Undercut Tattoos are Back, So Get Shaving

Tattoos make a statement, and undercuts are the chicer form of "business in the front, party in the back." So why not combine them into a clever hairstyle?

Undercut tattoos are equal to if the aforementioned looks had a baby. They're less of a commitment than a real tattoo — hair grows back out if you hate it! Plus, undercuts are one of those styles that are like finding a surprise in a Kinder Egg: you think it's just a regular haircut, but then you sweep the hair up and reveal a really awesome shaved style. We're seeing them all over Instagram, which is the patron saint of social media hair trends these days, so we decided to bring in Sal Salcedo, hairstylist at Ramirez Tran Salon in Los Angeles. (You know, the one who creates cool-girl hair and stunning, lived-in color.)

Sal got started as a barber, creating different hair designs for men, before he became known as the man who creates chic-as-hell women's haircuts with the best waves in the business. (Seriously. Googling him brings back searches for how much he charges and the type of curling iron he uses.) This time, though, the razored looks would be elevated patterns instead of words or shapes. "Geometric designs are stylish," he told us ahead of the shoot. He and his client ultimately decided to go with a succulent-looking design, incorporating different sizes of triangles in her undercut.

Clearly, the undercut and hair tattoos aren't new. They've been around for centuries, made popular at first in the 1800s during the Edwardian era. The shaved look was revived in the 1980s, predominately by African-American and punk-rock communities.

One tidbit we found interesting during the shoot? Sal said he suggests to his curly-haired clients (like the one featured in the video) to get undercuts when they have a lot of hair, because it helps to keep it from weighing it down.

Check out the video to see Sal's design, and let us know in the comments if you'd try the look yourself!