13 Iconic Mexican Haircuts for Men (With Expert Styling Tips)

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Plus, expert tips on how to take care of Mexican hair

Co-authored by Matt King and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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Popular Mexican Haircuts for Men

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Taking Care of Mexican Hair

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If there’s one thing certain, it’s that Mexicans know how to rock a host of haircuts, from the classic Edgar cut to the sophisticated slick back. Even past the popular styles, there are plenty of different haircuts to choose from, and if you’re curious about what works for you, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn about some of the most popular Mexican haircuts, how to ask for them, tips on how to take care of Mexican hair, and more, straight from professional hair stylists.

Popular Mexican Hairstyles for Men

The Edgar cut: Faded on the sides and back with a bowl and fringe up top.
The Slick Back: Long hair that’s slicked back with pomade.
Mullet: Long on the top, short on the sides, and hangs over the shoulders.
Shag: Textured, layered hair that hangs down to the shoulders and has a fringe.
Rattail: Fringe on the front, faded on the sides, and long hair that drapes over the nape.

Section 1 of 2:

Mexican Haircuts for Men

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Edgar/Takuache Cut The Takuache cut, which is commonly known as the Edgar cut, is an extremely popular haircut for younger Mexicans. It features a fade on the sides and back, which is contrasted by a bowl-like cut on top. This bowl cut feeds into a fringe on the front, making for a clean, sharp look that catches eyes left and right.^{[1]
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- How to Ask for This Style: Ask for a low fade on the sides and back and a bowl with a clean fringe on top. Bring photos of the Edgar cut so your barber knows exactly what you’re looking for.
- Styling Tips: After showering, comb your hair forward toward the fringe and apply matte pomade or texturizing spray.
- Maintenance Tips: Comb daily and wash every other day. Get the cut trimmed every 2-3 weeks.
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Janet Miranda is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Founder of Be.NYLA. She has over 15 years of experience.

Matt King is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Director of Education at Fox and Jane Salon Group. He has over 15 years of experience in the hair industry.

Courtney Foster is a Professional Hair Stylist based in New York City. She has been featured on programs like Good Morning America, The Wendy Williams Show, and The Today Show.
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Slick Back A Mexican slick back haircut is all about class and sharp definition. The hair on top is long and slicked back with a comb and hair products, creating a voluminous look that’s often paired with a taper or fade. The ends of the hair are typically trimmed to keep things clean, and when it all comes together, you’ve got a classic, elegant look that’s suited for all occasions.^{[2]
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- How to Ask for This Style: Grow your hair out to the tip of your chin, then ask your barber to slick it back with pomade or gel and trim the ends so they’re even.
  - Ask for a fade or taper if you want a sharp look.
- Styling Tips: Apply pomade or gel and use a comb to slick your hair towards your nape daily, preferably after every shower.
- Maintenance Tips: Comb daily and get the back trimmed every 4-6 weeks. If you have a fade or taper, get it touched up every 2-3 weeks.
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Hard Side Part with Fade The hard side part with a fade is a classic Mexican haircut that brings definition to your hair. It’s typically paired with a low or high fade that leads up to a clean-shaven part on the upper side of your head. This part separates the short and long parts of your hair, with the long part being gelled up and slightly sticking out over the forehead.^{[3]
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- How to Ask for This Style: Ask for a low or high fade and a side part on the left or right side of your head.
- Styling Tips: Apply gel or pomade to your hair and comb it to the side daily. Comb any fringe hair upward and use the gel or pomade to hold it in place.
- Maintenance Tips: Get a trim and fade touch-up every 2-3 weeks.
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Mullet The mullet is another classic Mexican haircut that has maintained its popularity from the 1970s and 80s all the way into today. With the mullet, the hair is short on the sides and front, but long in the back. It’s already a dynamic style that’s full of contrast, but when paired with a fade, the contrast becomes even more prominent.^{[4]
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- How to Ask for This Style: Grow the back of your hair out to shoulder length and grow the front out 1-2 in (2.54-5.08 cm) over the fringe. Then, ask your barber for a mid or high fade.
  - You can also just ask for a mullet, as it’s a popular style that many barbers are familiar with. Still, bring photos of the style you want to ensure they get it right.
- Styling Tips: Apply mousse to damp hair after showering to add volume to your hair. Once your hair is dry and styled, apply a firm hold hairspray.
- Maintenance Tips: Get the sides touched up every 2-3 weeks. Get the fringe and back trimmed every 4-5 weeks.
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Shag The shag haircut utilizes layers of textured hair to create a unique, relaxed look. It pairs well with curly, wavy, and straight hair, as it’s a simple cut that has lots of hair hanging down to the shoulders in the back and sides, and hair hanging down to the eyebrows in the front. While maintenance is relatively high, it’s worth it for this creative, free-flowing look.
- How to Ask for This Style: Ask for lots of layers in the back and sides, a fringe that ends at the brow, and hair that stops at the shoulders in the back. Bring a photo to show your barber, too.
- Styling Tips: Spray sea salt spray into damp hair and style it with your fingers to add extra texture and definition.
- Maintenance Tips: Get your shag trimmed every 4-8 weeks, depending on length preferences.
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Rat Tail The rat tail haircut is similar to the mullet, as they both have short hair in the front and long hair in the back, but the rat tail takes it up a notch. Rather than having a long fringe, the hair stops at the hairline and is cut into a straight line. In the back, it extends past the nape and into the back. When paired with a fade, the already dynamic rat tail is infused with strong contrast.
- How to Ask for This Style: Grow your hair out about 5-6 in (12.7-15.24 cm). Ask for a standard crew cut with a fade, but let your barber know that you don’t want any of the hair in the back touched.
- Maintenance Tips: Get the back trimmed every 4-6 weeks. Get your fade touched up every 2-3 weeks.
- Styling Tips: Apply leave-in conditioner after each shampoo for extra moisture. Apply sea salt spray or a root-lifting spray for extra volume.
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Ducktail The ducktail is a vintage style that’s known for its unique structure. It takes a similar approach to the slicked back hairstyle, gelling up long hair and bringing it back towards the nape. The key difference here is that instead of combing it down, the style brings the hair out into a small “ducktail” towards the rear ridge of the head.
- How to Ask for This Style: Grow your hair out about 3-4 in (7.62-10.16 cm) and ask your barber for a low taper on the sides. Then, have them comb your hair back and out into a ducktail with hair wax.
- Styling Tips: Use hair wax to mold your hair as you comb it back, then use a strong hold gel to keep it in place.
- Maintenance Tips: Get regular trims every 2-3 weeks. Style and comb daily.
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Middle Part This style is also a blast from the past, taking the swag of the 90s and bringing it to the modern day. The middle part cut is a simple style that parts layered hair down the middle and combs it into opposite directions. Depending on the look you’re going for, you may want to pair the style with a low taper, but it’s up to you.
- How to Ask for This Style: Ask for a short, layered cut that’s parted in the middle and combed towards the ends of the head.
- Styling Tips: Use a light mousse or volumizing spray for a larger, more voluminous look.
- Maintenance Tips: Apply hair gel to your hair and comb it outward from the middle part daily. Get your hair trimmed every 2-3 weeks.
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Spiky Blowout The spiky blowout is a textured look that’s popular among young Mexican men. While the top is styled up to be spiky and shoot outward, the sides are often cut sharply and finished off with a fade. This creates a sleek transition that’s pleasing to the eye, especially when paired with a line-up that’s just as sharp.^{[5]
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- How to Ask for This Style: Ask your barber to keep the bulk on top and tease your hair upward with hair gel or hair wax. For a sharp look, ask for a fade and lineup.
- Styling Tips: Use hair gel or wax to tease your hair upward into that spiky look.
- Maintenance Tips: Get your hair trimmed every 2-3 weeks. If you get a fade, get it touched up every 2-3 weeks.
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High Skin Fade The high skin fade is a simple, versatile look that keeps the sides trimmed to the skin–at least until they fade into the top, which is only slightly longer. The top is combed back to mimic the slicked back look, but blends into the fade just as it slopes into the back of the head.^{[6]
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- How to Ask for This Style: Ask for a high skin fade on the sides and keep about 2-3 in (5.08-7.62 cm) of hair on top of your head.
- Styling Tips: Apply hair gel to the hair on top and comb it back for a sleek look.
- Maintenance Tips: Get your hair trimmed and fade touched up every 2-3 weeks.
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Buzz Cut The buzz cut is a classic, well-rounded haircut that works for anyone. It’s a simple cut, too, with the sides and top being buzzed down with guardless clippers. You can pair it with a skin fade if you really want a dynamic look, but it’s not required, and many prefer getting their buzz cuts without fades.^{[7]
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- How to Ask for This Style: Ask your barber for a buzz cut all-around with guardless clippers.
- Maintenance Tips: Get your hair rebuzzed every 2 weeks. Wash daily.
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Crew Cut The crew cut is a step above the buzz cut. The hair isn’t buzzed all the way down, but it’s cut short enough that it can’t be styled into a different look. It is lined up on the sides, back, and hairline for a sharp look, and is paired with a fade on the sides that contrasts well with the longer top. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance style that still has some depth, this is for you.^{[8]
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- How to Ask for This Style: Ask your barber to bring the top down with a 2-guard, fade the sides, and line up the hairline, sides and back.
- Maintenance Tips: Get your fade touched up and your hair trimmed every 2 weeks.
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Curly Fringe The curly fringe is popular with younger Mexicans, as it celebrates youthful, natural curls by letting them shine and bringing them out with curl cream and defining gel. If you don’t have natural curls, the curly fringe can still be achieved with a perm. The key is that the curls end near the ears on the sides and near the eyebrows on the front.
- How to Ask for This Style: Grow your curls out and ask your barber to cut them to ear-length. Ask for the fringe to be kept, but cut at the eyebrows.
- Styling Tips: After showering, apply curl cream to help moisturize, define, and detangle your curls. Apply defining gel to help your curls retain their shape.
- Maintenance Tips: Get your hair trimmed every 2-4 weeks. Detangle daily and wash every other day.

Section 2 of 2:

How to Take Care of Mexican Hair

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Professional hair stylist Janet Miranda says that understanding your hair type is essential for starting a haircare routine. “Once you determine what type of hair that is, I recommend you get a shampoo and conditioner based on your hair type, and then the styling products that go along with the type of hairstyle that you have.”^{[9]
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Janet Miranda
Professional Hair Stylist & Makeup Artist

Expert Interview}
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Wash and condition your hair every other day. Washing your hair using shampoo designed for your hair type will help keep dirt and grime out of your hair, and doing so every other day will ensure that the buildup doesn’t get too out of control. After washing, condition your hair with a conditioner designed for your hair type.
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Keep your hair hydrated with leave-in conditioner. Professional hair stylist Matt King says that when it comes to keeping hair healthy, “Use a leave-in conditioner every time you wash your hair. So wash, condition, get out of the shower, spray and leave-in conditioner, comb it through, and then use whatever other styling products you like to have on top of that.”^{[10]
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Expert Source

Matt King
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview}
- This will keep your hair hydrated by providing it with extra moisture.
- You can also apply hair oil to the ends of your hair once a week to keep it hydrated and prevent dryness, especially if your hair is prone to dryness.
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Use a heat protectant whenever you heat-dry or style your hair. King says to “Always use a heat protectant if you’re going to be blow-drying or heat styling your hair, and make sure that the products that you’re using contain SPF. The sub and elements in the outside world will actually do a lot more damage to your hair than people realize.”^{[11]
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Matt King
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview}
- If you’re not sure what heat protectants to use, try Aussie Total Miracle Heat Protecting Spray or Not Your Mother’s Beat the Heat Heat Spray.
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Wrap your hair up in a silk or satin scarf at night. Professional hair stylist Courtney Foster says that “For maintenance, [you] should wrap [your] hair at night, and that’s just pulling all of the hair forward and wrapping it in a cylinder shape and using a silk or satin scarf, and then [you] can use [the scarf] to tie the hair down as flat as possible.^{[12]
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Courtney Foster
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview}
- Silk or satin scarves will protect your hair from being tugged at or potentially ripped out when you’re sleeping or lying down.
- If you don’t have a scarf, sleeping with silk or satin pillowcases at night also works.