Disconnected Undercut for Men – Inching it Down with Style

by John Griffith
Advertisement

The undercut’s cool and contemporary look makes it hard to believe that it’s over a century old. In fact, its origins can be traced back to the late 1800s, when German men began styling their hair in what was then known as an “Inselhaarschnitt” or island cut. It was called this way because the patch of hair on top of the men’s shaven heads looked like a piece of land surrounded by water. Soon, the rather unusual trend caught on in other countries, and by the 1920s it was already considered a mainstream look in Britain, Scotland and the USA. Today there are different kinds of undercuts to choose from, although the most popular one is the disconnected undercut.

Both the disconnected undercut and its connected equivalent are characterized by hair which is cut very short on the sides and kept distinctly longer on top. However, they have one significant difference. The connected (also known as faded) hairstyle is cut in a gradual and smooth way, ensuring that the long and short sections blend in. The disconnected undercut, meanwhile, has the opposite effect – the hair is long up to a point and then suddenly becomes short. This creates an uneven, edgy look, favored by celebs such as Brad Pitt, Justin Timberlake and David Beckham.

Undercuts can be styled in a variety of ways – pompadour, combed over, slicked back, and more! It is up to you to decide which look works best for your face shape. If you need some help choosing, we have over 40 suggestions you can try. Just make sure you go to a professional barber you can trust, as these intricate haircuts require not only a lot of skill but also artistry!

A great example of a curly disconnected undercut:

disconnected undercut, close up of man with dark curly hair, cut very short on the sides and longer on top, head resting on barber's chair, seen from behind

A gradient Afro cut with plenty of volume…

disconnected undercut, young black man facing sideways, high top afro hair, trimmed very short on sides, wearing black barber's robe

…which is guaranteed to get you noticed!

disconnected undercut, man with dark afro hair cut short on the sides and long on top, looking sideways in close up

Feeling nostalgic for the 90’s? Why not try this great look inspired by The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?

disconnected undercut, young man in purple and yellow hairdresser's robe, facing sideways with semi-closed-eyes, high top hairstyle with faded sides

How about a smooth, slicked back disconnected undercut?

disconnected undercut, close up of man with black hair, long and slicked back on top, cut very short on the sides, beard and mustache, facing away from the camera

Don’t be afraid to go really short for a stylish, contrasting look

undercut hairstyle men, close up of a pale man in profile, beard and mustache, short hair on sides and slightly longer on top

If you prefer to keep it long, a top knot is the way to go!

undercut hairstyle men, close up of young man's head looking sideways, seen from above, hair trimmed very short on the side but long on top, tied in small ponytail

Gradient undercut and short bangs

undercut hairstyle men, pale man with trimmed beard and mustache, facing sideways in close up, hair on sides cut short, kept long on top with short bangs

Very short sides and long, messy top section

undercut hairstyle men, close up of asian man facing up and sideways, black beard mustache and side hair trimmed short, top hair kept long and gelled up

Slicked back pompadour-style hair, cut short on the neck and sides, coupled with a long beard – the trademark hipster look!

undercut hairstyle men, brunette man with long beard and mustache, wearing a red barber's robe, with hair cut short on sides and long cob-over on top

Short gradient undercuts are not only cool and stylish but also versatile

undercut fade, young ginger man with hair cut short on sides and kept long on top, with freckles and a small beard, wearing blue black and yellow barber's robe

Effective grey-to-black and short-to-long gradient

undercut fade, close up of man with black and grey hair, with mustache and beard, facing sideways and looking serious, with hair clipped short on sides and swept back on top

A cool undercut option for guys with curly hair

undercut fade, sideways close up of man in grey t-shirt, with dark short hair, kept longish and curly on top, with stubble on lips and chin, on a grey background

Shaved sides and a long wavy top

undercut fade, man in profile with hair long on top and shorter on the sides, with beard and mustache, wearing a black hairdresser's robe

Another pompadour variation, this time with ultra short sides

undercut fade, young man with chestnut hair, long and wavy on top and trimmed very short on the side, wearing light grey t-shirt facing sideways and looking serious

Long hair slicked back on top

slicked back undercut, middle eastern man with beard and mustache, dark hair trimmed very short on sides and long, slicked back on top, facing sideways and wearing light t-shirt

Connected undercut with messy gelled up top

disconnected haircut, grey-scale image of a man, with short trimmed beard and mustache, wearing dark hoodie, with short hair on the sides and long on top

Short cut with a cool shaved stripe 

side part undercut, close up of young man's head seen from behind, parted hair with shaven side, longer and combed over on top, wearing black hairdresser's robe

Another short haircut with medium gradient

faded undercut, man with polo glasses with black and yellow frames, dark hair cropped very short on the side but kept longer on top, trimmed beard and mustache, tattoo on his neck

Red wavy hair with low gradient

disconnected haircut, young re-haired man, hair shaven on the side of the head, kept longer and wavy on top, with freckles and serious expression, wearing a barber's pin-striped robe

Short connected undercut

disconnected haircut, black and white photo of man facing sideways, small trimmed beard and mustache, hair shaven on the side and kept longer on top, bangs gelled upwards

Shaved sides and a gelled up top

slicked back undercut, serious looking man facing sideways, with serious expression, hair brushed back, short on sides and long on top

Afro cut with a diagonal gradient 

disconnected haircut, man with dark afro hair, shaven on the side and curly on top, with white earring trimmed beard and mustache, looking sideways in close up

Faded top with long beard and mustache

faded undercut, man with beard an mustache, facing down and to the side, hair shaven on the sides but gradually getting longer on top, red and white striped barber's robe

Extra volume is always a good idea!

side part undercut, young bearded and mustached man in profile, white top with blue details, dark hair shaven on the side and long on top, gelled up and messy

This look is highly recommended for gents who have finer hair 

side part undercut, closeup of young man facing sideways, dark hair cropped short on the side, longer gelled up and spiky on top

Super-short undercut style – because sometimes less is more

faded undercut, black and white photo of slim young man with serious repression, dark top and chunky metal chain around neck, short hair cropped even shorter on the side

Afro gradient on fleek 

faded undercut, young man with faded Afro hairstyle, very short shaven on the side and longer and curly on top, small beard and a black top

Undercut with short bangs

faded undercut, man with pale hair, cut very short on neck and side, kept longer on top, with short bangs, facing sideways and wearing a dark hairdresser's robe

Awesome rockabilly-inspired undercut

slicked back undercut, pale man with dark hair, facing sideways and in close up, trimmed beard and mustache, very short side hair and puffy pompadour style top hair, brushed back with gel

Classic minimalist pompadour style

side part undercut, man with dark hair parted on one side, longer on top and combed over with gel, shorted on the sides

Combine your pompadour undercut with a handlebar mustache for a unique retro look 

side part undercut, man with fair hair and twisted up mustache, stubble on chin and three earnings, one flesh earring and pale top, hair parted on the side, longer on top but shaven on sides

Pomps also look great on thick hair types

slicked back undercut, Asian man with closed eyes facing sideways, very short side hair and long top hair in pompadour style, brushed back with gel

Swept back undercut and very short sides

how to style a undercut, close up of a fair-haired man in profile, trimmed beard and mustache, small earring and hair cut short on the side and kept long on top

Auburn hair with a shaved stripe 

how to style a undercut, young man with auburn hair, cut short on side and longer and wavy on top, seen in close up from above, with red beard and mustache, dark eyes and black and white barber's robe

Black hair with a connected (faded) undercut

how to style a undercut, young man with dark hair, side parting and short on the side, long wavy and gelled up on top, square diamante earring, stubble on chin and upper lip

Shaved stripe and swept back top

slicked back undercut, man seen from a back angle, close up on head, brown hair shaven on sides and long swept back on top

Short dynamic undercut

how to style a undercut, man with serious expression, with beard and mustache, hair trimmed very short on the side but kept longer and wavy on top, wearing black hairdresser's robe

Ultra short sides and long messy top

how to style a undercut, young man with dark hair, kept longer on top, shaven on the side, wearing black t-shirt, with two piercings on his lip and a chest tattoo

Another cool faded Afro undercut

short hair on sides long on top, man with dark beard and mustache, hair shaven on the side and kept longer and curly on top, wearing colorful hairdresser's robe

Shaved sides and a voluminous mop top

short hair on sides long on top, young man with dark hair shaved on the side and kept long messy and curly on top, nose ring and small cross earring, wearing black barber's robe

Extra voluminous top and ultra short sides

disconnected haircut, boy with nose ring, facing down and sideways, shortly trimmed hair on side, long and styled up on top, comb-over or pompadour style

Short but also stylish military style undercut

short hair on sides long on top, man with hooked nose, seen in close up and in profile, hair shaved short on neck and sides, kept slightly longer on top

Another pompadour with gradient

short hair on sides long on top, man with twisted up mustache, white shirt and camel coat, looking sideways down, with three earrings and hair shaven on the side and longer, combed over on top

Original Afro cut with a side line

short hair on sides long on top, close up of a man's head seen from behind, symmetrical hairstyle cut shorter on one side and kept longer on the other, shaven neck and black barber's robe

We hope you’ve enjoyed our selection! We have some more great hairstyle suggestions ready to be discovered.

John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.