Haircuts for Men With Glasses: Frames, Fades and the Side Part

Glasses change the most important area of the haircut

Glasses arms sit right on the temple area above the ear, which is exactly where the fade or taper transition usually lives. Whatever we do there will be seen together with the frames, and it also affects how the glasses physically sit on your head.

Long hair at the temples gets pushed out by the arms and flicks over them, which looks messy by the afternoon. Hair cut unevenly under the arms can leave the glasses sitting crooked. That is why the side area needs more thought for glasses wearers than almost any other detail.

Where the fade should sit relative to the arms

Ideally, the fade line should not run in a straight line along the arms of your glasses. When the two lines overlap, they double up and make the side of the head look busy.

There are two good options. Either keep the fade low enough that it finishes below the arms, as with a low taper fade, or take it clearly higher so the arms sit on short hair and the transition is well above them. A mid fade that ends right at the arm is the one to avoid.

The arms themselves should rest on short, even hair. That stops the frame from pushing the hair outward and keeps the glasses level.

1. Wear your glasses into the appointment and keep them handy in the chair.
2. Put them on during the consultation so we can see where the arms cross the side of your head.
3. Set the fade line either below or clearly above that line.
4. Cut the hair under the arms short and even, and clean around the back of the ear where the arm tucks in.
5. Put the glasses back on at the end and check both sides from the front and in the mirror.

Bold frames versus thin frames

The weight of your frames should roughly match the weight of your haircut, so neither overpowers the other. Thick acetate frames are a strong feature, and a very minimal cut can look plain next to them; thin metal or rimless frames can get lost under a big, heavy style.

• Bold, thick frames: suit cuts with some structure and volume, such as a quiff, a textured crop or a pompadour, so the top balances the heavy line across the face.
• Thin metal frames: suit neater, lower-profile cuts like a crew cut, Ivy League or a tidy side part.
• Rimless frames: work with almost anything, but clean, short cuts let the face do the work.
• Round frames: pair well with a slightly angular cut and a squared lineup, which adds contrast.
• Rectangular frames: suit softer, textured tops that take the edge off all the straight lines.

The side part is the classic glasses pairing

A side part with a low taper is the most reliable cut for glasses wearers, because it keeps hair off the frames, shows the forehead above them, and adds a clean diagonal line that sits comfortably with a horizontal frame.

It works across frame styles, too. With bold frames, a slightly fuller side part with some lift at the front holds its own; with thin frames, a closer comb-over is more balanced. A hard part is optional, but keep it subtle if your frames are already a strong feature, as two sharp lines on the face can look fussy.

Fringes, beards and other details with glasses

Heavy fringes that sit on or near the top of the frames make the face look crowded, with hair, frame and eyebrows stacked into one band. If you like a fringe, keep it short and textured, or swept to the side, so there is some forehead visible above the glasses.

Beards and glasses together add a lot to the face, which can look great but needs to be kept neat. A short boxed beard or trimmed stubble with a clean cheek line keeps things balanced. If you wear bold frames and a full beard, keep the haircut simple so there are not three strong features competing.

Keeping the cut sharp between visits

The area behind the ear where the glasses arms tuck in is usually the first to look overgrown, because the hair gets pushed and bent there all day. A tidy-up around the ears at the halfway point, or booking a taper every three to four weeks, keeps it clean.

In winter, toques press the hair down around the arms and leave dents. A little cream or water run through the sides with your fingers after taking a hat off resets them quickly.