The fade haircut is one of those timeless styles that will always look good on any man, whether black, white, Asian, or brown. Its face-framing features elevate your look, transforming you into an absolute stunner.
Perhaps what makes it super appealing is its versatility. This haircut comes in many variations, and as hairstylists continue to let their creativity loose, more styles keep emerging.
Now is the best time if you’ve always wanted to wear the fade cut. But if you’re like most men, you probably have worn a fade countless times and need something refreshing. Hence, we created this guide to show you trendy fade styles for men who pay attention to their looks.
The Iconic Fade Haircut
A fade haircut involves gradually cutting the hair on the sides and back of your head shorter as it goes down, creating a “fading” effect that blends into your skin. To achieve this style, your barber shaves the hair at the back and sides of your head short and leaves more hair at the top.
Fades often come in different levels, generally low, mid, or high. Some are less defined and more laidback, while others feature razor-sharp lines. They look better when styled with gel and other hair products. And if you want a bold look, coloring your fade cut is the way to go.
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Picking the Best Fade Haircut for You
Fade haircuts are suitable for any occasion or profession. Little wonder many men rock the style. They also come in different styles, and there’s a variation for every face shape and hair type.
The hack is finding the one that suits your face better. A pro tip is to consider the condition of your scalp. For example, if you experience irritation or allergies, don’t expose your scalp entirely to avoid reactions.
Also, consider your hair length and texture. If your hair is already short, you’ll only need to trim a little and keep your fades shorter. But if your hair is long, your fades may not need to go too low to show contrast.
How to Maintain a Fade Haircut
Like every haircut, the fade style needs regular maintenance to stay fresh. Thankfully, it’s low-maintenance, so you won’t have to do much.
Darius Davi, Founder and CEO of Groom Guy, recommends you go for touchups every two and a half weeks when new growth starts to show.
Also, use trimmers to shave some hair when it starts growing. This helps if you live a busy lifestyle and can’t spare the time for a quick salon visit. Just ensure your tools are always clean by sterilizing them with disinfectant sprays.
But if you want a lower maintenance fade that won’t require many touchups, wear a bald fade. They maintain their shape and still look superb as they grow out.
Types of Fade Haircuts for a Classic Look
Instead of telling your barber you want a fade haircut, specify the type. The more specific you are, the more accurate your desired haircut will be. For instance, tell them the length you want your faded sides to be or the exact fade you want. Here are the best of them:
Skin Fade
This style tapers all the way down to the skin. The barber usually finishes it with a razor blade.
Skin fades have different levels:
- The high skin fade: This style may almost touch the crown of your head before it gets longer, exposing much of your scalp.
- Medium skin fade: This fade gets longer around the middle of your head.
- Low skin fade leaves short hair that gets longer as it approaches your head’s crown, thus revealing little skin.
If you love a more defined haircut with a contrast, this is for you. It also helps to flaunt head or neck tattoos. But be ready for regular touchups to keep the faded sides at skin level because it often grows out after a week or two.
Burst Fade Haircut
Burst fades are your regular fades but with a twist— the fade doesn’t get to the back but stays around the sides of your head. The cut expands from your ear in a circular motion, hence the burst in its name.
Burst fades look great on styles like mullet or mohawks, following the flow of the style itself from side to back.
High Fades
The high skin fade shows a lot of skin, from around the top of the forehead at the front to almost reaching the crown of the head at the back. It’s becoming more popular among men with all hair types, whether curly, straight, Afro, Asian, or Caucasian. Furthermore, it’s a stunning fade style for short hair.
This fade level runs evenly around the head and doesn’t drop at the back, giving an obvious contrast between the fade and the hair on top. In addition, it draws more attention to your natural face shape and its features, including flaws like bumps, moles, scars, etc.
Pair it with a clean beard style, say a mustache or a beard fade, and you’ll love your look.
Low Fade
If you’re starting out with fades, a low fade haircut is your go-to. It gives a soft landing. You don’t need to remove too much hair on the sides of your head to achieve it.
Instead, your barber will only trim the hair one inch above your ears. It’s a great cut for men who want to have longer hair on top as the focal point of their look
Mid Fade
The mid fade gradually transitions from long hair on top to shorter sides and back. But instead of starting high on the sides or tapering down to the skin, this style sits in the middle, further up the sides of your head in line with your temple.
The transition creates a seamless blend between your hair’s longer and shorter sections. This makes the mid fade suitable for any hair length and type, whether short, long, curly, straight, wavy, etc. Pair this fade with styles like French crop, pompadour, buzz cut, quiffs, etc.
Taper Fade
The taper fade combines the taper haircut and the fade haircut. Though they’re often mistaken for one another, both cuts aren’t the same. For tapers, your hair gradually changes from one length to another, while a fade is simply a shorter taper that blends or fades into your skin.
Taper fades involve cutting the hair shorter as you move toward the ears before blending in with the skin. They work with all hair types, suit all face shapes, and can be combined with any style. The cut also has different types, such as the low and high taper fades.
Drop Fade Haircut
The drop fade style slopes downward at the back of the head, following your natural head shape. It sits lower around the ears and higher at the back of the neck. The style can be of any length.
Temple Fade
Also known as the Brooklyn Fade, this style features a gradual fade at the temples that blends shorter hair at the front into length at the sides. It can be traced back to the late 90s and early 2000s as a variation of the bald fade.
Undercut Fade Haircut
This is a combination of the classic undercut and fade. It features the star contrast of the undercut, blending with the seamless gradient of a fade cut.
The undercut is often confused with a fade, but they aren’t the same. It incorporates long hair on top and shorter sides, creating a sharp contrast. On the other hand, the fade gradually decreases around the sides and back.
The undercut is bold and edgy. When combined with the fade, undercuts create a minimalist yet statement look for trend-forward men.
Southside Fade Haircut
This style is derived from the high fade. It’s a fade haircut that is short at the back but becomes thicker on the top of the head. It involves cutting all the hair around the head till you get to the temples. It’s a charming haircut that complements and flatters your facial features.
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Every Man Deserves to Wear a Fade Haircut
The fade cut remains a timeless classic for men. With numerous options available, all you need to up your game is to customize it to suit your taste. The best part of this style is it pairs well with other hairstyles, whether braids for men, pompadours, buzz cuts, crew cuts, etc. Also, adorn your chosen styles with lines for a distinct parting.
Fades are the real deal. Go ahead and book an appointment at the salon. But if you aren’t satisfied with the styles you’ve seen so far, find more below:
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