The Caesar Haircut Is Taking Over Barbershops In 2024

By Charlie Colville

10 months ago

If it's good enough for an emperor...


Our Roman Empire? When it comes to men’s hairstyles, it has to be the Caesar haircut. This closely cropped style is popping up (once again) in barbershops all over the world – and even celebs are taking on the trend. Here’s our explainer of what this hairstyle entails, and how to ask for it in the salon.

What Is The Caesar Haircut?

‘A Caesar haircut is a men’s hairstyle that has a short, uniform length all around the head, with the fringe cut straight and horizontal,’ explains celebrity hairstylist Gustav Fouche. ‘The length is usually about one to two inches for a neat and structured finish, although it can be adapted to different hair types and face shapes.

‘While it was named after the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar – who had a very similar hairstyle – it was probably last majorly popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s,’ he continues. ‘It’s since remained a classic and timeless men’s haircut; something I end up cutting weekly in the salon.’

@jimmythehairdresser Haircuts explained 🤯 What haircut should i do next? Follow me for more haircut ideas and tips 💡 #frenchcrop #caesarhaircut ♬ original sound – Jimmy the hairdresser

But why the sudden interest? Google Trend has highlighted a spike in searches for ‘Caesar haircut’ since March last year, and social media platform TikTok has amassed over 25 million views on searches for ‘Caesar cut’. Gustav suggests that the rise in popularity has been fuelled by famous faces adopting the style. ‘Celebrities like Russel Crowe in Gladiator, George Clooney, Justin Bieber and Eminem have been seen sporting the Caesar cut, contributing to its popularity,’ he confirms. ‘Zac Efron also has a really modern version where he wears the hair up, which could be spiking a renewed interest.’

It’s also this evolution of the Caesar haircut, which tailors the cut to the person, that Gustav believes is driving the trend. ‘Men have moved away from the super short style of this cut,’ he says. ‘So you still have the super soft cut on the sides, but there’s an opportunity to add more texture which men can play with. It’s basically becoming a follow up of what we call the French crop.’

How To Ask For A Caesar Cut In The Salon (& What To Expect)

The first rule of getting a new haircut: be prepared (with pics). ‘I personally like clients to bring in some images,’ says Gustav. ‘If you are going to bring references for the Caesar haircut, make sure your stylist examines your face shape at the appointment to make sure this look will enhance your facial features. We don’t want to distort your face, so use the image as guidance, and let your stylist work around that.’

Gustav also breaks down the process of getting a Caesar cut in the salon: ‘Start off by cleaning up the sides, so make sure you do a really good skin fade. Depending on where you want to put the weight line, make sure you blend it super tight and clean. Keep the front very sharp, then create some texture by point cutting the top and keeping the top layers quite square. This will give you a roundness on the side with a little more fullness. This doesn’t cut up the corners and will also give you a masculine feel.’

@loispisdon Atas : caesar cut, samping : middle fade #karyaku #fypă‚· #fyp ♬ DJ Gratatata – Kocizi

Who Suits This Haircut?

As Gustav mentioned, the Caesar haircut is heading into a new era of flexibility – meaning it’s adjustable to most people. ‘This style really does suit all hair textures,’ he adds. ‘You can have it curly, short, long. I would also say it goes well with all face shapes. If you tend to have a rounder face, make sure you have some more height through the top to elongate. If you are square, make sure the fringe sits in the right area to not make the face look smaller. Let your stylist guide you on the best finished look.’

Tips For Maintaining A Caesar Cut At Home?

‘The key thing with this hairstyle is to make sure you have a healthy scalp, as you will wear the hair super short – so make sure to do regular scalp treatments,’ advises Gustav. ‘It’s also worth seeing your hair stylist every four weeks to keep your sides sharp, short and well maintained.’

You can read up on how to maintain good scalp health in our guide here.

How Will The Caesar Cut Evolve In The Future?

So, what’s next for the humble Caesar cut? ‘Historically, after all major events like the recession or Covid, men’s hair styles have always gone quite sharp, where it shows a sense of masculinity, taking power and control – this is where the Caesar hair cut came in,’ says Gustav. ‘However, for the future, I feel styles may get softer as they don’t have to psychologically take control. Definitely shorter and softer with movement and texture is what I foresee.’

Hair Inspiration

 

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Featured image: John Arano, Pexels