The Essential Guide to Navy Haircuts: Regulations, Styles, and History

Introduction

The navy haircut is one of the standard haircut styles adopted by sailors and officers in the United States Navy. This business look can also be worn with a taper on the sides and back and longer on top to be professional yet not so strict. 

The navy haircut offers many benefits:

• Compliant with all NSH hair length and bulk provisions
• The outfits provided to staff members appear formal and neat especially when the employee is in uniform.
• One of them is that low maintenance and easy to style.
• Prevents hair on the face or neck areas.
• Enables sailors to show at least some aspects of their selves.

This guide contains all the important details that you will need when choosing the right navy haircut that will cut. 

Navy Haircut: Originating and Progress

The military style that is associated with naval haircut has been around for centuries; sailors shaved their heads for cleanliness and to avoid entanglement in the ships’ riggings. Finally, some rules were removed but men cannot have unruly hair and look unkempt to go to work.

In today’s navy grooming standards still maintain that hair should not be touching the ears or collar so that uniforms can accommodate hats and other gear. That is why despite the possibility of having some natural volume and motion on top, the navy haircut remains a tradition connected to generations of sailors.

The neatly trimmed cut in the military uniforms works to create an image of discipline and this duty-ready personnel expected of members. Most of the sailors even go to the same barbers and even if they change barbers they ensure that their hair is of the same style.

When sailors use the navy haircut, they show the public that they are ready to go to their duty with honor, courage, and commitment. The neatly combed yet reserved hairstyle conveys that the mission is above one’s wardrobe.

Navy haircut technical regulation

The United States Navy outlines exact specifications regarding the proper length, bulk, and shape of the navy haircut:

• Hair length: Already, hair may only come to the upper side of the uniform collar but not beyond. Hair cannot fall below the eyebrows when there is removal of some wear such as headgear.
• Sideburns: The sideburns cannot fade into lower than the middle part of the ear. It has to be squared off and the bottom of the hull has to be horizontal, no flare is allowed.
• Bulk: Male hair may not exceed 2 inches from the scalp and tapers towards the end. They are not allowed to dress in rather faddish outrageous styles. 
• Styling: It’s further added that the style of gents should be smart and not very extreme. Products such as pomades and light hairspray are allowable but moderately used.

For as long as sailors stick to these criteria, they have some liberty to tweak some aspects of their navy cuts to fit their face shapes and styles of choice. Crew cuts and even forward brush-ups are fine as long as lots of natural curl volume is not a problem.

Check Out: Army High Fade Crew Cut: Bold, Sharp, and Battle-Ready.

How to get the Navy haircut?

Getting your initial navy haircut is simple:

1. Barber shops with military-friendly workers

• Ring door to door to ask if they give military cuts.
• Search for comments regarding buzz cuts, fades, and military styles of facial hair.

2. Show a reference photo

• Copy and print out the rules of length and bulk along with a well-regulated navy haircut picture.
• Ask the barber to copy the crown length, side tapering, and neat edge lining.

3. Specify a skin fade

• Specify a skin fade (bald taper) on the back and sides to follow the length rules.
• A skin fade is a transition where the stylist combines the sides that are cut short with the top that is left longer at the back of the head.

4. Maintain every 2 weeks

• So if you want to stay under regulation, get the same section of the hair touched up every 2 weeks.
• This ensures the top and sides do not go past length and bulk guidelines

Navy Haircut Basic Fade Line Up

Part of wearing the navy haircut professionally is properly styling the longer top:

• Apply styling product: Apply a nickel size of pomades, wax, or any light and medium-hold hairspray.
• Brush the top hair: The longer hair sweeping forward, diagonally forward, or straight upward based on the shape of your face.
• Set neatly: Ensure it doesn’t look too bulky and make sure the hair at the back of your head or ears or eyebrows area isn’t excessive.
• Check for strays: Check that there are no standing hairs around the head and trim any wiry ends.

The style chosen should be neat and a little plain with less emphasis on the hair as they all should frame your face. Tame cowlicks and don’t be tempted to brush top hair into spectacular mohawks, or forbidden pumps.

Tips for Preserving the Navy Haircut

Follow these expert tips for keeping your navy cut squared away:

• Avoid moving from one barbershop to the other and one barber to another in that particular shop.
• Another tip is to put an approved photo on each of the visits to guide your barber.
• Have the back/sides possibly trimmed every 10-14 days to avoid a violation of length policies. 
• Keep a comb or brush for touchups because styling may get messy or even need retouching throughout the day.
• This is the type that is used to maintain the shape of your styled top; use light-hold hair spray.
• Stay away from bed-head by sleeping with a silk cap or durag Vous devez vous réveiller avec un bonnet de soie ou dura g
• With these important tips on navy haircuts, you are sure to turn up for a duty inspection for perfect hair.

Face shapes and the navy haircut

An important part of wearing the navy haircut is choosing a style that flatters your facial structure:

Oval Faces

The navy haircut suits facial shapes best for the oval-shaped face. The 45 x 45 ideal and a rounded hairline in the case of the oval face should be able to accommodate a top hair brushed forward, up, or diagonally. This flexibility is beneficial as to achieve the aesthetic a navy cut requires; one needs a uniform appearance.

Round Faces

 Those with more round cheeks should avoid adding volume on the sides since it tends to add width. Advise your barber to blend, or thin out the hair at the temple region to create an oval-like frame. Brush the top hair diagonally away from the face to create the illusion of length.

Square Faces

Heavier jowls and chins look best when combined with military cuts, but some sort of narrowing around the ears to alleviate the angles. This will avoid exaggerating the boxiness; have hair brushed forward rather than upward. Helixes, temporal, side, and back hair should be faded especially short.  

Triangular Faces

If you have a small chin and a large forehead, then the mass should be towards the sides but not the head. It does this to make it seem that the lower half of the dress is wider than the upper half of the dress. The hair on the top part of the head must be brushed back or stand fully upright in order not to suggest the natural receding hairline.  

Conclusion

It is not only tradition that demands a certain grooming standard and fewer frills but also a symbol of navy pride. This no-frill men’s cut is quite suitable for bearing functional responsibility when worn properly. While the hair is short on sides and back the navy cut offers freedom for style options on the top for sailors.

To provide you with the best attention-drawing yet regulative Navy grooming, you have to follow the grooming regulations and find out the face shape that can be best paired with your haircut. Well, go to your barbershop today and get the ideal military cut you want to wear while at sea or inshore station.

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