Updated by the AI Hairstyle team
Brush Up Try On
A brush up hairstyle lifts short hair straight up off the forehead, which opens up your face and adds a little height. Upload a selfie and preview a brush up on your own photo before your next cut. Each generation gives you 2 variations to compare.
What Is a Brush Up Hairstyle?
A brush up is a short men’s style where the hair on top is brushed or combed straight upward and slightly back, so nothing falls onto the forehead. The sides are tapered, and the top has an even, compact shape.
The preset shows short hair brushed upward with a uniform, matte texture and tapered sides. It is shorter and neater than a quiff and less dramatic than a pompadour, which makes it an easy everyday option to preview.
What to Ask Your Barber For
- Length on top: short and fairly even, long enough to stand up when brushed but not so long that it falls over.
- The sides: a taper like the preset, or a higher fade for more contrast.
- Texture: light texturising on top helps the hair stand up evenly.
- The front: kept a touch longer than the crown so the front leads the shape.
Living With a Brush Up
- Styling: blow-dry the hair upward with a brush, then work a little matte clay or paste through it to hold the shape.
- Trims: short styles lose their shape fastest, so regular barber visits keep the top even and the sides clean.
- Hair type: thick, straight hair stands up most easily. Fine hair may need a volumising product, and wavy hair gives a softer, looser brush up.
- Growing out: with more length on top, a brush up turns into a textured quiff or a pompadour.
See a Brush Up on Your Own Photo
Each generation gives you 2 variations, and new accounts get 1 free generation. The button opens the generator with the brush up already selected.
Try a Brush UpBrush Up Try On FAQs
Which brush up does the preview show?
The brush up preset shows short hair combed straight upward off the forehead with a uniform, matte texture, compact volume and tapered sides.
What is the difference between a brush up and a quiff?
A brush up lifts short hair straight up evenly. A textured quiff is a little longer and pushed up and forward with piecey texture. Both are presets, so you can compare them on one photo.
Can I do a brush up without a blow-dryer?
Short, thick hair can sometimes be pushed up with product alone. A quick blow-dry upward usually makes the shape last longer.
Is a brush up a good short haircut for a round face?
The preview cannot judge your face shape for you, but it does show how the extra height on top looks on your own photo. Compare it with flatter styles on the same picture.