Ace the 2025 Tennessee Barber Exam – Snip, Style, and Succeed!

The style characterized by very short sides and a longer top is the undercut. In this hairstyle, the sides are typically clipped or shaved very close to the scalp, while the hair on top is left significantly longer. This creates a stark contrast between the two areas, emphasizing the length and style of the top section. The undercut allows for various styling options on the longer top, making it versatile for different looks, such as slicking back, forming a quiff, or creating textured styles.

While a fade also features short sides, it gradually blends the lengths from the shorter sides to the longer top, lacking the stark division that defines the undercut. A buzz cut, on the other hand, maintains a uniform length all around the head and does not have the contrasting longer top. The pompadour, while it typically has shorter sides similar to an undercut, is defined more by the volume and styling of the longer hair on top rather than by the difference in length between the sides and top. Thus, the undercut best embodies the unique characteristic of having very short sides paired with a longer top.