Who does a broccoli haircut suit?

It works best if you have naturally curly or wavy hair, since the look depends on the texture on top. It is especially popular with teenagers and younger men. Straight hair can be permed to get the effect, but it suits natural curls most.

How do I style a broccoli haircut?

Work a curl cream or a light mousse through damp hair to define the curls, then let it air dry or use a diffuser. Keep the top from getting too long or it loses the dense, rounded shape. A little product keeps the curls tight and separated.

How do I ask my barber for a broccoli haircut?

Ask for faded or tapered sides with the curly top kept short and dense on top, shaped into a rounded form. Say you want to keep the natural curl rather than thin it out, and bring a photo, since the length on top makes a big difference.

Men's Style

The Broccoli Haircut: The Curly-Top Cut, Explained

Q: What is a broccoli haircut?

A broccoli haircut keeps a mass of tight curls or waves on top, kept fairly short and dense, with the sides faded or tapered short. The curly top sitting above the clean sides is said to look like the head of a broccoli, which is where the name comes from.

If you have a teenager at home, you have probably heard the word broccoli used about hair, and been confused by it. The broccoli haircut is one of the biggest trends among younger men right now: a dense mass of curls on top over short faded sides. The name is a joke about the shape, but the cut itself is a genuinely good way to wear curly hair.

What a broccoli cut is

You keep the curls on top fairly short and tightly packed, so they form a rounded, dense shape, and the sides are faded or tapered down short underneath. Seen from the side, the curly top over the clean sides looks a bit like a head of broccoli, which is how it got the name. The contrast between the texture on top and the tidy sides is what makes it work.

Who it suits

This is a cut for curly and wavy hair, since the whole look depends on the texture up top. If your hair curls naturally, you are set. It is hugely popular with teenagers and men in their teens and twenties, though it suits anyone who wants to show off their curls rather than cut them away. Straight hair can be permed to fake it, but it is really made for natural curl.

How to style it

The good news is that curly hair does most of the work. Put a curl cream or a light mousse through damp hair to define the curls and cut down frizz, then let it air dry or use a diffuser to keep the shape. The main thing is not to let the top grow too long, or it loses the dense, rounded form that makes it a broccoli cut. For more on products, see how to style men's hair.

Keeping curls in Dubai

Humidity and curly hair have a complicated relationship, and Dubai has plenty of humidity. A good curl cream helps hold the shape and keep frizz down through the day, and the short faded sides keep you cool. Regular trims matter here, since the shape depends on the top staying short and even.

How to ask your barber

Ask for faded or tapered sides with the top kept short and dense, shaped into a rounded form, and say clearly that you want to keep the natural curl rather than thin it out. The length on top changes the look a lot, so bring a photo. Our guide on how to ask your barber has more.

Get it cut at home

Curly hair needs a barber who knows how to cut for texture, since curls behave differently from straight hair and a wrong length throws off the whole shape. Maison Cut brings one to your door across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, from AED 190.

FAQ

What is a broccoli haircut?

Short, dense curls on top over faded or tapered sides, shaped so the curly top looks like a head of broccoli.

Who does it suit?

Curly and wavy hair, and it is most popular with teenagers and younger men.

How do I style it?

Curl cream or mousse on damp hair, air dry or diffuse, and keep the top from growing too long.

How do I ask for it?

"Faded sides, curly top kept short and dense and rounded, keep the natural curl." Bring a photo.

Book a curly cut at home