After decades of being either highly praised or heavily ridiculed, one thing is certain: the mullet is a legendary haircut that still manages to slip in and out of style to this day.
But if you weren’t alive in the 1980s, you probably have a burning curiosity, which is understandable. What exactly is a mullet hairstyle? Do you know why it’s called a mullet haircut? And why would anyone be concerned about a haircut?
You’ve arrived at the right place. This is the ultimate mullet haircut guide you didn’t realise you needed but will adore! Grab a snack, settle in, and learn everything there is to know about this contentious haircut that will undoubtedly continue to make headlines for years to come.
What Is a Mullet Haircut?
We’ll start from scratch and get the million-dollar question out of the way. So, what is a mullet? In a nutshell, a mullet is a haircut that features cropped sides, a short top, and longer hair in the back.
The details vary widely from one person to another, but to qualify as a mullet haircut, the hairstyle should present significant length at the nape. Both men and women have adopted the hairstyle, although guys with mullets are a more common occurrence.
Although that’s the gist – there’s a lot more to it. After reading this article, you’ll know the main questions you need to ask yourself before you take the plunge and decide to grow a mullet for yourself.
Why should you grow out a mullet?
After decades of being either highly praised or heavily ridiculed, there’s one thing for sure: when all is said and done, the mullet remains a legendary haircut that somehow still manages to slip in and out of style up to this very day.
Fortunately for the entire haircut indecisive, the mullet has been having a major comeback since 2020. No longer has a hairstyle reserved for ’80s glam rock bands, celebrities like Rihanna, Barbie Ferreira, and Miley Cyrus all rocked the modern mullet in recent years.
Like its older counterpart, all the action is happening at the back of your head, with choppy layers upfront. After being revamped, however, recent mullets have been more gradually layered, like a hybrid between an older dramatic ’80s aesthetic and a more relaxed, overall shaggy haircut.
The mullet is inextricably linked to the spirit of rebellion, like the buzz cut, another style that’s recently experienced an uptick. In general, the biggest trends of 2021 and 2022 are all about taking risks and having fun— and not necessarily thinking about the consequences (or awkward growth out stage) that might come next.
Considering that layers and bangs are ruling spring trends, it’s hard to see the shaggy look disappearing soon, but if you were involved in the first wave of 2020 mullets, you may have reached a point where you’d like to try something new. Fear not, with some strategic hair appointments you can shed the business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back dichotomy in no time. Here’s what our experts had to say about how to grow out a mullet.
How to grow out a mullet: Complete step by step guide

Step 1: Grow Out Your Hair
When you decide to grow a mullet, you need to start by growing your hair. You need to decide how long you want to grow your mullet, with the minimum being between two and six inches. The end result should show a contrast where the back is around four inches longer than the front. It’s important to grow all of your hair out because this will allow you to shape it better.
Step 2: Divide Your Hair into Sections
Once your hair is grown out, you need to take clips and create three sections on the top of your head. One should include the top from your forehead to the middle of your head, right where it begins to curve.
The other two sections are each of the sides. Take any part of your hair that you plan to leave long, and separate it from these three sections with another clip.
Step 3: Cut the Front
The first part to cut is the front. Take the top section of your hair, let it out, and comb it down over your forehead. Cut the front as short as you want it. Choose any style; some people cut the bangs straight across, and others cut them at an angle.
You might even want to buzz the front and top. Start here by cutting the bangs, and remember that you will shape the style later in the process. As you cut your bangs, break them down into smaller sections. If you try to cut it all at once, it will look scraggly.
Start on either side and grab a section of hair. Then, trim it from the center towards the outside. Don’t be afraid to leave some length, as it’s easy to trim it again. If you cut too much off, you are stuck with it until it grows out. If you want your bangs to fall off to the side, keep your scissors at an angle as you trim the hair.
Step 4: Trim the Sides
When you finish the front, move to one side. Take the hair and comb it forward. Bring the hair over your bangs, and cut the sides at an angle. You want your hair to be longer on top, and it should be shorter around the ears. Comb the hair straight down to trim the hair around your ears.
Cut a little bit of hair at a time, and go slowly. Create a tapered look by using vertical cuts. Make sure that you cut no more than a quarter of an inch at a time. When you finish one side, do the same on the other.
Step 5: Cut the Top
Now take the section that is on top of your head. Comb the hair straight up and grip it around the center. You will want to match the bangs or front of your head with this hair.
It’s important to go slowly so that you make your hair even and match it up. Start with the front and work your way to the back. The key is to know what style you are trying to achieve so that all of these sections come together.
Step 6: Blend the Sides with the Top
Now that the entire front section of your hair has been cut, you need to blend the top with the sides. Look at the places where the top meets the sides, and determine where you need to cut. Take a comb and bring your hair up and out, and cut any sharp angles so that the hairs blend together.
You don’t want any lines or sections, and you should try to create the style in front that you prefer. Comb through your hair and trim any areas that look messy until you achieve this look.
Step 7: Comb the Back
Once you have finished cutting the front, move to the back. Remove the clip and let your hair down. Then, comb through it so that it’s smooth and lies flat. This will make it easier to cut it evenly.
Step 8: Trim the Back
When you trim them back, be sure to go through them in sections. Take your comb and comb the hair up and away from your head at an angle. Trim a very small amount at a time to make sure that it’s even. If you still have long hair from the top of the back of your head, make sure that you combine these sections.
Work your way around the back until you have cut all of the hair. By flipping the hair up and away from your head as you trim, you’re creating some layers of length around the back. Check to make sure that you like the length before you move on.
Step 9: Blend the Back with the Sides
Next, move to the backsides of your hair. You need to blend the back with the sides so that it looks natural. Start by looking for any jagged edges and trim them until your hair looks smooth and tapered.
Some people create a shaggy mullet by adding layers to the sides. But make sure that you don’t include the bottom. You want the bottom to have a blunt cut even if you have layers on the sides.
Step 10: Style Your Hair
Once you finish cutting your hair into a basic mullet style, evaluate how you want to style it. Some people are looking for this basic style, where you have a traditional haircut in front and long hair in the back.
Others want a more drastic look, such as shaving the sides of the head while leaving the back long. You need to decide which appeals to you look. One of the current styles is to shave the sides of your head. People keep the top long, and they grow them back out to be a bit longer.
This is a future option because your hair will grow. Simply shave the sides of your head, leaving a strip of hair on the top. Blend the top with the back of your hair.
The end result will have the hair on top of your head resembling a Mohawk, and the back will belong. In fact, some people leave your hair longer on top and create a Mohawk for a unique look. If your hair is curly, you might want to buzz the top.
Curly hair is more difficult to blend yourself, but it’s fairly simple to buzz it and let the backstay long. It’s also easier to maintain. You have a lot of choices as you style your new mullet
How to make transition with hair cut instead of growing out mullet?

1. Modern Mullet
Fortunately for the entire haircut indecisive, the mullet has been having a major comeback since 2020. No longer has a hairstyle reserved for ’80s glam rock bands, celebrities like Rihanna, Barbie Ferreira, and Miley Cyrus all rocked the modern mullet in recent years.
Like its older counterpart, all the action is happening at the back of your head, with choppy layers upfront. After being revamped, however, recent mullets have been more gradually layered, like a hybrid between an older dramatic ’80s aesthetic and a more relaxed, overall shaggy haircut.
2. Get strategic trims
Amanda Power, studio owner and lead stylist at Power Hair in Brooklyn, says this depends on how disparate the layers of your mullet are. Because you’re trying to level out several different lengths of hair, growing out a mullet often involves as much chopping as it does growing.
“To achieve an even length, the easiest option is to get a trim every six to eight weeks around the perimeter (the longest lengths of hair) while the layers and face-framing sections grow out,” she says. Don’t be afraid to chop off some length, to get a new look faster.
3. Choose a transitional cut
While waiting for your mullet to grow out, you might want to meet the mullet’s more subtle and versatile sister—the shag. With slightly longer face-framing pieces and layers around the crown of your head, the shag will be your friend in the transition process. Because of the layers in your previously mullet-style hair, it might be an unavoidable phase anyway, so why not lean into it?
“We suggest appointments for de-bulking and texturing to shatter the shape and make it appear less obviously like a mullet,” says Power. For those open to shorter styles, the mixie cut (a cross-over between a mullet and a pixie) might be the best transitional style. The more of your hair you cut off, the faster you can get to one length again.
How to get Modern Mullet Hair Cut: step by step guide
The mullet haircut is still going strong as it continues to evolve with every decade. Characterized by longer locks in the back and shorter strands upfront, the fresh and modern mullet is now gaining a whole new following.
Unlike the traditional mullet, you don’t need a head full of long hair to achieve this modern iteration. In addition, it can now work on curly or wavy-haired guys alike. However, with a great mullet comes great responsibility. With its new even shorter length at the top, this modern-day spin on this vintage style is sexy, stylish, and quite sharp.
Step 1: Comb out the back of your hair.
Remove your hair from the clip and comb it straight down. Comb it smooth to make cutting easier.
Step 2: Start trimming the back.
Working in thin sections, comb the back of your hair up and at an angle away from your head. Use the hair in the top section as a guide to trim the back.
Hold the hair at the back of your head with some of the hair in the rear top section to make this part easier.
Continue cutting until you have cut all the hair in the back. This cut will give you some layered length in the back.
Comb out the back of your hair and make sure the length is to your liking.
Step 3: Blend the rear sides
Check for any corners or sharp cuts by combing where the sides of your hair join the back. If you see any sharp edges cut them away until you have a smooth tapered look.
If you want your mullet to be shaggier, add some layers to it. However, don’t add too much texture to the bottom, or it will be wispy instead of blunt.
7 most important things to consider while growing out a mullet

1. Do you care that it’s in and out of fashion?
- The mullet was popular for a good proportion of the 80s and 90s and in more recent times it has started to make its comeback.
- But there’s no doubt about it – the mullet is a bold look. And bold looks tend to come in and out of style.
- It’s volatile. One day it’s fashionable and the next day it isn’t. It isn’t as steady and reliable as a classic crew cut, for instance.
- But perhaps that’s the price to pay with a style that’s as in-your-face as a mullet.
- That’s why before you get a mullet, you need to ask yourself whether you can hold your own if the style tides change and the mullet goes out of fashion again.
- You don’t want to get a mullet hairstyle only to find it’s gone out of fashion again later this year and you’re left feeling self-conscious and regretful.
- If you’re the type of person who isn’t concerned about following style trends but you really like the mullet look and have thought it through for some time – you may be ready to take the plunge.
- The more considered your decision to get a mullet is, the more likely you are to enjoy having this hairstyle and feel confident in your own skin, even if the trends change.
- Trends can be fickle after all, so you need to ask yourself if you are getting a mullet because you really want it, or if you are jumping on the bandwagon.
- Being honest with yourself now can save you a great deal of regret later on.
2. Do you have patience?
- To grow out a mullet, you need to have some patience.
- This is because if you’re growing a mullet from a usual shortcut, it’s going to take some time.
- You’re also very likely to go through an awkward in-between stage of growth, where your hair isn’t yet long enough to style as a mullet at the back, but also just that little bit too long to look like part of a short haircut.
- It’s important that at this awkward stage, you don’t get tempted to cut off the growth at the back of your head, because you need this length to achieve the mullet look.
- Cutting it off prematurely will simply make the process of getting to your desired mullet length take longer.
- But, if you manage to persevere through the awkward growth stage, you can be rewarded with a great-looking mullet.
3. Is it suitable for your workplace?
- When mullets were first brought to fame in the 80s, they did have a sort of rebellious edge to them.
- Even to this day, if styled in a messy, just-got-out-of-bed way, people often associate it in the same way.
- Before you decide to get a mullet, you should ask yourself whether it will be an issue for you at work.
- Everybody’s workplace has a different threshold of what they will accept when it comes to their employees’ outward presentation whilst they’re working.
- Although your qualifications and attitude at work should be the most important thing, many employers still like their employees to dress or cut their hair in certain ways, particularly if they are in a customer-facing role.
- So, if you work in a particularly strict environment, for example, a corporate workplace, this style may not be the one for you.
- The good news is that the modern mullet looks that have come back into style in recent times are subtler and less eye-catching than the mullets of the 80s.
- Therefore, if styled more conservatively, the modern mullet may be suitable for certain workplaces that are not as strict but also require you to look neat and presentable.
- In fact, having a shorter cut in front and a longer cut in the back may be preferable to some employers compared to having a fully long hairstyle.
- This is because a mullet may be easier to style neatly in the front compared with a long hairdo, making you appear tidy and presentable.
- The take-home here is – to consider your workplace’s attitude before committing to getting a mullet. Dress codes vary hugely between workplaces, so find out in advance.
4. Can you take attention?
- We’ve already mentioned in this article that the mullet is a bold, statement hairstyle.
- It follows then, that you might get some extra attention when having this hairdo. You’ll probably notice more people commenting on your hair than you usually would.
- Even the subtler modern mullets can still stand out, as even though they are becoming more popular again, they are still not a very common hairstyle.
- Not everyone likes this sort of attention, so if you think it might be an issue for you, you might want to consider a different type of hairstyle.
- On the other hand, the mullet can help you express your individuality, and you might like the extra attention that it draws and the self-confidence boost you can get from this.
- If this sounds like you, then you are in for a treat with the mullet.
5. Will your face shape suit A mullet?
- If you’re serious about getting a mullet, it’s important to consider how your face shape will affect the type of mullet you choose.
- The good news is that there is a mullet style for most face shapes, so you are likely to be able to find a mullet that works for you.
- All you need to do is follow the tips for your specific face shape when choosing your mullet style.
- For oval-shaped faces, consider getting a mullet that is heavier on the fringe and has lots of layering. This will help to emphasize your jawline, which is one of the best features of the oval-shaped face.
- If you have a round face shape, opt for a mullet with wispy soft ends, and style it to look less regimented and more natural.
- For square faces, having a mullet with a short fringe can look really great. You have to be more careful with this style as not everyone can pull it off, but if you have a square face you’re more likely to.
- Lastly, heart-shaped faces look great with longer mullet styles, even beyond shoulder length. This will bring out your cheekbones, which is a great feature of the heart-shaped face.
6. Have you consulted with A stylist?
- Whenever you make a decision to make a big hairstyle change, it’s recommended to get some professional advice before you potentially waste months trying to nurture a style that doesn’t suit you in the first place.
- Many salons will let you have a consultation with a stylist before you actually take the plunge and decide to get your haircut.
- This consultation isn’t a commitment to going through with the actual haircut, so you can always change your mind after you talk to your stylist.
- This way, you can get some advice on different mullet styles that may suit you and your specific hair type from a professional.
- If you can, take some pictures with you to your appointment so that the stylist can get an accurate idea of what type of look you are aiming for.
7. Can you commit to the maintenance?
- As it is essentially a combination of two haircuts – short cut at the front, long cut at the back – maintenance and styling of the mullet is a little more complex than a simple short haircut.
- This means you are likely going to be spending some more time on your hair than you might normally.
- It is always easier to tell with long hair if it is washed and well cared for, and a mullet requires you to spend time washing, conditioning, and brushing your long hair to make sure it looks neat.
- As well as this, shortcuts do need a bit more attention when it comes to styling. This is especially the case if you decide to have a fringe with your mullet.
- So, consider whether you are prepared to go that extra styling mile in the mornings before you decide to get a mullet.
Watch Modern mullet with side taper | Video
How long does it take to grow a mullet, on average?
This depends on how long your hair is already, how long you want it and how fast your hair grows. In general, it would take about 6 – 9 months to grow it long in the back.
How do you deal with mullets when growing out hair?
Trim the Back
There’s a good chance you’ll end up with a hockey mullet during the growth phase since hair sprouts lower from the back of the head than it does from the front. To prevent this, Dixon recommends visiting your hairstylist for a trim every four to six months.
How do you style a modern mullet?
Mullets also look better on second or third-day hair, so skip the daily hair washing. Use dry shampoo between washes to soak up excess oil. To style, add a pomade for short hair at the front and mold your hair into the shape of your choosing, or use a strong hold gel for a spiky effect.
Is it hard to grow out a mullet?
Growing a mullet has been popular throughout time, and several different celebrities have shown off this style. It may appear to be a complicated hairstyle, but all you need to do is grow out your hair and cut the top and sides short. It isn’t difficult to learn how to grow a mullet.
How can I make my mullet grow better and shine?
To make your mullet really shine, start using a salt spray or texturizing sprays to create waves.
“The best mullet is a wavy mullet,” the hairstylist says to create texture, spray some salt spray on damp hair, and as it’s air drying mess it up a little with your fingers.
Conclusion

The mullet is a great hairstyle that is making its way back into the limelight, in a more toned down yet still fashionable way.
Its versatility means you are likely to find a mullet style that suits you.
Hopefully, this rundown of the main questions to ask yourself before growing a mullet has helped you with your decision-making.
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Until the, Read about, 10 Best Toner on Natural Blonde Hair: Reviews Guide