Asian Hair Barber Sydney.
Thick, straight hair does not forgive a generic template. If the barber cuts the parietal ridge at the wrong height or hacks at the crown with thinning shears, the sides flare straight out two weeks later. Prince is a Samoan-Korean master barber from Los Angeles who cuts Asian hair structure every day from one chair at 216 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills.
Cutting thick, straight Asian hair well comes down to three structural decisions: managing the parietal ridge so the sides do not puff out, protecting crown weight so cowlicks lie flat, and cutting internal channels with scissors rather than over-thinning near the scalp. Whether you want a Korean-inspired curtain flow with a clean taper, a compressed mid skin drop fade, or a textured crop, Prince designs the cut for how it looks at week three, not just for the mirror check on day one.
Six cuts engineered for straight & thick hair
Real clients cut by Prince in Surry Hills. Each entry breaks down how the side weight, crown, and top movement were handled.
Tapered Curtain Flow (Two-Block Alternative)
Loose parted curtains on top paired with a mid skin taper at the temples and a mid-low taper at the nape. Eliminates side flare while keeping medium length up top.
Mid Skin Taper With Natural Flow
Weight preserved through the upper ridge so the top sweeps back naturally, with a clean skin taper around the ear and a graduated neckline.
Natural Curtains + Low Taper Flow
Scissor-shaped through the middle and upper sides so the hair has enough weight to lie down, finished with a subtle low taper at the sideburn and neck.
Flow Layered Scissor Cut
Zero clippers. Internal scissor layering removes heavy bulk from thick straight hair so it flows back without turning into a helmet.
Textured French Crop + Low Taper Fade
Works with forward-growing straight hair rather than fighting it. Point-cut texture on top with a low temple and nape taper that keeps dark side weight intact.
Mid Skin Drop Fade
Clears out the lower side bulk while dropping the fade line behind the ear so the crown stays heavy enough to sit flat.
Three structural problems in thick straight hair (and how Prince solves them)
Most bad haircuts on Asian hair happen because the barber applies a template built for fine wavy hair. Here is what actually has to happen on the head.
1. The Parietal Ridge Flare
Where the skull rounds from the side into the top, straight hair sticks out horizontally if cut to 1 to 2 centimetres. Prince either compresses the taper below that corner or leaves enough overhang weight above it so gravity holds it down.
2. The Crown Whirl (Cowlick)
Straight hair around the crown spirals outward with real force. Running clippers high up the back turns the crown into a dandelion. Dropping the back taper (Drop Fade Sydney) leaves the length needed to weight the whirl down.
3. Internal Weight vs Thinning Shears
Mash-thinning thick hair near the scalp creates thousands of short bristles that push the top up like a brush. Point-cutting and scissor-over-comb channel work remove bulk while keeping every strand flowing in the same direction.
4. Connected Two-Block / Curtain Flow
Instead of an unblended undercut shelf that balloons out at week two, Prince blends a mid or low skin taper into scissor-shaped upper sides. Explore the full family on the Flow Haircut Sydney pillar.
5. Forward Growth & Crops
If your hair naturally pushes toward your forehead, forcing it straight back takes ten minutes of blow-drying every morning. A Textured French Crop or Warrior Cut turns that forward push into the style itself.
6. Grow-Out Planning
Growing out a short fade into curtains or a bro flow takes 3 to 5 months. Prince cleans only the temple and nape tapers every 3 to 4 weeks while guiding the top and parietal ridge through the awkward stage.
What to avoid vs what to ask for
Why previous cuts went wrong
- "Number 2 all the way up the sides": Leaves the parietal ridge at the exact length where straight hair stands perpendicular to the head.
- "Thin the whole top out": Leaves frayed ends and root stubble that make thick hair puffier after a wash.
- Flat high fade across the back: Scalps the occipital bone and makes the crown stick straight up.
- 15-minute rush job: Thick hair requires dry and damp checking across the natural growth pattern, plus a proper wash to see how it sits without hat-hair or old product.
How to brief Prince at the chair
"My sides usually stick out after two weeks and my crown is heavy. I want [natural curtains with a low/mid taper / a mid skin drop fade / a textured crop] that removes internal bulk without over-thinning."
Bring a reference photo (Korean centre part, bro flow, drop fade, or textured comb over). Prince will read your growth direction before touching the clippers and tell you honestly how the reference will translate to your density and head shape.
Which service to book
For standard cuts, tapers, skin fades, drop fades, and curtain trims, book the Haircut ($80 AUD, 45 minutes). If you have grown your hair out long and want a complete structural reset or medium-to-long scissor reshape, book the Long Hair Restyle ($100 AUD, 55 minutes). Every appointment at Fresh By Prince is one-on-one with Prince and includes a hair wash and scalp massage so all loose hairs are rinsed out and you see exactly how the cut sits once dried.
Frequently asked questions
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Why does straight Asian hair stick straight out on the sides when it grows?
Thick, straight hair has a circular follicle cross-section and grows at a steep angle off the scalp. When cut to an awkward in-between length along the parietal ridge (the widest bone on the side of the head), the hair is too short to bend downward under its own weight and too long to lie flat. The solution is either graduating the side cleanly beneath the ridge (a taper or drop fade) or leaving enough connected length above it so the weight pulls the hair down.
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What is the difference between a Korean two-block cut and a tapered curtain flow?
A traditional two-block disconnects a longer top overhang from clipped sides underneath. While it looks clean on day one, the disconnected shelf can flare out after two weeks if your sides grow perpendicular to the scalp. Prince often builds a graduated mid or low skin taper into the side and a mid-low taper at the back so you get the same curtain movement on top with a connected side profile that grows out cleanly.
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Will you over-thin my hair with thinning scissors?
No. Aggressive thinning-scissor work near the roots creates short spiky hairs underneath that push the longer hairs outward even more as they grow. Prince uses internal scissor layering, point-cutting, and targeted weight removal in the mid-lengths and ends so the hair moves naturally without frizzing or puffing out.
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How do you stop the crown from sticking up in the back?
Respect the crown whirl and the occipital bone. Cutting the crown too short on straight, springy hair removes the weight that holds it down. Prince either preserves enough length through the upper crown to lie with the growth direction or drops the fade line lower behind the ear (a drop fade) so the crown stays anchored.
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What are the best haircuts for thick, straight Asian hair?
Five shapes consistently work best depending on your length: (1) Natural Curtains with a Mid or Low Skin Taper, (2) Layered Scissor Flow / Brush Back, (3) Mid or Mid-High Skin Drop Fade with a Textured Quiff or Comb Over, (4) Textured French Crop with a Low Taper Fade, and (5) Warrior Cut with a Low Zero Taper.
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Which service should I book at Fresh By Prince?
Book the standard Haircut ($80 AUD, 45 minutes) for any taper, skin fade, drop fade, crop, or medium flow trim. If you are cutting long hair down into a completely new shape or doing a major medium-to-long restyle, book the Long Hair Restyle ($100 AUD, 55 minutes). Both include a full consultation, hair wash, and scalp massage.
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How often should I maintain a taper or fade on Asian hair?
Because straight dark hair against lighter skin makes every millimetre of side growth visible, skin fades look sharpest on a 2 to 3 week cycle. Low skin tapers and tapered curtain flow cuts hold their silhouette for 3 to 5 weeks, and full scissor flow cuts last 6 to 8 weeks.
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Where is Fresh By Prince in Sydney?
216 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010. The Surry Hills L1 light rail stops right at the door, and Central Station is a 5-minute walk down Devonshire Street.
5 minutes from Central Station · L1 light rail at the door
Fresh By Prince is at 216 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010. The Surry Hills L1 light rail stops directly outside on Devonshire Street (connecting Central, Haymarket, Chinatown, Darling Square, Pyrmont, and UNSW / Randwick / Kingsford), and Central Station is a 5-minute walk away for clients commuting from the CBD, Chatswood, North Sydney, Burwood, Strathfield, Parramatta, or the Inner West.
Book with Prince in Surry Hills
One barber from consultation to finish. Bring your reference photo and we will dial in the shape at the chair.