Quick answer: The Superman hairstyle is a short, tidy side part or swept-back top with one curl of hair left to fall onto the forehead. The sides stay short, usually a #2 to #4 taper, and the top is two to four inches so the front piece is long enough to twist into a loop.
Superman Hairstyle Styles at a Glance
Every style on this page with its clipper guard, top length and trim interval. Tap a name to jump to that card.
The Superman hairstyle comes from comic art and film: a neat, combed-back haircut with a single curl, often called a spit curl or forelock curl, hanging over the brow. Below are 10 versions, from the classic side part to fades, curly hair and beards, with the cut you need, how to set the curl and what to say to your barber.
What Is the Superman Hairstyle?
The Superman hairstyle is a short men's cut, close to a classic gentleman's side part, with one detail added: a small lock at the front is separated from the rest and set into a loose curl or S-shape on the forehead. The rest of the top is combed back or to the side with light shine. The sides are tapered short and neat, and the back is clean at the neckline. In comics the curl is drawn as a tight hook; in films it has usually been softer and looser.
The cut itself is ordinary. What makes it a Superman hairstyle is the styling: leaving enough length at the front hairline, about three to four inches, and training that one piece to fall forward while everything else goes back. A barber can leave the front slightly longer to make the curl easier to form, but no special technique is needed.
How Is It Different from a Side Part or Pompadour?
A classic side part keeps every hair combed in one direction, away from the part. A modern pompadour lifts the whole front up and back for height. The Superman hairstyle sits between them: the shape is low like a side part, the front may have a little lift, and one curl is pulled out of place on purpose. The table shows the differences at a glance.
How Is It Different from a Side Part or Pompadour?
Oval, square and long faces suit it well, because the curl breaks up a high forehead and the short sides keep the head narrow. Round faces can wear it if the top has some lift so the shape does not sit flat. Hair that is straight to wavy and medium to thick holds the curl best. Very fine hair can form the curl but drops it within a few hours unless you use a stronger product.
It also suits men with a natural cowlick or forward growth at the front hairline, since that hair already wants to fall onto the forehead. A receding hairline is not a barrier; a curl dropped from slightly behind the hairline can soften the temples. Curly and coily hair can wear a version where one defined curl is left long at the front.
Filter the styles
Showing all 10 styles
Fade
Hair
Length
Classic Superman Curl Hairstyles
These versions keep the traditional shape: a neat side part, short tapered sides and one curl at the front. They follow the look from comics and film, built on the same cut as a classic side part.
Trim:Every 3–4 weeks. Keeps the taper neat around the ears.
Best For:Oval, square faces + straight or wavy medium hair.
About This Style
A side part, short tapered sides and one curl lying on the forehead make up the comic-book version. The sides blend from a #2 at the neckline to a #3 or #4 above the ear, and the top sits at about three inches. One front piece is left slightly longer and looped toward the face. The rest of the top is combed back with low shine, so the curl reads as the only loose hair.
How to Style at Home
Comb a side part on damp hair and sweep the top back with light pomade.
Separate one finger-width piece at the front and wrap it around your finger.
Blow-dry the loop on low heat, slide your finger out and press it flat.
Ask Your Barber
"Classic side part with a scissor-over-comb taper, #2 at the neckline and #3 above the ears. Leave three inches on top and an extra inch at the front for a curl."
Trim:Every 3–4 weeks. Short sides lose their outline quickly.
Best For:Long, oval faces + straight dark or medium hair.
About This Style
In the late-1970s Superman films the hair was dark, short and combed into a side part, with a small curl placed in the middle of the forehead. The look is tidy rather than voluminous: the top is around two and a half inches, combed down and back with shine, and the sides are tapered close above the ears. The curl is tight and compact rather than a loose wave, which needs a little more product to hold.
How to Style at Home
Apply pomade to damp hair and comb a firm part on the left side.
Twist a small front piece into a tight ring with a fine-tooth comb.
Set the ring with a dab more pomade and leave it to dry untouched.
Ask Your Barber
"Short side part, top about two and a half inches combed down, sides tapered with a #3 to a #2. Leave a small front section a little longer for a tight curl."
Trim:Every 3 weeks. The tight taper shows regrowth early.
Best For:Square, oval faces + thick straight or wavy hair.
About This Style
From the 2010s films, this version swaps the shiny comic finish for a more natural, lightly textured top. The sides are tapered fairly tight, around a #2, and the top is two to three inches, pushed back and to the side with a matte or low-shine product. A loose piece falls onto the forehead rather than a neat ring. It suits thick hair with a slight wave, which drops into that curl easily.
How to Style at Home
Blow-dry the top back and to the side with your fingers for soft lift.
Rub a little matte cream between your palms and press it through the top.
Pull one front piece forward and twist it once so it falls loosely.
Ask Your Barber
"Tight taper, #2 on the sides and #1 at the neckline. Leave two to three inches on top, textured, with the front slightly longer to fall onto the forehead."
Trim:Every 4 weeks. Soft taper hides growth for a month.
Best For:Most face shapes + straight or slightly wavy hair.
About This Style
Clark Kent wears the same haircut without the curl: every hair is combed neatly to the side, sometimes with a little forward fall over the brow. That makes it a useful office version of the look. Ask for a standard scissor-cut side part with a soft #3 or #4 taper, and you can switch between the two by pulling down a curl on weekends and combing it back in on workdays.
How to Style at Home
Comb the part with a fine comb and smooth the top to one side.
Use styling cream for a soft finish that does not look wet.
Let the front fall slightly forward so it rests over the brow.
Ask Your Barber
"Scissor-cut side part with a soft #4 taper on the sides, #3 at the nape. Two to three inches on top, no thinning, so I can comb it flat or add a curl."
Trim:Every 2–3 weeks. Pompadour shape needs crisp short sides.
Best For:Round, oval faces + thick straight hair.
About This Style
The top is left at four inches and blow-dried up and back into a medium pompadour, then one curl is pulled out of the front and hung down in front of the volume. Sides are short, often a low fade from a #1, to make the top look taller. It adds height to a round face and takes about ten minutes to style each morning.
How to Style at Home
Blow-dry the front up and back over a round brush for height.
Comb pomade through the top and smooth the sides of the pompadour.
Pull one piece out from under the front, curl it and drop it forward.
Ask Your Barber
"Pompadour with a low fade from a #1 to a #3. Leave four inches on top and at the front, tapered shorter toward the crown."
Recommended Products
Pomade
Round Brush
Modern Superman Hairstyles
These versions keep the curl but change the cut around it: a fade or undercut on the sides, natural curls, a beard or a plan for finer hair. Each still needs about three inches at the front hairline.
Trim:Every 2 weeks. Skin at the bottom shows regrowth fast.
Best For:Oval, round faces + straight or thick hair.
About This Style
Swapping the scissor taper for a mid skin fade gives the curl a sharper frame. The fade starts at the temple and blends from bare skin through a #1 and #2 into a three-inch top. Because the sides are almost bare, the curl and part draw the eye. Expect the fade to blur within two weeks, while the top keeps its shape for a month or more.
How to Style at Home
Push light pomade through the top and comb it back on a side part.
Loop one front section around a finger and dry it on low heat.
Smooth any loose hairs at the part line with a fine comb.
Ask Your Barber
"Mid skin fade starting at the temple, blended through a #1 and #2. Three inches on top with a side part and the front left long enough for a curl."
Trim:Every 3 weeks. Undercut sides grow fuzzy within a month.
Best For:Oval, long faces + thick straight or wavy hair.
About This Style
An undercut clips the sides and back to a single #1 or #2 with no blend, and the longer top, around four inches, drapes over that line. Combed back with one curl falling forward, it reads more modern than the tapered original. The disconnection hides the part of the sides that grows out first, so it stretches a little longer between visits than a skin fade.
How to Style at Home
Comb styling cream through damp hair from the roots out.
Sweep the top back over the undercut line and to one side.
Twist a single front piece forward and let it hang over the brow.
Ask Your Barber
"Disconnected undercut with a #2 on the sides and back, no blending. Keep four inches on top and leave the front long for a forehead curl."
Trim:Every 3–4 weeks. Curls hide some growth but the taper drifts.
Best For:Oval, square faces + curly or coily hair.
About This Style
Natural curls do most of the work in this version. The barber shapes a short curly top, about two inches when stretched, with a low taper around the ears, and leaves one curl at the front an inch longer. That curl is defined with cream and allowed to fall forward. On coily hair, ask for a slightly longer front so the shrinkage still leaves a curl on the forehead.
How to Style at Home
Apply curl cream to soaking wet hair and scrunch the top.
Twist the front curl around a finger to define its spiral.
Let it air dry or diffuse on low without touching the curls.
Ask Your Barber
"Low taper from a #1 at the nape to a #3 above the ears. Two inches of curls on top, with one front curl left an inch longer to fall forward."
Trim:Every 3 weeks. Beard and sideburns need trimming together.
Best For:Round, oblong faces + thick hair and full beard.
About This Style
Pairing the curl with a short boxed beard adds width at the jaw and balances a long face. The sideburns connect to the beard with a soft taper rather than a hard line, and the beard is kept around half an inch, squared at the corners. On top, the side part and curl stay the same. Keep the beard neat; a long, loose beard pulls attention away from the curl.
How to Style at Home
Comb a side part and set the top with a little pomade.
Form the forehead curl last so it does not get combed flat.
Brush the beard down with a drop of beard oil to finish.
Ask Your Barber
"Side part with a #3 taper that blends into the beard at the sideburns. Three inches on top with a long front piece. Box the beard at half an inch."
Trim:Every 3–4 weeks. Short sides make the top look fuller.
Best For:Oval, long faces + fine or thinning straight hair.
About This Style
Fine hair can hold the curl if the cut and product are chosen for it. Keep the sides short, a #2 taper, so the top looks thicker by comparison, and leave the front blunt rather than texturized. Spray thickening product at the roots before drying, and use a firmer pomade on the curl only. A smaller loop holds longer than a big one and shows less scalp underneath.
How to Style at Home
Spray thickening spray at the roots of damp hair before blow-drying.
Dry the top back with a brush, keeping the front piece separate.
Curl that piece with a pinch of pomade and keep the loop small.
Ask Your Barber
"#2 taper on the sides, top left at two and a half inches with a blunt, unthinned front. Leave the front piece a bit longer for a small curl."
Recommended Products
Thickening Spray
Pomade
How Do You Ask Your Barber for a Superman Hairstyle?
Ask for a short side part with tapered sides, then explain the curl. A clear request is: taper the sides with a #3 blending to a #2 at the neckline, leave two to three inches on top, and keep the front hairline at three to four inches so one piece can fall onto the forehead. Ask the barber to point cut the front rather than thin it, so the curl has weight. Bring a photo of the look from the front.
If you have a cowlick, show the barber where it sits and ask which side the part should go on. The curl usually forms best on the side opposite the part, because the hair there already leans toward the forehead. Our guide on how to style cowlicks and double crowns explains how growth direction affects that choice, and a quick test comb in the chair settles it.
Clipper Guards Used in Superman Hairstyle Styles
A clipper guard is the plastic comb that clips onto the blade and sets how much hair is left: a #1 leaves 3 mm (1/8 inch), each step up adds about 3 mm. The right column lists the cards on this page that call for each guard. See the full clipper guard numbers guide for the complete chart.
Start with damp, towel-dried hair. Work a small amount of light pomade or styling cream through the top from roots to ends.
Comb the shape
Comb a side part and sweep the top back and to the side. Leave one section, about the width of a finger, loose at the front.
Form the curl
Wrap that section around your finger or a pencil, toward the face. Hold it for a few seconds while blow-drying on low heat, then slide your finger out.
Set it
Press the loop lightly onto the forehead and add a touch more product to the tip so it holds. Avoid heavy gel, which makes the curl look stiff and wet.
What Mistakes Ruin the Look?
The most common mistake is pulling down too much hair. The curl should be a small, single piece; a whole fringe falling forward reads as messy rather than deliberate. Using a hard-hold gel is another, because the curl dries into a stiff hook that looks drawn on. Leaving the sides too long also blurs the shape, since the cut relies on a clean, short outline around the ears.
Return to the barber every three to four weeks to keep the taper neat around the ears and neckline. Ask the barber not to shorten the front piece each visit unless it has passed the eyebrows, or the curl will be too short to form until it grows back. Between visits, a weekly wash to clear old pomade keeps the curl from going limp and greasy by midday.
Which Superman Hairstyle Is Right for You?
Pick your hair type and how much upkeep you will put in. The matches below come from the Best For and Maintenance notes on each card. Upkeep follows the Maintenance badge: low means a cut every 3 to 6 weeks and almost no daily styling, high means weekly line-ups or daily product.
Q1: What is the curl in the Superman hairstyle called?+
It is usually called a spit curl or a forelock curl. A spit curl is a small, flat curl pressed onto the forehead or temple, a look that was popular in the early 20th century. In Superman art it became one loose curl falling from the front of a combed-back haircut.
Q2: How long does your hair need to be for a Superman curl?+
The front piece needs about three to four inches so it can loop once and still reach the forehead. The rest of the top can be two to three inches, and the sides can be tapered short. Shorter hair can still form a small flick, but not a full curl.
Q3: Can you get a Superman hairstyle with curly hair?+
Yes. Curly hair often forms the curl on its own. Ask for short tapered sides and a defined curly top, then leave one ringlet long at the front. Use curl cream instead of pomade so the curl keeps its natural shape without frizz.
Q4: What product holds the Superman curl best?+
A light pomade or a styling cream gives the right mix of hold and soft shine. Matte clay works for a drier look but can make the curl look less defined. Hard gel holds well but leaves the curl stiff, so most men use it only on very fine hair.
Q5: Does the Superman hairstyle work with a receding hairline?+
It can. Drop the curl from a little behind the hairline so it falls across the forehead and softens the temples. Keep the sides short and the top neat. If the front is very thin, a smaller flick looks more natural than a large loop.
Q6: Is the Superman hairstyle office appropriate?+
Yes, in most offices. Underneath the curl it is a standard side part with a tapered back and sides. On formal days you can comb the curl back into the rest of the top, and the haircut still looks neat.
