Updated by the AI Hairstyle team
Pompadour Try On
A pompadour is all about height at the front, and how much height suits you is hard to judge from someone else's photo. Upload a selfie and preview a pompadour on your own face before you ask your barber for one. Each generation gives you 2 variations to compare.
What Is a Pompadour?
A pompadour is a men’s style where the hair at the front is swept up and back off the forehead into a rounded crest, while the sides are kept short. It has been worn for decades, from sharp, glossy versions to looser modern ones, and it is still a common request in barbershops.
The preset shows a classic version: a tall front with a polished finish and tapered sides. Because the height sits right above your brow, it changes the proportions of your face more than a flatter cut, which is why it is worth seeing on your own photo first.
What to Ask Your Barber For
- Length on top: enough length at the front to sweep up and back. The front is usually left longest and the hair gets shorter toward the crown.
- The sides: tapered, faded or scissor-cut, and how short you want them next to the height on top.
- Height and shape: a tall, rounded classic crest like the preset, or a lower, looser version for everyday wear.
- Finish: a shiny pomade finish or a more matte, natural look. It changes the style as much as the cut does.
If your hair is short today, ask how long the top needs to grow before a pompadour will hold its shape.
Living With a Pompadour
- Styling: most people blow-dry the front upward and back with a brush, then set it with a pomade, cream or clay. Expect a few minutes of styling most mornings.
- Trims: the sides lose their shape first, so they usually need more frequent barber visits than the top. Ask how often your barber suggests coming back.
- Hair type: thick, straight or wavy hair tends to hold height well. Fine hair may need a volumising product and a blow-dry to stay up, and very curly hair can be shaped into a pompadour but may need stretching first, so talk it through with your barber.
- Growing out: the long front can be worn swept back or to the side as it grows, so moving to a slick back or a side part is an easy next step.
See a Pompadour on Your Own Photo
Each generation gives you 2 variations, and new accounts get 1 free generation. The button opens the generator with the pompadour already selected.
Try a PompadourPompadour Try On FAQs
Which pompadour does the preview show?
The pompadour preset sweeps the hair up and back off the forehead into a tall, rounded crest, with short tapered sides and a polished sheen.
Can I see a shorter or messier pompadour?
Not as a separate preset. If you want less height or a matte, piecey version, compare the textured quiff preset on the same photo, then describe the difference to your barber.
What is the difference between a pompadour and a slick back?
Both take the hair off the forehead. A slick back combs it flat toward the back of the head, while a pompadour lifts the front into a tall crest. Both are presets, so you can compare them on one photo.
How long does my hair need to be for a pompadour?
Long enough at the front to sweep up and back. How much length that means depends on how thick your hair is and how much height you want, so ask your barber. The preview shows the finished style, not your current length.