1. Classic Medium Faux Hawk
This is the version most barbers default to when a guy over 40 asks for a faux hawk without extra direction. A center strip runs from the forehead to the crown, left at around 2 to 3 inches, with the sides trimmed shorter but not shaved down. The line stays soft rather than sharp.
On straight hair it holds with just a dab of matte paste worked in while damp. No blow dryer required, which matters if your morning routine is already tight.
It reads as put-together, not trendy. That’s the whole point at this age — the cut should look intentional, not like you’re chasing something younger guys are doing.
2. Medium Faux Hawk with Taper Fade
Here the sides taper down gradually instead of staying one length. It starts close near the ear and blends up into the longer center section over about an inch and a half.
The gradual fade is more forgiving than a hard line if your hairline has started to move. It softens the transition instead of drawing a border around what’s left.
Ask for a “low taper” specifically — a high taper on straight hair over 40 can look like it’s trying too hard. This version doesn’t.
3. Textured Medium Faux Hawk
Instead of one smooth ridge down the center, this version is cut with texturizing shears so the top breaks up into pieces. It looks less deliberate, and that’s the appeal.
Straight hair needs a texture spray or a light clay to fake the piece-y look, since it wants to fall flat on its own. Work it in at the root, not just the tips.
This is the lower-maintenance cousin of the classic version. You lose some of the height, but you gain about five minutes back every morning.
4. Medium Faux Hawk with Side Part
A hard or soft side part feeds directly into the raised center section, so the style reads as a side part from the front and a faux hawk from above. It’s a hybrid, and a good one.
This works especially well if your hair has thinned at the temples. The part draws attention away from that area instead of toward it.
Comb the part in while hair is damp, then build the center height second. Doing it in the other order tends to flatten the part.
5. Slicked Medium Faux Hawk
No spike here. The center section gets combed straight back with a strong-hold gel, giving a glossy, controlled finish instead of lift. It’s the version that works in a suit.
Straight hair holds a slick-back better than any other texture — no flyaways fighting the gel, no curl trying to spring back an hour later.
The trade-off is upkeep. A slicked style needs a touch-up by early afternoon if you’re out in humidity or wind, which a drier textured cut wouldn’t.
6. Medium Faux Hawk with Low Fade
The fade sits low, close to the ear, and leaves more length everywhere else on the sides. It’s a quieter version of the taper — less contrast, more coverage.
Guys who want the shape but don’t want to look freshly barbered every week tend to land here. A low fade grows out without losing its structure for close to a month.
It’s a solid middle ground if the tapered version above feels like too much change from what you’re used to.
7. Messy Medium Faux Hawk
This one skips the comb entirely. Hair is scrunched with a matte paste and left with visible separation, no clean ridge down the middle.
Most guides skip this version because it photographs less cleanly than the classic cut. In person it’s the one that gets the most compliments, since it doesn’t look like it took effort.
Straight hair needs a stronger hold product to fake this texture than curly hair would. Reach for a fiber paste over a cream — the cream alone won’t hold the separation past lunch.
8. Medium Faux Hawk with Undercut
A true undercut shaves the sides down close, then leaves the center section untouched at full length. The contrast is sharper than any fade can give you.
This is the boldest option on this list, and it’s worth saying so plainly. It reads younger and edgier than the rest, which either sounds appealing or doesn’t.
If you’re unsure, ask your barber for a “soft undercut” first. You can always go shorter on the sides at your next appointment — you can’t add hair back.
9. Business-Ready Medium Faux Hawk
Height gets dialed way back here — think an inch of lift at most, sides neatly tapered, nothing that would turn heads in a client meeting.
The honest answer on whether this still counts as a faux hawk is: barely. It’s really a textured crop with a faint ridge, which is exactly why it works in an office.
Fifteen seconds with a comb and a pea-sized amount of pomade is the entire routine. That’s the appeal for guys who don’t want styling to eat into their morning.
10. Medium Faux Hawk with Gray Blend
Rather than fighting gray hair, this version lets it sit through the center section on purpose, where the lift catches the light and makes the color stand out.
Barbers will sometimes suggest keeping the sides slightly darker in comparison — that’s not always true, and it depends on how evenly the gray has come in around your temples.
If your gray is patchy rather than even, ask for shorter sides. It draws the eye up and away from the uneven parts.
11. Modern Medium Faux Hawk with Skin Fade
The sides go all the way down to skin near the hairline, then build back up into a textured, swept-back center. It’s the sharpest, most modern-looking cut on this list.
And it’s the one that needs the most upkeep by far. A skin fade starts showing regrowth at the temples within about 2 weeks, faster than any other option here.
If you’re not going to see a barber every 3 weeks without fail, pick the low fade from earlier instead. This version only looks good when it’s fresh.
