Haircut Styles
Curtain Haircut for Men: Length Needed, Hair Types and Growing It Out
Short answer: A curtain haircut is a middle-parted style where the front hair falls to either side of the face like a pair of curtains, the look made famous in the 1990s. The front needs to reach at least the eyebrows, and ideally the cheekbones, to hang properly. It suits wavy and straight hair with some body best, and the sides are usually kept soft with scissors or a low taper.
Why length is the whole game with curtains
The front has to be heavy enough to fall away from the part on its own, which usually means eyebrow length at minimum. Shorter than that and the two halves stand up or flick forward instead of parting.
Cheekbone length is where curtains look the way people picture them: a soft frame that tucks behind the ear when you want it out of the way. Any longer and you are drifting into bro flow territory, where the hair sweeps back instead of hanging.
- Eyebrow length (about 10 cm): short curtains, the modern version, needs a little blow-drying.
- Cheekbone length (about 13 cm): classic 90s curtains, sits on its own in wavy hair.
- Jaw length (15 cm and up): long curtains, starting to become a medium-length flow.
Wavy hair is the natural fit
A slight wave gives the curtains lift at the root and a bend at the ends, which is exactly the shape you would otherwise blow-dry in. Many men with wavy hair already have curtains the moment they stop cutting the front short.
Straight hair works if it is reasonably thick; you will need a dryer and a round brush to get lift at the part. Very fine straight hair tends to go flat and split in the middle, showing scalp. Tight curls rarely hang like curtains; a curly fade or a shaped curly top is a better use of that texture.
Growing curtains out from a short cut
Hair grows roughly 1 to 1.5 cm a month, so going from a short crop to cheekbone curtains takes about six to nine months. The trick is to cut the sides and back during that time while leaving the front completely alone.
The awkward phase hits around month three, when the front is long enough to fall in your eyes but not long enough to part. Push it back with a bit of cream or a headband at the gym and resist the urge to trim it.
- Months 1 to 2: keep a taper at the sides and neck, leave the top and front uncut.
- Months 3 to 4: start training a centre part after every shower by combing it wet and letting it dry in place.
- Months 4 to 6: we begin shaping the front with long face-framing layers so it falls outward.
- Months 6 onward: regular maintenance trims to keep the ends light and the part clean.
How a barber shapes curtain bangs
Curtains are cut with the hair parted where you will wear it, never combed straight forward. We take a small triangle of hair at the front, cut it longest at the part and slightly shorter towards the temples, so it naturally swings away from the centre.
The sides get a soft taper or scissor-over-comb rather than a high fade, because a skin-short side under heavy curtains makes the head look top-heavy. At the end we dry and style it with you so you can see how much lift the part needs.
If you are after a heavier, choppier version with layers through the crown, that is closer to a wolf cut.
Daily styling in two minutes
Towel dry, part in the centre with a comb, and blow-dry each side down and away from the part with your fingers. A pea-sized amount of light cream or sea salt spray gives grip without making the ends stiff.
Humid Ontario summers will make wavy curtains puff out; a leave-in conditioner helps. In winter, flip your part to the opposite side briefly while drying to rebuild lift after a toque flattens it.
Curtain haircut: common questions
Do curtain bangs suit a round face?
They can, because the long pieces cut vertical lines down the sides of the face. Keep the ends below the cheekbones and avoid a lot of volume at the sides.
Can I get curtains with a fade?
A low taper is fine and keeps the neckline neat. A mid or high fade usually looks disconnected under long curtains, so we rarely recommend it.
What if my hair will not stay parted in the middle?
Most people have a natural part slightly off-centre. Wear the part there instead; the look still reads as curtains and fights your growth pattern far less.
