Slick back, from Roswell.
Length on top combed straight back, sides taken short enough that the combed hair has an edge to sit against. A slick back is the cut I'd suggest to someone who has to look assembled by eight in the morning and wants to keep some hair doing it. I cut it in Carlsbad at 303 S Halagueno St, Carlsbad, NM 88220, 76 miles south of Roswell on US 285, about 92 minutes with Artesia at the midpoint (OpenStreetMap routing).
Below: why the cut suits the kind of work Roswell mostly does, how the sides set your calendar, and what to book.
BOOK A SLICK BACK| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs in mining, oil and ag | 4.2% | Census ACS 2023 |
| Median age | 36.8 | Census ACS 2023 |
| Minutes to the shop | 92 | OpenStreetMap routing |
Few hard hats, more collars.
Just 4.2% of Roswell's workers are in mining, oil, gas or agriculture, compared with 15.5% here in Carlsbad (Census ACS 2023). A slick back doesn't survive a day under a hard hat; it does survive a day at a desk, a counter, a clinic or a classroom, because once it's combed back it mostly stays.
The median age in Roswell is 36.8 (Census ACS 2023). The slick back has long been a grown man's cut: the glossy, longer version on my styles page reads classic; the short one over a high skin fade reads modern. Pick the attitude, not the age.
The top can wait for you. The sides can't.
Extra length on top actually helps a slick back lie down, so the top is patient. The fade or taper on the sides is what puffs out and dates the cut. With 92 minutes between you and my chair, choose the sides with that in mind: a low taper softens slowly and buys you time; a high skin fade looks sharper and asks you back sooner.
Two bookings, one direction.
I style it before you stand up.
Essential Haircut$50 · 40 min+
Sides at the height you choose, length shaped on top, straight razor at the neck, then combed back and finished.
Book this serviceSignature Cut$65 · 45 min+
Your slick back and your beard in one chair: trim or line-up, then a hot towel. A full beard under a slicked top is one of the looks on the styles page.
Book this serviceSlick back, planned from Roswell.
My hair is short now. Can I still book a slick back?+
Book the cut, and I'll shape the sides and set the top up to grow into it. The length arrives on its own.
Taper or fade on the sides for someone who comes down rarely?+
Taper. It grows out gently and keeps the cut looking tidy for longer between drives. The slick back page shows both sides done.
How do I keep it combed back once I'm home?+
Ask me before you leave the chair; it depends on your hair.
From Roswell
One road south from Roswell: about 90 minutes on US 285, through Artesia.
Slick Back · Carlsbad
Length on top combed back over a fade or taper.
Slick back · Artesia
Slick backs for Artesia: length on top, sides on a schedule, and dry air on your side.
Slick back · Hobbs
The slick back from Hobbs: a style for the days you're not under a hard hat, cut 70 miles west in Carlsbad.
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A textured fringe for Roswell: a forward cut for school ages and adults, with the trip planned around the front.
Burst fade · Roswell
A burst fade for Roswell: the arc behind the ear, the 285 drive and when to come back for it.