Skip to Content

Faux Hawks, Quiffs, Ivy Leagues For Receding Hairlines [Pics]

August 2, 2023
Faux Hawks, Quiffs, Ivy Leagues For Receding Hairlines [Pics]

Certain styles work better than others when you’ve got a receding hairline. That’s no secret. You’re about to learn everything about three of them; faux hawks, Ivy Leagues, and quiffs. 

Let’s get to it. 

Faux Hawks And Receding Hairlines

The faux hawk is a hairstyle where there is long spiked or textured hair on top that gradually blends into short and clipped sides. The sides are usually faded, seamlessly increasing in length from the bottom to the top. 

faux hawk with low fade
Image From Shutterstock

Is A Faux Hawk Good For A Receding Hairline?

The faux hawk is a good hairstyle for receding hairlines because the contrast between the textured hair on top and the short sides makes the recession less noticeable. This is especially true when the sides include a high fade. 

So, the main benefits of the faux hawk for men with receding hairline are related to its features. 

The style is closely related to the “mohawk” but has some very important differences. 

The “strip” of hair on top with the faux hawk isn’t as narrow as that of the mohawk. In addition, the hair to either side of the mohawk is usually shaved or buzzed and left disconnected from the strip of hair. 

In contrast, with the faux hawk, the top is connected to the sides as it gradually blends into them. 

In many ways, the mohawk would be an ideal option for men with receding hairlines, simply because most of the hairline is removed. All you’ve got is a narrow strip of hair running down the top from front-to-back. 

However, in mainstream culture, the faux hawk is far more versatile and common, while still retaining some of the benefits of the mohawk. 

So why does a faux hawk with a high fade work so well for a receding hairline? 

When a faux hawk is combined with a high fade, the sides absorb the receding temples and make them look less obvious. It simply appears as though the receding areas are part of the high fade. 

The high fade will still maintain a connection to the textured, spiked hair on top. It’ll gradually blend into it. 

Is A Faux Hawk Good For Thin Hair? 

The faux hawk works well for men with thin hair because the relatively even, textured, and spiked hair on top makes thin hair appear to be thicker. The messy and layered appearance of the faux hawk makes thinning patches less noticeable. 

In general, hairstyles that prioritize building volume, texture, and layering work well for men with thin or thinning hair. 

Faux hawks are known for their textured finish. It’s “messy”, but in an organized and intentional way. 

Overall, the finish you get from a faux hawk is great for men who want their hair to look thicker than it actually is. 

In addition, men with thin hair will benefit from the contrast between the short, clipped hair on the sides and the longer, textured hair on top. 

Having the sides clipped down significantly shorter than the hair on top will make the hair on top appear fuller and thicker in comparison. 

This is often the case with faux hawks. 

The greater the contrast in length between the hair at the sides and at the top, the more noticeable this effect. 

So, combining a faux hawk with a high fade is a great option for this reason. Most of the sides will be clipped down very short, making the hair on top look thicker as a result. 

Quiffs And Receding Hairlines

The modern quiff is a hairstyle where the forelock is pushed upward and away from the forehead, while the hair behind it remains flat. Here’s what you need to know about quiffs and receding hairlines. 

neat and small quiff
Image From Shutterstock

Is A Quiff Good For A Receding Hairline?

The quiff can work well for men with mild or moderate receding hairlines, especially when it is relatively messy and textured. With longer quiffs, the hair at the sides of the frontal hairline can still be used to cover some of the receding temples. 

While quiffs can be useful for men with receding hairlines, it’s important to style them the right way. 

Given how most of the styling is done at the frontal hairline (where the recession is taking place), doing so in the wrong way can actually work against you. 

In general, when styling a quiff with a receding hairline, you’ll want to focus on building volume, texture, and a subtle, tousled mess with the quiff itself.

Doing so will often make the forelock (hair immediately above the forehead) appear thicker. 

This will often make the receding hairline appear less obvious, especially when the recession was only mild, to begin with. 

While you want to do so in a way that doesn’t seem too noticeable, if the hair is long enough, the hair at the sides of the frontal hairline can be used to provide some coverage of the receding temples themselves. 

So, you’ll still have the quiff in the middle, while a small amount of hair on either side can be used to cover the temples. 

But what if you’ve got a very advanced receding hairline? 

If this is the case, a quiff often isn’t the best option as it’ll often just look awkward and draw attention to it.

When it comes to this point, the best option is simply to buzz it all down short. 

Having all of the hair on top clipped down super short usually works better than having the hair at the front considerably longer and taller than the hair behind it (like with a quiff).

Buzz cuts work well for receding hairlines, especially when it’s pretty advanced. Crew cuts can work too

But until that point, you’ve got some options and quiffs are one of them. 

Is A Quiff Good For Thin Hair? 

The quiff is a good hairstyle for men with thin hair, especially when the quiff is tousled and messy. If the hair is too thin to support a quiff, it’s worth trimming it shorter to see if this allows it to remain upright. 

A quiff will often work better for men with thin hair than other more defined styles such as slick backs, comb overs, and pompadours.

The height of the quiff at the front is quite good at hiding the thinner patches of hair that may lie behind it. 

The taller the quiff, the better this effect is. 

There is a catch to this, however. The hair may be so thin that supporting a taller quiff is out of the question. 

Thin hair has trouble supporting itself when upright. If this is the case, you’ll find that the quiff simply falls flat no matter how strong the styling product is. 

When this happens, you’ll really have no choice but to trim the hair shorter. While you’ll lose some of the benefits of taller, more voluminous, and more textured quiffs, at least the quiff will be able to support itself and stay upright. 

Overall, however, quiffs are a good option for men with thin hair and receding hairlines, as long as it isn’t very thin and the recession isn’t too advanced. 

Ivy Leagues And Receding Hairlines

The Ivy League is a hairstyle consisting of short, tapered sides and longer, scissor-cut hair on top that graduates (i.e reduces) in length from front to back. 

It’s similar to a crew cut, although with Ivy Leagues the hair on top is usually longer – long enough to form a side part. 

Image From DepositPhotos

Here’s what you need to know about Ivy Leagues and receding hairlines. 

Is An Ivy League Good For A Receding Hairline?

The Ivy League is a good haircut for men with receding hairlines because the hair at the front is left longer than the hair behind it. This often gives the illusion of the frontal hairline appearing thicker than it actually is. 

The hair at the front is usually long enough to form a side part, so combing the forelock to one side or the other is a reasonable option. 

But you could also use it to form a small pomp or quiff. Alternatively, you could push it forward into a small fringe. 

The options are there. It really depends on your preferences. 

But you may also find that one of those options makes the receding hairline appear less noticeable than the other ones do. 

It’s worth experimenting with it. Use the longer forelock to your advantage. Try combing it to one side, quiffing it up, and leaving it as a fringe. 

The benefit of a small fringe is that it can be used to cover mildly receding temples. 

Overall, the benefits of having long hair at the front and shorter hair at the back shouldn’t be underestimated when you’ve got a receding hairline. 

Ivy Leagues can also be combined with fades at the sides. 

More specifically, the high fade, where the fade reaches as high as the temples, is great for receding hairlines as it often makes them look less noticeable. 

Is An Ivy League Good For Thin Hair? 

Ivy Leagues work well for men with thin hair because of the contrast between the sides and the top. With Ivy Leagues, as the hair on top is considerably longer than the sides, the top appears less thin in comparison. 

You could consider the Ivy League to be yet another “short-back-and-sides” style, but there’s a little more to it than that. 

With Ivy Leagues, the contrast in length between the top and the sides is usually greater than that of crew cuts and other buzz cut variations, for example. 

The increased contrast in length does make the hair on top appear thicker than it actually is, simply because the sides are so short in comparison. 

The shorter the sides, the more pronounced and obvious this effect is. 

Another reason that Ivy Leagues are great for men with thin hair is that the hair at the front of the top is longer than the hair behind it. It tapers in length from front to back. 

The hair at the front can therefore be pushed upward, hiding the thinner hair behind it. Ultimately, this often makes the hair look thicker than it actually is from a front-on view. 

Conclusion 

There you have it. 

Everything you need to know about three important styles in the context of receding hairlines and thin/thinning hair. 

Hopefully, you’ve now got a much better idea of what to expect with each of them. If you’re tempted by any of these short, classic men’s hairstyles, it’s worth trying them out. 

Enjoy.