3 Lean Men’s Haircuts + Head Diagrams To Save Now

Lean, Tailored Haircuts To Amp Up Your Client’s Current Style 

American Crew®, the #1 Premium Men’s Hair brand in the World, presents Ac-iD, a new collection that introduces elevated barbering techniques focused on lean shapes with natural texture. 

Scroll through these artfully designed haircuts that you can try in your chair tomorrow. Follow the head diagrams, pro tips and inspo pictures for timeless looks that will elevate any client from the boy next door look into a trendsetting head-turner. 

Access 3 FREE Classes: Step-by-step tutorials for EVERY haircut listed in this article on BTC-U!

1. Long Lean: Hyuk

Hyuk is the longest and leanest shape in the collection. It features a textured, round top and extended layering underneath that can be achieved using a feather razor. To bring this silhouette to life, spray American Crew Prep & Prime Tonic for an ideal styling foundation and finish the look with Fiber Cream for added dimension.

Cutting tips from Global Artistic Director Paul Wilson (@paulwilsoncrew):

• Begin with a standard horseshoe parting, keeping sections wide.
• Using a feather razor with a simple angle direction downward, Zone 2 should be cut to 3 to 3.5 inches in length.
• Zone 4 should remain longer, measuring about 5 inches from the crown to the front.
• Pro Tip: Alternate the direction of cutting through the front to create a textured, sawtooth effect.  

How to style a lean haircut with a lot of length:

• The main body of this haircut will come from the roots. ACED recommends starting with American Crew Fiber™ Cream at the interior to build body and then work the excess product through the exterior.
• Depending on your client’s texture, this style pairs perfectly with a diffuser to set the shape into place. 
• For a textured finish through the front, pinch a small amount of Fiber™ Cream through the ends for subtle separation. 

2. Medium Lean: Charlie

Charlie’s hairstyle heavily frames the face and focuses on natural fall. To highlight his incredible shape, a feather razor was used underneath and with a shear on top to promote weight. A wide, disconnected section on top creates added height which is a consistent technical story in this collection. This style was executed with Fiber Cream wrap dried on damp hair, then a layer of Fiber Grooming Foam applied on dry hair and layered for additional texture. 

Cutting tips to follow:

• As the head rounds, the length of your guide will change. The goal is to maintain a square shape—adjust when necessary. 
• From the crown through the front, point cut at a slight angle forward to create a shallow depth.
• Once at the front, your length guide will be from the center of the brow to the corner of the cheekbone.
• To keep the perimeter lean, detail edges to maintain roundness. Slide cut where needed to remove bulk and add extra texture.

Styling products to finish the look:

• For finer textured hair, use a lightweight cream like Fiber™ Cream to build texture and density. 
• For long-lasting hold or extra support to shape the cut, ACED pros recommend Fiber™ Grooming Foam.

Follow the step-by-step haircut class for advice, cutting tips & more here.

3. Short Lean: Seb

 Seb is the shortest shape in the lean series of this collection. Wide sections and extended layering underneath using a feathered razor create a loose, internal shape. Utilizing point cutting techniques and the shear to create radial sections, the aggressive front hairline showcases their facial features perfectly.

Cutting tips to follow:

• Throughout the entire cut, think lean and snug to the head shape.   
• Using an aggressive approach through the front will maximise the drama in this shape. Alternate cutting angles for a sawtooth effect. You want to create a slightly rounded shape from the outside of each eyebrow depending on their face shape. 
• For the perimeter, razor cut upwards to create the space needed to pop the hairline up and out for natural-looking separation.

Styling tips to finish the look:

• A lightweight styling foam like Fiber™ Grooming Foam, dried into the hair for  weightless volume, with a light layer of American Crew Fiber™ puck to add thickness and texture will be a perfect pairing to create and enhance the shape. 

Products Used

Men's

Fiber Cream

American Crew®

Men's

Fiber Grooming Foam

American Crew®

Men's

Fiber

American Crew®