The Best Pinoy Haircuts throughout History

When it comes to the evolution of the Pinoy haircut, don’t you think it’s time we understand what goes on with the “Barber’s Cut” if we’re going to keep asking for it?

The typical Filipino man grows up with a signature Pinoy haircut, but with scant to no knowledge of any of the other hairstyles. That’s why we’re going to discuss other haircuts and hairstyles here. You may be familiar with the “Barber’s Cut,” but aside from this iconic hairscut, we’re going to show you other styles that you can try and experiment with. Read on, and this primer on the evolution of the Pinoy haircut might come in handy for your next trip to the barbershop.

History of Pinoy Haircuts and Hairstyles

Pre-1920s Pinoy Haircut: The Curtain Haircut, or The Kachupoy

Pinoy haircut: Asian man with short black hair curtain style wearing a dark blue jacket — Channel a cool ’90s vibe with a *kachupoy* haircut. Credit: Shutterstock

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.

Pinoy hiarcut: Asian woman with dark hair in curtain hairstyle wearing a coat outdoors — Update a *kachupoy* haircut by adding texture. Credit: indigitailimages.com

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 TONI&GUY High Definition Spray Wax.

1950s Pinoy Hair Trend: Pompadour

pinoy haircut pompadour side part — You can pair the pompadour with a side part for a professional contemporary look. Credit: Raquel Brust

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.

Pinoy haircut: Asian man with short black pompadour hair smiling — A slicked-back pompadour can make you look dapper any day.

The Modern Take: Elvis popularized the “rockabilly” style of this ‘do, but you can opt for a sexier approach a la David Beckham.

Watch: Top style blogger David Guison pulls off a slicked-back pompadour.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU3jNYGhg1U[/embedyt]

1970s Pinoy Haircut: The Beatles Bowl Cut

pinoy haircut bowl haircut beatles style — The modern bowl cut takes after some influence of the Beatles’ mop top. Credit: Indigitalimages.com

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 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.

model with long fringe and short hair — Fringe with trimmed sides. Credit: indigitalimages.com

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.

1980s Pinoy Hair Trend: Long Hair, Don’t Care!

modern mullet hairstyle — The mullet hairstyle is fondly called the “business in the front, party in the back” look. You can see why! Credit: indigitalimages.com

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.

mullet hairstyle — It’s a bit of a high maintenance hairstyle—you can’t just wash and go so make sure you’re up to it! Credit: Shutterstock

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.

Editor’s Tip: Keep those long locks healthy and strong with Dove Men + Care Strengthening Shampoo. 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

pinoy haircut crew cut professional hairstyles for men — The crew cut doesn’t require any styling. Just wash, go, and look good at work! Credit: iStock

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.

Short and tight buzzcut for a cool, military look. Credit: indigitalimages.com

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.

Clear Deep Cleanse Anti-Dandruff Shampoo for Men

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

mens-curly-undercut — Try the forward-swept undercut for an edgy but still boy-next-door look. Credit: Dvora

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.

Pinoy haircut: Man with short dark hair wearing a white dress shirt and suspenders — Use a mattifying putty to style a Mohawk fade and wear it at work. Credit: Shutterstock

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, you have more hair ideas the next time you visit your barber for a haircut. Which one is your favorite? Just remember to pick a haircut that suits your lifestyle and personality so you can rock it comfortably. Have fun with these ideas!

Next read: Looking for more hair pegs? Check out these Asian hairstyles for men that you can wear every day! They’re easy to style, so even if you’re a hairstyling newbie, you won’t have a problem creating these looks.