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Two block haircuts began as a hairstyle trend amongst Korean men. Similar to a lot of K-pop culture, it took off in popularity and is a favorite haircut style among men around the world.
If you think a two block haircut might look great on you, keep reading to learn how this haircut works and what the best style is for you!
What Is a Two Block Haircut?
In essence, a two block cut involves long hair on the top contrasting to short hair on the sides and back. There is a lot of variety to this hairstyle, especially in terms of length.
Some two block haircuts fade the sides like an undercut, but the more fashionable way to rock this trendy haircut—and the way that is most true to the style—is to make the contrast between the top and sides extremely visible.
For this reason, people often refer to the two block haircut as the Korean bowl cut. One of the best features of this trendy haircut is its flexibility, especially in terms of length.
There are no hard and fast rules for deciding how long to go. Like the advice for undercut haircuts, long hair blends best with round faces. The main benefits of this haircut include:
- Easy to maintain
- Youthful and trendy
- Easy to style
- Works with any length of hair
Two Block Haircut Inspiration: 30 Ways to Rock the Trend
There are countless ways to pull off the two block haircut, so before you settle on your style, let’s check out some of the best versions of this haircut!
1. Sharp Undercut
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It is more traditional to see the top block falling over the bottom block, like a bowl cut. However, this example shows that you can easily style the hair to stay above the bottom block.
2. Two Block With Long Back
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While it is common for the sides and back to have the same length in a two block haircut, there’s no rule against it. This example shows that a longer back can be quite stylish.
3. Slicked Back Two Block
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The two block style usually embraces messy hair on top, but this haircut also looks great with gel and slicked-back hair. Combined with the beard this whole look is stylish.
4. Business Professional Two Block Cut
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You might associate the two block cut with more of a casual and young vibe, but when styled correctly it can also look great in more serious business settings. This example with the suit looks slick and professional.
5. Spiky Undercut
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The isolation of the short side looks great against the contrasting length on the top and back. This looks particularly well with the spiky hair texture in this example.
6. Two Block Cut With Subtle Fade
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It is more traditional to embrace the contrast between lengths of the top and sides, which usually means avoiding the fade technique. But this example shows that a slight fade can still keep the two block style in place.
7. High Contrast Two Block Haircut
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If you have the confidence to pull it off, consider going super short on the side and long on the top. This contrast is a classic feature of the two block cut and can look great when done correctly.
8. Medium Fade
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The previous example with a fade was quite subtle, but this man has a medium fade that gets into the territory of an undercut fade haircut. But since he kept a lot of length on top, the two block feature is still intact.
9. Wavy Two Block Cut
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If you have a wavy hair texture, especially with blonde hair, consider embracing that waviness with a two block style. This example also incorporates a slight fade to blend the top and sides.
10. Low-Contrast Two Block Haircut
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This example showcases a lower-contrast two block style, which looks both neat and stylish. Combined with a beard the look comes together nicely.
11. Mohawk Two Block Haircut
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Blending different hairstyles can be a great way to invent your unique style, and this example embraces the mohawk look on the back.
12. Clean Two Block Cut
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The classic way to sport the two block style is to go as short as possible on the sides and back, even as short as shaving. Especially with the dark black hair, this example gets the contrast just right.
13. Wavy Undercut With Beard
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This example is another one that showcases that wavy hair works particularly well with the two block style. Combined with the well-groomed beard this whole look works well together.
14. Parted Two Block Haircut
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If you like the idea of a sharp part to your hair, you can follow this example and go much longer on one side of the part than the other. This look is especially great when you gel and style your hair.
15. Patterned Two Block Cut
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The two block haircut is already a unique and creative hairstyle, but if you want an even more personal take on the haircut, consider cutting in a pattern like this example.
Read Next: Men’s Haircut Designs
16. Stylish Undercut
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It’s hard to say whether or not this is an undercut or a two block, which proves just how similar these two hairstyles are. Whatever you call it, this looks great with the stylish part to the side.
17. Short Top
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The two block haircut normally embraces longer hair on top, sometimes so long as to look like a bowl cut. But this example shows that a short and neat length on top also looks great.
18. Parted Two Block Hairstyle
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Here is another example of how the two block style works well with a part. Especially on the shorter side, the part line makes for a strong contrast between the top and sides.
19. Ponytail Two Block Cut
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With enough hair on top, you can even turn the extra hair into a ponytail. This example shows a fun way to blend two distinct haircuts.
20. Messy Two Block Haircut
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If you do a medium-length or longer on the top block of hair, the two block cut is a style that you can allow to be messy. Because it looks good messy, the haircut works great for younger boys.
21. Buzzed Two Block Cut
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The two block haircut generally uses a scissor to cut the top, which is one of the ways it achieves such great contrast. But this example shows that as long as there’s enough of a length difference, a buzz on the top works fine too.
22. Classic Bowl Cut
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The two block style is often called the Korean bowl cut for a reason—there’s not much of a difference between the two haircuts!
23. Long Bowl Cut
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You’ve seen many examples of the two block haircut with styled hair on top. But this example shows that letting the hair hang without any styling also works great!
24. Classic Korean Bowl Cut
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This example perfectly demonstrates why the two block cut is a more stylish Korean version of the bowl cut. The different lengths are visible and the top hangs down in a messy yet stylish way.
25. Puffy Two Block Cut
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As you’ve seen from the examples, there are countless ways to style the longer hair on top. In this example, the top is long enough to puff out to the sides.
26. Middle Part
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Many of these two block examples parted the hair on the sides, but this haircut shows that you can also do a part in the middle. A middle part helps the bowl cut look more stylish.
27. Wavy Bowl Cut
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Many people don’t like the bowl cut because it makes their hair look too smooth. But if you have the hair texture to make more volume and waves, you can still pull off the two block bowl style.
28. Modest Two Block Haircut
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Some people don’t prefer haircuts that look too complicated or stylish—sometimes a simple look is what you want. This example showcases a two block style without anything fancy.
29. Spiked Two Block Hairstyle
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Some people need gel to spike their hair, but some hair textures do this style naturally. If you have such a hair texture, consider a shorter and spiky style of two block haircut like this example.
30. Two Block Cut With Bangs
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This example is a classic two block haircut, with nice contrast and overlap of the top onto the sides. It also lets the hair hang over the front to create nice bangs.
Frequently Asked Questions
As you can see, this haircut is great for someone who likes creativity and flexibility in their hairstyles. But before you decide for sure, let’s work through some of the most common questions about two block haircuts:
Why Is It Called Two Block Haircut?
The name of a two block haircut comes from the distinct length difference between the long hair and top and the shorter hair on the sides and back. You cut this hairstyle in two separate sections, usually a scissor cut on top and a buzz cut on the sides/back.
What Do I Ask My Barber For A Two Block?
Since the two block is such a variable haircut, what you tell your barber depends on the style you want. If you want a lot of length on top, you might have them go for a Korean bowl cut style. You can also mention a mushroom cut or an undercut, but the best way to get what you want is to find a picture and bring it with you.
How Do You Maintain Two Blocks?
The key to the two block cut is the contrast between the top and the sides, which usually resembles the undercut. To maintain this contrast between the blocks, allow the top of your hair to keep growing while grooming the sides like you would groom your beard.
How Do Koreans Get Their Hair Cut?
Like any culturally rich society, there are a ton of hairstyles that you will see amongst Korean men, and these trends change over time. But the two block haircut is a Korean hair trend that exploded in popularity. The hairstyle looks slick, stylish, and youthful.
What Is A Two Block Undercut?
The two block and undercut hairstyles are similar because they involve a length difference between the tops and the sides. But while the classic undercut involves trimmed sides and a shorter top, the classic two block highlights the contrast with shaved sides and a longer top.
Is the Two Block Haircut for You?
As these examples probably showed you, the two block haircut is trendy for a reason: it’s both risky and fashionable while also being modest enough to be professional. So if you think you can find the right length and contrast for yourself, go ahead and rock this popular haircut in style!