes, there are many pixie haircuts for guys, like the classic pixie, the parted pixie, and the windswept pixie. The classic is short, layered, and hangs over the fringe. The parted pixie is short, parted down the middle, and has curtain bangs. The windswept is short, voluminous, and has side-swept hair on top.

Section 1 of 4:

Pixie Cut Styles for Guys

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Classic The classic pixie cut is the one that started the wave. It’s a short, layered haircut with hair hanging over the fringe of your forehead and rounding out on the sides of your head. It’s short on the back and sides, with slightly longer hair on top. Altogether, the classic pixie cut helps enhance the face shape and cheekbones, especially if you have a more angular face.^{[1]
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- Styling Tips:
  - Comb the long hair on top towards your forehead.
  - Comb the hair on the sides up towards your neck to blend and shape the cut.
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Side-Combed The side-combed pixie cut takes the short hair of the pixie cut and sweeps it off to the side of your head. No matter the length of your pixie cut, combing it to the side helps switch up your look and add a unique flair to it. You can even pair it with a fade or taper for an extra masculine look.
- Styling Tips:
  - Part your hair on the right or left side of your head.
  - Comb the top of your pixie cut towards the other side of your head, making sure the fringe still sits over the forehead.
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Messy The messy pixie is perfect for you alternative folks out there. It’s akin to a punk rocker look, with the short, messy hair flaring out from the top and sides of your head. As a result, the messy pixie is a low-maintenance style that’s great if you want some texture without having to go the extra mile for it.
- Styling Tips:
  - Spray some water and/or sea salt spray in your hair and run your fingers through it, lifting the hair as you do.
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Curly The curly pixie cut is best for those with naturally curly hair. The sides and back still remain short, but the curls grow out of the top for a textured, eye-catching look. Depending on what you want to highlight, you can either keep your curls short, grow them out slightly and sweep them to the side, or find a middle ground where the curls sit on the forehead fringe.
- Styling Tips:
  - Apply a light leave-in conditioner and curl cream to your damp hair and use your fingers to bring out your curls.
  - Comb the curls towards the side or center of your head to help define your pixie cut.
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Gelled A gelled pixie cut takes the classic pixie cut and gels it up to raise the hair. Depending on how you style the gelled pixie cut, you may have hair that’s completely raised at the fringe or slightly hanging over into it. Either way, it’s a great look if you’re looking to add some texture and volume to your pixie cut without having to do too much work.^{[2]
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- Styling Tips:
  - Apply a small amount of hair gel to your damp hair, working it through from the roots to the tips of your hair.
  - Comb the pixie cut towards your forehead for a slicked-down look.
  - Comb the top upward to give yourself some extra volume.
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Parted Pixie The parted pixie takes the pixie cut and combines it with the curtain cut, creating a unique look with bangs that hang off the sides of your forehead. It’s a sleek cut that’s easy to style, too, as you really only have to make sure the hair is parted down the middle. You can even pair it with a fade to enhance the masculine look!^{[3]
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- Styling Tips:
  - Use a comb to draw a straight line down the middle of your head. Then, comb your hair outward from the parted line and towards the edges of your forehead.
- The parted pixie is a good choice if you’re trying to ease into the pixie look, rather than jump right into it with a classic or side-combed pixie.
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Volumized Pixie Like the gelled pixie cut, the volumized pixie cut involves using product to add some lift to your hair. The volumized pixie cut isn’t as heavy as its gelled counterpart, though, making it easier to wear throughout the day.^{[4]
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- Styling Tips:
  - Run styling paste through your hair and lift it up on top using your fingers.
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Windswept Pixie A windswept pixie cut is a thick, textured cut that has the hair on top of the head swept off to the side, as if it were styled by the wind. While the sides and back of the hair are still relatively short, the top is thick and voluminous, making for an eye-catching look that helps balance out thin, angular faces.^{[5]
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- Styling Tips:
  - Apply volumizing mousse to your hair while it’s damp, then use a round-brushed blow dryer to lift your hair from the roots as you sweep it to the side.
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Salt and Pepper Pixie This one is best if you have some grey hairs that stick out. The salt and pepper pixie is essentially a classic pixie cut, but with the grey hairs highlighted to stand out. This works best if you still have some dark hair underneath the greys, as well, but it doesn’t matter too much. As long as the black and grey hairs are both noticeable, you’ve got the salt and pepper pixie.
- Styling Tips:
  - Spray sea salt spray into your hair and use your fingers to bring out some of your black and grey hairs.

Section 2 of 4:

How to Cut the Pixie Cut

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Grab a fine-toothed comb and separate your hair into sections: back, sides, and top. Comb the sides and back down to part them, and comb the top towards the forehead. This will make it easier to cut the pixie style.^{[6]
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Cut the first side diagonally to create your guideline. Lift about an inch (2.54 cm) of hair on the front section of the sides with your fingers and use a pair of scissors to cut a straight diagonal line going towards the neck. Continue moving back, cutting one-inch (2.54 cm) sections as you do. This will create the guideline and help keep the sides balanced. As you work your way through the sections, continue to comb your hair down.^{[7]
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- If there are any extra layers of hair in the way, comb them towards the back to make it easier to cut the area you’re currently working on.
- After completing the area you’re working on, comb the extra layers of hair back down and cut them along the guideline to finish off the side.
Following along the guideline, continue combing the hair down, using your fingers to grab it, and cut it, making sure not to cut into the guideline. Continue following the guideline until you’ve cut the back and sides into uniform, aligned sections.^{[8]
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Cut the top, moving from short to long, back to front. Comb the top of your hair towards your face so it’s all going in one direction. Then, starting from the back, comb the hair up and cut it into a straight diagonal line. This will form the guideline that you use to cut the rest of the top. Work your way towards the front, lifting up your hair and following the guideline so that the hair towards the back is shorter than the hair towards the front. Continue to cut diagonally as you work towards the front.^{[9]
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- As you cut the top, break it into smaller sections so it’s easier to cut.
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Clean up the edges and guidelines with scissors. Go along the edges of your hair and carefully trim them to get rid of excess hair and straighten out the lines on the sides and back of your hair. Head to the guidelines you created earlier and carefully cut along them to get rid of any stragglers and keep yourself looking sharp and fresh.^{[10]
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- As you cut your hair at this stage, make sure it’s dry so you don’t accidentally cut off too much hair.

Section 3 of 4:

How to Maintain the Pixie Cut

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Get regular haircuts every 4-6 weeks. Consistently getting your hair cut ensures that you catch uneven growth, split ends, and any stragglers or overgrowth before they become noticeable. When you get your haircut, make sure to get the sides and back cut shorter than the top to keep the look balanced. If you’re unsure of what to ask your hairstylist, bring in a picture of the cut you’re looking to get.^{[11]
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Wash, condition, and moisturize your hair to keep it hydrated. Keeping your hair hydrated is crucial for maintaining a flattering pixie cut. Washing your hair gets rid of any trapped dirt, grime, or oils, making it easier to style. Conditioning and moisturizing your hair helps keep it hydrated, which is crucial for preventing breakage, frizzing, and split ends. So, wash your hair every 2-3 days to keep it clean and healthy.^{[12]
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- Depending on your lifestyle, you may want to wash your hair more or less than every 2-3 days. If you live a lifestyle where you frequently get dirty, you’ll want to wash it more.
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Use silk or satin pillowcases at night. Sleeping on silk or satin pillowcases works wonders for your pixie cut, as it makes sure your hair isn’t getting tugged on by the case like it would with other materials. Not only does this keep your style protected while you sleep, but it also helps your hair retain moisture, which helps prevent damage from breakage and split ends.^{[13]
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Section 4 of 4:

Do pixie cuts look good on guys?

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Yes, pixie cuts can look good on guys, especially if they match your face shape. Professional hair stylist Jenny Tran says the pixie cut works best with longer faces and heart-shaped faces. “If you have a rounder face and you have it in a pixie, the head to hair ratio is kind of off there,” Tran says.^{[14]
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Expert Source

Jenny Tran
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview} If you have a round face, a voluminous style like the curly or volumized pixie can help offset the lack of angles.