
The beauty of the 4 on the sides haircut is that it works well on most face shapes.īroadly splitting face shapes into “rounder” ones and “longer” ones (eg. If you weren’t sure about whether this length at the sides was the one for you, consider the following benefits when making your final decision. In addition, it’ll make sure the hairstyle grows out in a more tapered and aesthetically pleasing way. Once again, keeping the sides clipped short relative to the full, thick hair on top is a great way to prevent the overall style from looking untidy and overgrown. It isn’t quite as long as the previous one, but it’s still long enough to produce a significant contrast with the short, #4 length at the sides. Here’s an example of long, textured hair on top with a 4 on the sides.

Here are a couple of examples to serve as inspiration. The different lengths seamlessly blend into each other with no harsh lines. So, while the longest length at the sides and back would be a #4, they may gradually increase up to a #4 from the bottom. In addition, it’s important to remember that the sides and back can also be faded or tapered. The sides and back are trimmed to a #4 length – 13mm – while the top can be cut to an endless number of lengths and styled in an endless number of ways. The back is usually trimmed to the same or a very similar length at the sides to achieve an even aesthetic overall. Remember, when people say “4 on the sides” they usually mean “4 at the sides and back”. What Length Is A 4 On The Sides Haircut?Ī 4 on the sides haircut is ½ inch (13mm) at the sides and trimmed using a number 4 clipper guard. Just note that these short, clipped lengths on top usually work better with a shorter grade at the sides – for example, a #1, #2, or even a #3. However, you could also go for a longer buzzed length on top – such as a number 8 with a 4 on the sides or a number 6 with a 4 on the sides. The more volume and fullness you’ve got up top, the more tapered the #4 on the sides will look. Ultimately, your options are pretty endless. It works best with scissor-cut, longer hair on top as you’ll soon see.Įxamples of styles that work well with a #4 on the sides include the pompadour, comb over, and french crop.

However, it’s still short enough to remove excess puffiness and fullness from the sides and back. That’s because you aren’t removing as much fullness from the sides. It won’t produce as much of a tapered or slimming effect as the 1 on the sides or 2 on the sides, for instance.
