Random Hairstyle Generator: 120 Cuts, Braids, Updos and Period Styles

One press draws five hairstyles, each with what it looks like, how long the hair has to be and what else people call it.

Random Hairstyle Generator: 120 Cuts, Braids, Updos and Period Styles

  1. FlattopShort back and sides, with the top cut to stand upright in a flat, level plane.
  2. SuberakashiThe Heian-era fashion among Japanese noblewomen: long, loose, straight hair.
  3. DevilockSides and back kept short, the front grown long and combed forward over the face.
  4. LocsRope-like strands of hair that form on their own in very curly hair or are made by twisting.
  5. Shag cutLayers of many lengths, full at the crown and thinning to wisps at the edges.
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Random Hairstyle Generator: 120 Cuts, Braids, Updos and Period Styles: how it works

From the buzz cut to the chonmage, this random hairstyle generator holds 120 styles. Each card says what the style looks like, how long the hair has to be and any other name it goes by. Pick a length, then a kind such as Braids, twists and locs, and the draw comes from styles that fit both.

What the line on the card is for

It separates styles that sound alike. A Dutch braid is a French braid with the sections crossed under, not over. A butch cut is one even length on top, where a crew cut runs from longest at the front to shortest at the crown. The other names help at the barber's: a line-up and a shape-up are the same edge.

Hair that places a character in time

As a random hair generator for fiction, the page is strongest on period. Forty cards name a decade or an era, so a 1940s nurse can wear victory rolls and an Edo samurai a chonmage. Tap Historical and traditional for the 19 styles tied to one time or place, from the sidelock of youth in ancient Egypt to the 1950s ducktail. Color is a separate draw on the random hair color page.

Tips

  • For a real cut, tap your length, draw 5 and look each one up. Barbers in different places use one name for different tapers, so bring a photo.
  • Artists: tap Long, then Braids, twists and locs, and 15 styles are left. Draw 3 and sketch the same head three times.
  • A flip, a mullet and a wolf cut put three characters in the 1960s, the 1980s and the 2020s without a year on the page.

Questions and answers

Are these men's or women's hairstyles?

Both, and the chips do not sort by gender. Wikipedia's list splits styles into short and long, and we added Medium for bobs and shoulder-length cuts. Where the source ties a style to one group, the line says so, as with the Eton crop, a women's crop.

Why is there no picture on the card?

We do not have 120 pictures we could check, and a wrong picture misleads more than a missing one. Each line tells you the shape: where the hair is short, where it is long and what holds it. For examples, copy the name into an image search.

Does the list cover every hairstyle?

No list does; Wikipedia calls its own non-exhaustive. These 120 each have a settled name and a description we could check. Left out are styles named after a living celebrity or a TV show, facial hair, and color, which has its own page. Bantu knots, twist-outs, freeform locs and other styles for tightly curled hair are in.

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All 120 hairstyles

Short 51

  • Asymmetric cut Cut so the hair is clearly longer on one side than the other.
  • Bantu knots Hair parted into squares or triangles, each section wound into a tight little knot.
  • Bowl cut A straight fringe with the rest cut to one length all round, as if trimmed around a bowl.
  • Broccoli haircut Tapered sides with layered curls on top, sometimes permed; named for the floret it resembles.
  • Butch cut One short, even length on top that follows the shape of the head, with tapered sides.
  • Buzz cut Clipped very short all over, close to one length everywhere.
  • Caesar cut Short layers all over with a short fringe cut straight across.
  • Comb over Hair grown long on one side and combed across the top to cover a thinning patch.
  • Conk Tightly curled hair chemically straightened, then styled; popular with Black American men, 1920s to 1960s.
  • Cornrows Three-strand braids worked very close to the scalp in raised rows, straight or in patterns.
  • Crew cut Short upright hair on top, longest at the front hairline and shortest at the crown, with tapered sides.
  • Curtained hair A long fringe parted in the middle or at the side, over short back and sides.
  • Devilock Sides and back kept short, the front grown long and combed forward over the face.
  • Ducktail Greased and combed back around the sides to meet at a parting down the back of the head.
  • Edgar cut A short crop with a fringe across the forehead and tapered sides.
  • Eton crop A very short, slicked-down crop for women, cut close at the back.
  • Fauxhawk A mohawk look made by styling the middle upward, with no shaving at the sides.
  • Finger waves S-shaped waves pinched and combed into hair wet with lotion; a 1920s and early 1930s look.
  • Flattop Short back and sides, with the top cut to stand upright in a flat, level plane.
  • French crop Short at the back and sides, medium on the crown, and worn with a fringe.
  • Frosted tips Short gelled spikes with only the tips bleached blond; a late 1990s look.
  • Hi-top fade Sides cut off or kept very short and the top grown tall; a hip hop look of the 1980s and early 1990s.
  • High and tight A military crew cut: back and sides shaved to the skin, a short patch left on top.
  • Induction cut The buzz-style clipper cut given to recruits as they enter military service.
  • Ivy League A crew cut with the front left long enough to part at the side.
  • Marcel waves Deep waves pressed into short hair with a heated curling iron.
  • Mini afro A close-cropped natural afro.
  • Mohawk Both sides of the head shaved, leaving a strip of longer hair down the center, often spiked up.
  • Oseledets A Ukrainian Cossack style: the head shaved close except for one long lock at the top or front.
  • Pixie cut Short at the back and sides, slightly longer on top, with very short bangs.
  • Pompadour A large volume of hair swept up from the face and worn high over the forehead.
  • Poodle cut A 1950s cut with short hair permed into tight curls, like a poodle's coat.
  • Psychobilly wedge Shaved sides like a mohawk, but the middle is slicked back into a pompadour, not spiked.
  • Quiff A brushed-up front that blends the 1950s pompadour and flattop; a British Teddy Boy staple.
  • Rattail Cut short except for one long, thin tail of hair left at the back, hanging or braided.
  • Reverse mohawk A strip shaved from forehead to nape, with the hair left on either side of it.
  • Shape-up The hairline edged into a straight line across the forehead with sharp right angles at the temples.
  • Shaved head The scalp shaved completely smooth.
  • Shingle bob A 1920s bob tapered very short at the back so the hairline shows at the nape.
  • Short back and sides Enough hair on top to comb into a side part, with the back and sides tapered short.
  • Sidelock of youth In ancient Egypt, the single lock worn at the side of the head that marked a child.
  • Skin fade Back and sides that get shorter and shorter until the hair fades out to bare skin.
  • Slicked-back Combed straight back off the forehead and held in place with product.
  • Temple fade A fade at the temples that caught on in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
  • Titus cut A short layered cut, typically curly, popular in France and England at the end of the 1700s.
  • Tonsure Some or all of the scalp shaved as a sign of religious devotion, as medieval monks did.
  • Two block Full, longer hair on top over neatly cropped sides and back, cut as two distinct blocks.
  • Two-strand twists Hair divided into sections, with two strands in each wound around one another.
  • Undercut Long hair on top, often parted, over back and sides buzzed very short or shaved.
  • Waves Short curly hair brushed flat again and again until it sets in ripples like water.
  • Wings Hair that flips up and outward at the ears like the wings of a plane.

Medium 52

  • A-line bob A bob that runs shorter at the back and longer toward the front to frame the face.
  • Afro Tightly curled natural hair grown out and picked into a rounded shape; big in the 1960s and 1970s.
  • Afro puffs Natural hair parted down the middle and tied into two rounded puffs, like small afros.
  • Big hair Any style teased or blown out to a large volume and held there with hairspray.
  • Blunt bangs A fringe cut straight across for a bold, structured look.
  • Bob cut Cut bluntly to one length above the shoulders, typically with no layers.
  • Bouffant A puffy, rounded style raised high on the head, usually covering the ears.
  • Box braids Single braids on square partings, usually with added hair; they can last six to eight weeks.
  • Bun Hair pulled back, twisted or plaited, and coiled in a circle on the top or back of the head.
  • Chignon A smooth knot of hair pinned low at the nape of the neck.
  • Chin-length bob A bob cut straight at the chin, with or without bangs.
  • Crimped hair Hair pressed into tight zigzag ripples; as fashionable as the large wave in the 1980s.
  • Curtain bangs A longer fringe parted in the middle and swept to each side like curtains.
  • Dutch braid A French braid with the sections crossed under, not over.
  • Faux locs A loc look made by wrapping added hair around your own hair.
  • Feathered hair Layered straight hair brushed back at the sides so it lies like a bird's feathers.
  • Flip A 1960s style with the ends curled upward and outward.
  • Freeform locs Locs left to form on their own, with no combing and no shaping.
  • French braid Three sections braided from the crown to the nape, gathering in more hair along the way.
  • French twist Hair gathered and twisted upward until it rolls in on itself against the head, then pinned.
  • Fulani braids A West African braiding style from the Fulani people, often finished with beads and cowrie shells.
  • Half ponytail Only part of the hair is gathered into a ponytail; the rest stays down.
  • Half updo The hair from the temples back is fixed into a bun or ponytail; the rest hangs loose.
  • High ponytail A ponytail tied on the very top of the head.
  • Inverted bob An A-line bob with stacked layers at the back and a curved outline.
  • Jheri curl A glossy, loosely curled perm kept wet-looking with curl activator; popular in the 1980s.
  • Knotless braids Braids that start with your own hair and feed in extra hair, so the scalp gets less pull.
  • Layered hair Sections cut to different lengths so the hair falls in visible layers.
  • Lob A long bob, cut just above, at or just below the shoulders.
  • Locs Rope-like strands of hair that form on their own in very curly hair or are made by twisting.
  • Low ponytail A ponytail tied at the base of the neck.
  • Mall bangs A 1980s fringe teased into a peak or mound and fixed with hairspray.
  • Man bun A topknot worn by long-haired men, a Western trend since the 2010s.
  • Mop top A mid-length cut with a fringe over the forehead, ears part covered and collar length at the back.
  • Mullet Shorter at the front, top and sides, and left long at the back.
  • Pageboy Straight hair that hangs below the ear and turns under at the ends, often with a fringe.
  • Perm Hair chemically set to hold a curl; new growth comes in untreated.
  • Pigtails Twin ponytails or braids on opposite sides of the head.
  • Ponyhawk A row of ponytails from forehead to nape that stands in for a mohawk; nothing is shaved.
  • Ponytail Hair gathered at the back of the head, tied, and left to hang like a pony's tail.
  • Razor cut Choppy short layers thinned out toward the ends, usually with a side-swept fringe.
  • See-through bangs A light, airy fringe thin enough for the forehead to show through.
  • Shag cut Layers of many lengths, full at the crown and thinning to wisps at the edges.
  • Shaggy bob A messy bob with its layers cut in by razor.
  • Side ponytail A ponytail tied at one side of the head; a 1980s favourite, often with a scrunchie.
  • Space buns Two buns, one on each side of the head.
  • Surfer hair Tousled, traditionally long, and bleached by sun and salt water.
  • Three-strand braid The basic plait: three strands crossed over one another into one flat braid.
  • Top knot All the hair tied into one bun on the very top of the head.
  • Twist-out Hair trained in twists, then unravelled so the twist pattern stays in.
  • Victory rolls A 1940s style: big rolls of hair pinned above the ears or on top, the open curl facing forward.
  • Wolf cut A 2020s shag cut shorter in front, a little like a mullet, and often worn with bangs.

Long 17

  • Beehive Long hair piled into a tall cone on top of the head, shaped like a traditional beehive.
  • Blowout Long hair worked with rich products and blow-dried from the roots to the ends.
  • Chonmage Edo Japan's samurai topknot: crown shaved, the rest oiled, tied and folded onto the top of the head.
  • Crown braid A long braid wrapped around the head like a crown.
  • Donut bun A full, ring-shaped bun made by wrapping the hair over a round bun insert.
  • Fallera hairdo From Valencia's Falles festival: a spiralled bun at each side of the head and braids at the back.
  • Fishtail braid A smooth braid woven from two sections of hair, not three, that looks like a fish's tail.
  • Fontange Around 1700: front curls piled high above the forehead, in front of a tall headdress of lace and ribbon.
  • Hime cut Long straight hair with cheek-length sidelocks and a straight fringe; hime means princess.
  • Liberty spikes Long hair set into thick upright spikes, named for the crown on the Statue of Liberty.
  • Pouf Hair raised high over a cushion; Marie Antoinette wore it in 1775 and French noblewomen followed.
  • Queue The top of the scalp shaved and the back grown into a long braid; required of men in Qing dynasty China.
  • Ringlets Locks wrapped around a thin curling iron so they hang as corkscrew curls.
  • Sangtu A Korean topknot traditionally worn by married men.
  • Shimada An Edo-period Japanese style first worn by girls in their late teens; many later styles grew from it.
  • Suberakashi The Heian-era fashion among Japanese noblewomen: long, loose, straight hair.
  • Suebian knot A knotted men's style of the Germanic Suebi, described by Tacitus in the 1st century AD.

How this list was compiled: We chose the 120 styles and wrote every line ourselves, then checked each description on 2026-09-19 against https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hairstyles and the Wikipedia article for the style. Pages used beyond the list: Bob cut, Bangs (hair), Braid (hairstyle), French braid, Box braids, Fulani braids, Cornrows, Hair twists, Kinky hair, Dreadlocks, Afro puffs, Mohawk hairstyle, Bun (hairstyle), Ponytail, Pigtail, Regular haircut, Brush cut, Crew cut, Ivy League (haircut), High and tight, Temple fade, Hi-top fade, Waves (hairstyle), Undercut (hairstyle), Caesar cut, Broccoli haircut, Pageboy, Feathered hair, Shag (haircut), Surfer hair, Finger wave, Victory rolls, Pouf, Fontange, Titus cut, Conk, Chonmage, Nihongami, Queue (hairstyle), Oseledets, Tonsure, Suebian knot, Sidelock of youth, Hairstyles in the 1950s and Hairstyles in the 1980s. The Short, Medium and Long chips are our own sorting (short sits above the chin, medium runs from chin to shoulders, long falls past the shoulders); Wikipedia's list only splits short from long. A decade is given only where the article names one. The kind chips are our own sorting too, and one was added on 2026-09-19 for the 40 cuts, bangs and shaped styles that fit none of the other five, so every card now has a length and a kind. Licence: own work