The Best Pinoy Haircuts throughout History – Then and Now
The typical Filipino man grows up with a signature haircut, but with scant to no knowledge of any of the other hairstyles. That’s why we’re going to discuss other Pinoy haircuts and hairstyles here. You may be familiar with the “Barber’s Cut,” but aside from this iconic haircut, we’re going to show you other styles that you can try and experiment with.
Read on, and this primer on the evolution of Pinoy haircuts might come in handy for your next trip to the barbershop.
- Pre-1920s Pinoy Haircut: The Curtain Haircut, or The Kachupoy
- 1950s Pinoy Hair Trend: Pompadour
- 1970s Pinoy Haircut: The Beatles Bowl Cut
- 1980s Pinoy Hair Trend: Long Hair, Don’t Care!
- 1990s Pinoy Hair Trends: Short, Flat, Spiky, Barber’s, Buzz, and Crew Cut
- The 2000s and beyond: The Man Bun and Undercut
Pre-1920s Pinoy Haircut: The Curtain Haircut, or The Kachupoy
What is it? During its time, it was a slick middle part that even the La Solidaridad boys sported through the revolution. It blew up again in the ’90s after Leonardo DiCaprio stole our hearts as Jack, and local teen heartthrobs like Patrick Garcia recreated the ‘do for a Saturday afternoon rom-com series. But this time they laid off on the pomade and gave the look some volume with a casual brush-up style.
The Modern Take: Hold off on the gloss and go for a matte finish. A bit of texture also helps this ‘do look more relaxed and up to date.
Editor’s tip: Give your curtain haircut a textured, slightly messy look by styling it with VO5 Styling Wax.
Natural curls also make for an interesting curtain hairstyle. Just keep them neat and in place by finishing with hair wax or a small amount of hair gel.
1950s Pinoy Hair Trend: Pompadour
What is it? Elvis’ signature look made the pompadour an iconic hairstyle. It’s a slicked-back style with an extremely short faded buzz on the sides and a heavy, lengthy ‘pomp’ or front bed of hair. Your grandparents will probably also remember actor-best friends FPJ and Erap with this coif.
The Modern Take: Elvis popularized the “rockabilly” style of this ‘do, but you can opt for a sexier approach a la David Beckham.
1970s Pinoy Haircut: The Beatles Bowl Cut
What is it? Everyone who grew up in the Philippines either had this haircut or a little 7-year-old cousin who did. This famous Pinoy haircut takes its name from the idea that you can get it after placing a bowl on one’s head and chopping your hair away. The bowl cut is a variation of the mushroom cut and can trace its roots to the mop top of the 1960s to ’70s Beatles fame, which even pre-Selena Biebs wore for a couple of years circa 2010.
The Modern Take: Yes, you can make this look good! In fact, when you get it with an undercut and you sweep the strands to the front of your head, you can make a fashionable street statement. You can also play with texture and add a wispy effect to make this haircut fresh.
By adding texture to your hair, you can wear your bowl cut like a Korean oppa. A textured bowl cut hairstyle is also great if you have thin hair and you don’t want it to look limp and lifeless.
1980s Pinoy Hair Trend: Long Hair, Don't Care!
What is it? Think Aga Muhlach and the rest of the guys from that movie your tita talks about, Bagets. When the ’80s come to mind, you’ll probably think of spandex, short basketball shorts, high socks, and neon. But for hair, actually, rock music was a huge influence. Hence, the mullet: a long-in-the-back, short-in-the-front look that artists like David Bowie wore on their crowns.
The Modern Take: The mullet is a hair trend that persists to this day, and it’s oddly still pretty cool. Grow your hair out just a little bit then head to your barber if you feel like giving this a try. He’ll know what to do.
Shake up your long ‘do by combining the messy and the sleek. Create a messy, textured look on top of your hair while keeping the rest of your hair smooth.
Editor’s Tip: Keep those long locks healthy and strong while preventing dandruff with CLEAR Anti-Hairfall Anti-Dandruff Shampoo for Men. It fortifies the hair for natural growth that’s uninterrupted by breakage and hair fall.
1990s Pinoy Hair Trends: Short, Flat, Spiky, Barber's, Buzz, and Crew Cut
What is it?: Raise your hand if you’re a millennial and you know exactly all these Pinoy haircuts and hair trends! Pull out any grade school class picture and you’ll find at least one classmate for each of these ‘dos. Heavily influenced by pop stars and boy bands (like Eminem’s jailbreak buzz cut and Justin Timberlake’s *NSYNC-era frosted spiky tips), these looks almost completely purged themselves of the 80s’ free-flowing vibe.
The Modern Take: Alright, let’s get to the “Barber’s Cut.” The Barber’s Cut, or the short sides and back cut, is a standard Pinoy haircut that the village barbero uses a “2×3” method to create: two fingers off of the sides, three fingers off of the back. Of course, while each barber’s fingers are different, this is a measurement that makes sense throughout the Philippines, whichever barrio or metropolis you may be in! The result is a fade that can then be styled into other looks, no matter the face type.
Editor’s Tip: When you have your hair this short, white flakes and dry scalps can be an eyesore to others—let alone be frustrating to you! Grab a bottle of Clear Deep Cleanse Anti-Dandruff Shampoo for Men to keep your scalp healthy and fresh with its activated charcoal and menthol.
The 2000s and beyond: The Man Bun and Undercut
What is it?: Throughout the past two decades of the millennium, we’ve seen the return of some hair trends. The man bun borrows from the long hair sensibility of the ’80s while taking cues from the fact that the future is female and scrunching it all up. The undercut, for its part, is figuring in fades and undercut variations of its own, filling a hairstyle spectrum from polished to edgy depending on the style.
The Modern Take: Just to be daring, why not try one of these non-punk Mohawk faded haircuts? They don’t look super punk, making them an edgy but still wearable hairstyle. They add just the right amount of flair and character to your everyday look.
Editor’s tip: Keep your scalp cool and shower-fresh all day while keeping nasty flakes at bay by using CLEAR Ice Cool Menthol Anti-Dandruff Shampoo.
Now that you know the history behind different Pinoy haircuts, you have more ideas the next time you visit your barber. Which haircut is your favorite? Just remember to pick one that suits your lifestyle and personality so you can rock it comfortably. Have fun with these ideas!
