Fades: The Different Types Explained

A fade is hair that changes length gradually from short at the bottom to longer at the top, with no visible line where one length becomes another. The names describe two things: how high up the head the fade starts, and how short it goes at the bottom. Knowing both is what lets you ask for what you actually want.

Low, mid and high

This is where the fade begins. A low fade starts just above the ear and the hairline, keeps most of the side length, and is the most conservative. A mid fade starts around the temple, roughly halfway up the side of the head, and is the most common request. A high fade starts near the top corner of the head, leaves very little length on the sides, and creates the strongest contrast with the top. The higher it starts, the bolder and the shorter the overall look.

How short at the bottom

A taper fade keeps some length all the way down, often ending at a guard 1 or a half guard, and looks softer. A bald or skin fade takes the bottom down to bare skin with the clipper lever or a foil shaver. Skin fades look sharpest immediately and grow out fastest, needing attention within a week or two, while a taper holds its shape considerably longer. If you cannot get to a barber every couple of weeks, ask for a taper.

Drop and burst

A drop fade curves downward behind the ear rather than running straight around, following the shape of the head, which suits most people and looks more natural from behind. A burst fade fades outward in an arc around the ear only, leaving the back long, and is the shape usually paired with a mohawk or a longer back. Both are variations on where the fade line travels rather than different techniques.

Guard numbers

Guards are numbered in eighths of an inch: a 1 is one eighth, a 2 is a quarter, a 4 is half an inch, and so on. A fade is built by working up through consecutive guards and blending the lines between them, which is why skipping numbers leaves visible steps. Half guards exist for exactly this, and they are what makes the difference between a smooth fade and a stepped one.

Asking for what you want

Say where it should start, how short at the bottom, and what happens on top. For example, a mid drop fade, taper at the bottom rather than skin, with two inches left on top and a natural hairline. That sentence gives a barber everything. A photograph helps, but the words matter more, since a photograph of someone else's head shape can be misleading.