Want a new haircut that is easy to maintain but looks good as well? Tired of revealing your scalp trying to do so? Then buckle down and check out the number 3 haircut that serves all of these purposes alone.
The number 3 hair is a little longer than skin fades, so it keeps some texture. The density is not too much for you to bother about, but enough to cover your scalp nicely.
Easy to handle, quick wash and fast dry, little to no maintenance, all together with a standard and smart haircut – the number 3 has got it all. If you want it all, then make sure to ask your barber for a number 3 haircut, and your hair will be one less problem for you.
Table of Contents
What is a Number 3 Haircut? – Let’s find out
You get a number 3 haircut with a guard no. 3 of a clipper. It leaves your hair sized at 3/8” or 10mm long.
This is one of the easiest haircuts to get when you’re in a hurry. It’s a low-maintenance haircut for men who don’t want to invest much time in grooming but want to look good.
Thanks to the numbered haircuts, explaining the desired look to the barber has become very easy. Number 3 haircuts can come with a few variations and minor tweaks.
Let’s take a look at our guide to have a better idea of how to get a number 3 haircut, what are the possible popular cuts you could choose from, and explore a few common questions regarding it.
Types of Number 3 Haircut:
Number 3 haircut comes with a handful of options to choose from. But not all of them are trendy or viable at all places. We have picked out the best and most convenient number 3 haircuts that you can consider trying out.
Uniform:
If you are often on the move and have little time to spare for your hair grooming, this haircut is what you should choose to have.
This number 3 haircut does what it sounds like. It clips all the hair including the sides and the top at a uniform length of 3/8 inches. This length and type of hairstyle are often regarded as the military haircut.
This haircut is done by using the number 3 guard on a clipper and trimming the hair. This haircut requires little care and one cut eliminates your need for getting a haircut for a longer period of time.
You can modify the length of your fringe based on your preference, ranging from a longer fringe to no fringe. The sides and the back hair can have mid to high fade, but the classic uniform look demands all of the hair to have the same length. You can create sharp fringe, nape, and sidelines for an edgy look.
You can try this look with a full beard as well. If you pick the edgy look, then make sure to draw sharp lines at the edge of your beard as well to keep uniformity and coherence in your style.
Uniform number 3 haircuts can work in both formal and casual spaces. This probably is the easiest hairstyle possible for men to look good on any occasion.
Tapered:
The Tapered style takes the Uniform number 3 Haircut to a next level. A taper is usually the gradual fade of hair down to the skin on your sides and nape.
Mainly, you have to get a Uniform number 3 haircut first. Then, your barber will use a smaller clipper guard to fade your sides and nape to the scalp. This fade is a gradual one, so it doesn’t leave behind any strong contrast in hair density.
Tapered hair is a more modern and fancy version of the uniform or classic number 3. It serves the same purpose as the uniform with the same level of low maintenance. You should try it out if you feel the uniform cut is too bland to go with your style.
Takuache:
Takuache hairstyle is something that has received a mixed response over the years. You can get a number 3 Takuache hair for yourself if you feel this style would make a statement about you.
The general idea of this haircut is to have bowl-shaped hair on top with high fades on the sides and the back. The fades are not gradual, rather they leave a sharp contrast with the top hair.
With this general idea, you’ll do a number 3 cut with the top, keeping only 3/8” inches long hair and clip off the rest. All of this combined will give you a blunt look. If you want to reduce the edginess, then you can simply change the fade on the sides and back to a gradual fade and remove that sharp hairline in between.
Fades
Number 3 haircut might sound like something that doesn’t have many tweaking possibilities, but that’s where you’re wrong! You can play with your fades and end up with different results that might suit your liking.
At first, you’ll have to get a number 3 guard clip off the top of your hair. Then for the sides and back, pick your desired fade height. You can choose from low, mid to high fades, with a sharp hairline or a gradual one.
Some might even draw patterns with blades on the sides exposing the scalp. You can pick from linear to circular designs or curve up patterns like a star or waves that can make your number 3 hairstyle unique that the rest!
Shaved Sides
Number 3 haircuts are often picked by ones who don’t want to expose their scalp. But if you feel bold and want to look sharp with edginess, you can definitely explore this avenue.
You’ll get a number 3 sized cut for the top. The sides and the back hair should be shaved down to the skin. The height of this shave depends on how you’d prefer.
In popular trends, the shaved sides go as high up as the hairlines on each side, and up the crown on the back. This gives a uniform line on three sides. It’s better to leave no fringe for this cut to seem striking.
You can fuse it up with the Takuache too, by creating a sharp hairline all around your head. You’ll have to keep the top hair and trim off the rest in the shape of a bowl. This edgy hairstyle is a controversial but popular hairstyle among men that you can try.
Neckline
The number 3 haircut fades the sides and the nape or keeps them really short. So you have the chance to try a few things out with your neckline that’ll add to your hairstyle.
The neckline is drawn based on your preference and it should match with the way you do your sides. If you want to emit edginess from your looks, then go for a sharper neckline.
This sharp neckline can be mixed with different fades too. You can keep the neckline square-shaped, or go for a more radical V shape on your nape.
You may even want to soften it down by doing a skin fade with no sharp neckline. As I’ve said, it’s all up to your taste and let your hairstyle speak for your inner self.
What face type should pick a Number 3 Haircut?
The charm of a number 3 haircut is that it goes well with any shape of face. Generally, it looks better with slightly longer faces, but ones with an oval or square face can pull it off with ease.
You can grow a beard with your number 3 hairstyle too, it adds maturity and manliness to your look while having to care very little for your hair.
Celebrities with Number 3 Haircut
The number 3 haircut has been popularly used by celebrities over the years which proves its relevance in the world of pop culture. From actors to singers or even footballers, this style has left its huge remarks.
Let’s take inspiration from some of them who are pulling off the number 3 with style.
Wentworth Miller
This Prison Break star has been flaunting his number 3 hairstyle for years. This has become a signature haircut that defines the characters he has portrayed.
Aaron Paul
Who doesn’t remember the badass Jesse Pinkman from the series Breaking Bad? The star Aaron Paul took his character to the next level with the number 3 haircut and a rough beard!
Natalie Portman
Who says a number 3 haircut is only for men? Look at how our beloved Natalie Portman has pulled this haircut confidently!
Justin Timberlake
An entire generation has grooved with this man both on and off-screen. His iconic number 3 haircut has inspired many to follow in his footsteps into the world of trendy hairstyles.
David Beckham
This former England and Manchester United midfielder have always been at the peak of the fashion industry. Whatever he did look good, and however he styled became a fashion trend instantly.
Look at his number 3 haircut and tell me if it doesn’t make you want to get one for yourself right now!
What does a Clipper Size mean?
A lot of people get confused over the relation between haircut number and the length of the hair. Haircut numbers are basically the names of hair clipper guard numbers. Based on US and UK charts, almost all of the clippers follow the same outlines for sizes.
Haircut numbers or guard numbers range from 0 to 10, just leaving out 9 from the lot. These have a direct correlation with hair sizes. Let me explain this with an example so that you can get a better understanding of this.
Standard clipper guards function on a principle of 1 to 8 sizes, which means, it divides an inch into 8 parts. Guard 1 would leave your hair length 1/8th of an inch, guard 2 would leave the length at 2/8th of an inch, and so on. Finally, guard 8 would leave 8/8th of an inch, which means an entire inch.
How long is the hair with a Number 3 cut?
So if you walk into a barbershop and ask for the Number 3 haircut, the barber would pick the guard number 3 and leave your hair at the size of 3/8th of an inch, or 3/8” length. Have a look at this chart for further clarification.
| Guard Number | Size (inches) | Size (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1/16” | 1.5 |
| 1 | 1/8” | 3 |
| 2 | 2/8" | 6 |
| 3 | 3/8” | 10 |
| 4 | 4/8" | 13 |
| 5 | 5/8” | 16 |
| 6 | 6/8" | 18 |
| 7 | 7/8” | 22 |
| 8 | 1” | 25 |
| 10 | 1¼ | 32 |
How to Get a Number 3 Haircut at Home?
Number 3 haircut is one of the easiest haircuts to do, and you can do it yourself at home if you have a trimmer. It’s a simple 3 step process you can try out right now!
First, Wash Your Hair
Washing your hair clean is important before any haircut. Wash properly with shampoo, dry with a towel, and take the help of a blower if you need it. Drying your hair completely is essential.
Trim
Once you’re done with washing, you should start with your sides. Pick your style, adjust your blade, locate the hairline and start trimming! Adding fades should require some practice. Since it’s a short haircut, there’s nothing much that could go wrong, to be honest.
Matching with the height of your sides, you should trim the back of your head. Keeping coherence with sides is important, otherwise, it’ll look odd and out of place.
Drawing Lines
As an addition, you can draw sharp lines to your neckline and your sides. This gives an edge to your look. If you have a beard, make sure to sharpen the beard lines too, that will complement your look nicely.
And after these 3 short and easy steps, you now have your very own number 3 haircut!
FAQ
Let’s take a look at some of the frequently asked questions regarding the number 3 haircut and try to answer them for you.
Can Balding Men Pull-off a Number 3 Haircut?
If you feel your scalp has started to lose patches of hair and can see bald spots every now and then, you should most certainly pick number 3 as your haircut.
This way, the hair isn’t too short to reveal your scalp, nor too long to create a sharp contrast with your bald patches. Meanwhile, you’ll get to take good care of your scalp with all the hair out of your way!
When Should I Get a Number 3 Haircut?
The number 3 is one of the most easy-going haircuts for men out there.
If you feel you get very little time for self-care and following a care routine for your hair would be very hectic but still prefer a neat and standard hairstyle, then you should consider this haircut.
You can travel or work carefree with this cut and still look good. Also, this cut doesn’t require much time to get and you can choose from a number of styling options as well.
Is a Number 3 Haircut Easy to Get?
Unlike most other haircuts, a number 3 is one of the most convenient haircuts to have – in terms of the cutting process and also in terms of explaining it.
You’ll barely take 20 seconds to explain this haircut to your barber and let him take care of the rest for you!
Verdict
Picking your haircuts isn’t always preferential, sometimes it’s a necessity. The number 3 haircut is convenient, stylish, not at all difficult to maintain – you might even get used to the ease it provides you with.
And with a lighter head, you’ll be able to survive the heat, dust and carry on with your work effortlessly, while still looking dashing out there!
Whether you like short hair or not, the number 3 haircut still ticks more marks than a lot of hairstyles. This is a must-try haircut at least once in your lifetime, and who knows, you might fall in love with it by the end.
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