Low Fade Vs. High Fade: What You Really Need to Know

Many men who love fade haircuts still have confusion between high fades and low fades – what’s the difference between them.

A fade haircut is one where the length of the hair gradually reduces until it has completely ‘faded away’. Although fades are sometimes worn by women, they tend to be more popular as a men’s haircut.

In order for a fade haircut to look good, you will need to make sure that you have a skilled barber to do the work for you. An uneven fade can make your haircut look wonky and will ruin your style. This is why most men are unable to perform fade haircuts on themselves.

If you do go to the barber for your fade haircut, they might ask you about what type of fade style you would like for your hair. There are many types of fade hairstyles for men, but in this post, we will explore the main differences between High Fades and Low Fades.

High Fade

Low Fade

What is a High Fade haircut?

A high fade haircut is a hairstyle where the fading of the hair begins and ends quite high up the back and sides of the head. Sometimes the hair only goes about 1 to 1.5 inches down the sides and the back of the head. This helps to make the hair on the top of the head look thicker and fuller. It is reminiscent of military cuts like the High and Tight hairstyle.

The hair on the top of the head can be as long as you like with a high fade haircut. The best way to personalize a hairstyle is to use strong and bold features, such as a thick disconnect. More subtle features are less likely to be noticeable in a High Fade hairstyle.

Be careful not to confuse a High Fade haircut with an Undercut style. In an Undercut hairstyle, the hair at the back and sides of the look is cut to a uniform length without any gradient.

What is a Low Fade haircut?

A Low Fade haircut is a haircut where the hair starts to Taper much lower down the head. In a low fade cut, the fade will finish around 3 inches from the thickest part of the hairline. As with any other type of fade cut, men can have the hair on the top of their head as long as they would like.

However, a Low Fade style can give men more freedom about what the rest of their style looks like. Because there is more hair involved in the whole style, it is easier to create distinctive features and definition in the hair.

For example, the barber can create alternating sections of thicker hair and thinner hair as part of a low fade style. It is not possible to create this type of look with a High Fade style because the lack of hair would mean that there wasn’t clear definition in the style.

Unlike a Contoured haircut (which is done with scissors), a Low Fade haircut is always done with hair clippers.

Exclusive High and Low Taper Fade Hairstyles

Low Fade vs High Fade Haircuts

Here are three main differences between low fade and high fade haircuts in short.

Both low fades and high fades are trendy and very popular among men. You can also try fade hairstyles with a comb over and pompadour fades. Choose between these two fade styles according to your face size, shape and choice.