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Personal Care and Style
Hair Care
Hair Growth
How to Grow Out an Undercut Download Article Tips and tricks to help your cut mature gracefully Co-authored by Arthur Sebastian
Last Updated: December 9, 2024 References
Download Article
Growing Out the Back and Sides
|
Styling Your Growing Hair
|
Growing into a Different Cut
|
Tips
|
Things You'll Need
|Show more|Show less X
This article was co-authored by Arthur Sebastian. Arthur Sebastian is a Professional Hair Stylist based in San Francisco, California. He is the Owner of Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon, a studio offering Hair Styling, Color & Brazilian Blowout services. Arthur has 30 years of experience styling hair. His career began with apprenticeships at Wayne’s Beauty College in Santa Cruz, California Miss Marty’s School of Beauty in San Francisco, California. After receiving his Cosmetology License in 1998, he rented his first station at Wack Shack Hair Salon in San Francisco, going on to hold positions at Posh Hair Salon, Acabello Hair Salon, and Red Union Salon before opening his own studio. With over 500 online customer reviews, Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon has a 5 star average rating on Yelp and 4.9 average review on Google. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 137,331 times.
Ready to move on from your undercut and try out a new style? This article will walk you through how to grow out an undercut with as few awkward in-between stages as possible. We’ve also included some tips to help you style your hair in the meantime.
How to Grow Out Side Shaves and Undercuts
Allow your hair to grow out for several months—do not cut the sides or back of your head. As your hair grows, trip the top of your head so it can slowly match up to the rest of your hair.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Growing Out the Back and Sides
Download Article
1 Allow the hair on the back and sides of your head to grow uncut. As stated, this will take a while. Be patient, and just let the hair on your back and sides grow until it matches up with the hair on the top of your head.[1]XResearch source
The goal here is to get all of your hair the same length. This means letting the short hair grow out.
2 Trim the hair on top of your head every 1 to 2 months to maintain length. If you let all of your hair grow without cutting it, you'll just end up with a longer undercut. To prevent this from happening, you need to trim the hair on top of your head to maintain its length while the hair on your back and sides catches up.[2]XResearch source
Regular trimming will also eliminate damage and split ends, which will keep your hair healthy and allow it to grow out more quickly.[3]X Expert Source Arthur SebastianProfessional Hair StylistExpert Interview
Plan on trimming the hair 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch (1.3 to 1.9 cm) every month or so.
If you are on a tight budget, trim it about 1 inch (2.5 cm) every 2 months instead.
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3 Cut your hair into your desired style once everything is the same length. At this point, you have a fresh start. You can cut your hair into a new style, or you can let it keep growing. Regardless, it would still be a good idea to visit a hairdresser for a trim.[4]X Expert Source Arthur SebastianProfessional Hair StylistExpert Interview
A hairdresser will be able to even out your hair and give you a cut that flatters your face shape.[5]X Expert Source Arthur SebastianProfessional Hair StylistExpert Interview
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Styling Your Growing Hair
Download Article
1 Blow dry your sides down to prevent them from poofing out. Wash your hair first, then pat it dry with a towel. Hold the hair dryer above your head, and aim the nozzle down at your sides as you blow dry your hair.[6]XResearch source
Set the style afterwards with some hair wax.
Add a flat, wide directional nozzle to your hairdryer to make the process more effective and give you more control over the direction of the air flow.
2 Wash your hair every 2 to 3 days. There is no need to wash it more often than that. Not only can over-washing affect the texture of your hair, but it will also remove any styling products that you applied to the sides.[7]XResearch source
If you remove these styling products, the sides will poof out.
3 Wear caps and beanies as an alternative. Not only can they look stylish and keep you warm during the colder months, they will also help keep down the sides and prevent them from poofing out.[8]XResearch source
Make your hair look longer by parting it down the middle before you put the hat on.
If you don't like wearing hats that much, try leaving it on for about 2 hours; after you take it off, your hair should be flatter along the sides and not so poofy.
4 Change up the way you part your hair to conceal the sides. Rather than combing your hair back, try a middle or side part instead. This works best when the sides are still short, but you can use this technique after you've flattened the sides with a hairdryer.[9]XResearch source
If the sides of your hair are starting to get long, you can keep them flat by applying some hair gel and using the palm of your hand to smooth the gel downwards into your hair.
Use the handle of a rat-tail comb to make the parts nice and neat.
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Growing into a Different Cut
Download Article
1 Trim the hair on top of your head to your desired length. You will still be growing out your back and sides, but since the hair on the top of your head is shorter, the overall process won't take as long. How short you cut the hair on the top of your head depends on the style you're going for.
For example, if you want to go for a quiff, trim your hair to about 2 to 21⁄2 inches (5.1 to 6.4 cm).[10]XResearch source
2 Allow the sides and back to grow until they match the top. Since you are starting with a shorter goal, this should only take about 3 to 4 months. You can stop when the sides are about 1 to 11⁄2 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) long. This will give you enough hair to work with for the final blend.[11]XResearch source
3 Blend the sides and back into the top. Once the sides and back are almost the same length as the top, it's time to blend them. Run a pair of trimmers along the area where the sides and back curve into the top of your hair.[12]XResearch source
If you aren't sure how to do this, go to a hairdresser. Ask for a medium taper or a clean-cut taper.[13]XResearch source
If you still want to keep your back and sides short, try a quiff or pixie. Both are similar, except that the pixie has more feathering.
4 Trim the bottom edges of your hair to complete the cut. Again, how short you go depends on what your goal style is. For example, a quiff or taper may have trimmed edges along the bottom, but a pixie may have slightly longer hair.
If you went to a hairdresser for the blending, then they will already have done this for you, based on your desired style.
5 Style the longer part of your hair, if desired. Depending on what style you chose, there are lots of ways that you can go about with this. In most cases, you will need to blow dry your hair by brushing it back and upwards.
If you got a quiff, apply a volumizing mousse to your damp hair, then blow dry it upwards and back with a round brush.
If you got a pixie, you can go as wild as you like. Blow dry shorter pixies like quiffs; blow dry longer pixies short.
Use a little bit of styling wax or pomade to set your style.
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Expert Q&A
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Tips
Hair typically grows 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) per month, but it could grow longer or faster depending on your genetics, lifestyle, and health. Hair health supplements like biotin can also help your hair grow out a little faster. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
There will be good hair days and bad hair days. There is little that you can do besides styling. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Consider growing your hair out into a quiff first, then either cutting it shorter or growing it longer from there. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
Things You'll Need
Growing Out the Back and Sides
Trimmers
Styling Your Growing Hair
Hair dryer with nozzle attachment
Hair wax
Cap or beanie
Growing an Undercut into a Quiff
Trimmers
Hair wax or pomade
Round brush
Hair dryer
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Co-authored by: Arthur Sebastian Professional Hair Stylist This article was co-authored by Arthur Sebastian. Arthur Sebastian is a Professional Hair Stylist based in San Francisco, California. He is the Owner of Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon, a studio offering Hair Styling, Color & Brazilian Blowout services. Arthur has 30 years of experience styling hair. His career began with apprenticeships at Wayne’s Beauty College in Santa Cruz, California Miss Marty’s School of Beauty in San Francisco, California. After receiving his Cosmetology License in 1998, he rented his first station at Wack Shack Hair Salon in San Francisco, going on to hold positions at Posh Hair Salon, Acabello Hair Salon, and Red Union Salon before opening his own studio. With over 500 online customer reviews, Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon has a 5 star average rating on Yelp and 4.9 average review on Google. This article has been viewed 137,331 times. 20 votes - 48% Co-authors: 6Updated: December 9, 2024 Views: 137,331 Categories: Hair GrowthArticle SummaryX
To grow out an undercut, let the back and sides of your hair grow uncut, and trim the hair on top of your head every 1-2 months to maintain the length. Keep in mind that it will take about 6-7 months for the hair on the back and sides of your head to be the same length as the top of your hair. In the meantime, try a middle or side part to cover up the sides so they don't look as short. For more tips from our Cosmetology co-author, like how to grow an undercut into a new haircut, scroll down!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Dec 1, 2021
"Very helpful hints in styling."
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Arthur Sebastian Professional Hair Stylist 20 votes - 48% Click a star to vote 48% of people told us that this article helped them. Co-authors: 6Updated: December 9, 2024 Views: 137,331
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Dec 1, 2021
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Download Article Tips and tricks to help your cut mature gracefully Co-authored by Arthur Sebastian 
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Co-authored by: Arthur Sebastian Professional Hair Stylist This article was co-authored by Arthur Sebastian. Arthur Sebastian is a Professional Hair Stylist based in San Francisco, California. He is the Owner of Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon, a studio offering Hair Styling, Color & Brazilian Blowout services. Arthur has 30 years of experience styling hair. His career began with apprenticeships at Wayne’s Beauty College in Santa Cruz, California Miss Marty’s School of Beauty in San Francisco, California. After receiving his Cosmetology License in 1998, he rented his first station at Wack Shack Hair Salon in San Francisco, going on to hold positions at Posh Hair Salon, Acabello Hair Salon, and Red Union Salon before opening his own studio. With over 500 online customer reviews, Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon has a 5 star average rating on Yelp and 4.9 average review on Google. This article has been viewed 137,331 times. 20 votes - 48% Co-authors: 6 Updated: December 9, 2024 Views: 137,331 Categories: Hair Growth Article SummaryX
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1 Allow the hair on the back and sides of your head to grow uncut. As stated, this will take a while. Be patient, and just let the hair on your back and sides grow until it matches up with the hair on the top of your head.[1] 
2 Trim the hair on top of your head every 1 to 2 months to maintain length. If you let all of your hair grow without cutting it, you'll just end up with a longer undercut. To prevent this from happening, you need to trim the hair on top of your head to maintain its length while the hair on your back and sides catches up.[2] 
3 Cut your hair into your desired style once everything is the same length. At this point, you have a fresh start. You can cut your hair into a new style, or you can let it keep growing. Regardless, it would still be a good idea to visit a hairdresser for a trim.[4] 
1 Blow dry your sides down to prevent them from poofing out. Wash your hair first, then pat it dry with a towel. Hold the hair dryer above your head, and aim the nozzle down at your sides as you blow dry your hair.[6] 
2 Wash your hair every 2 to 3 days. There is no need to wash it more often than that. Not only can over-washing affect the texture of your hair, but it will also remove any styling products that you applied to the sides.[7] 
3 Wear caps and beanies as an alternative. Not only can they look stylish and keep you warm during the colder months, they will also help keep down the sides and prevent them from poofing out.[8] 
4 Change up the way you part your hair to conceal the sides. Rather than combing your hair back, try a middle or side part instead. This works best when the sides are still short, but you can use this technique after you've flattened the sides with a hairdryer.[9] 
1 Trim the hair on top of your head to your desired length. You will still be growing out your back and sides, but since the hair on the top of your head is shorter, the overall process won't take as long. How short you cut the hair on the top of your head depends on the style you're going for. 
2 Allow the sides and back to grow until they match the top. Since you are starting with a shorter goal, this should only take about 3 to 4 months. You can stop when the sides are about 1 to 1 1⁄2 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) long. This will give you enough hair to work with for the final blend.[11] 
3 Blend the sides and back into the top. Once the sides and back are almost the same length as the top, it's time to blend them. Run a pair of trimmers along the area where the sides and back curve into the top of your hair.[12] 
4 Trim the bottom edges of your hair to complete the cut. Again, how short you go depends on what your goal style is. For example, a quiff or taper may have trimmed edges along the bottom, but a pixie may have slightly longer hair. 
5 Style the longer part of your hair, if desired. Depending on what style you chose, there are lots of ways that you can go about with this. In most cases, you will need to blow dry your hair by brushing it back and upwards. 
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