If you’re lost in all the trending hairstyles produced everyday in the fashion industry and can’t decide how to get back into the game of outstanding looks, a Taper Fade haircut can become your savior! Unlike most other hairstyles, the taper fade chooses the path of simplicity and creates the most magnificent styles out of such a method.
Whether you have curly hair or straight, taper fade will suit you all effortlessly and you’ll regain your lost confidence in the blink of an eye! Our article here features some of the most promising taper fade haircut concepts of the contemporary pop cultural world that you can choose from with no hesitation.
Follow our elaborate guide and find yourself ruling the styling trends with one of the styles that we’ve provided, or with one you can muster up exploring the possible ways taper fades can work. Whichever may be the case, you’re surely in for a masterful treat through this dynamic hair styling technique in 2025!
Table of Contents
- Taper Fade Haircut: 35 Exclusive Styles
- High Taper Fade
- Low Taper Fade
- Bald Taper Fade
- Comb Over Fade
- Temple Fade
- Taper Fade Deep Part
- Brushed Back Fade
- Taper Fade For Curly Hair
- Traditional Taper Fade
- Mid Fade Haircut
- Fade Undercut
- High Top Fade With Surgical Line Design
- Neck Taper
- Buzz Cut Taper Fade
- Swept Up Taper Fade
- Taper Fade With Waves
- Thick Hair Taper Fade Haircut
- Wispy Layer Taper Fade
- Spiky Taper Fade Haircut
- Side Slicked Taper Fade
- Pompadour Taper Fade
- Deep Undercut With Long Hair
- College High Taper
- High Bun With Low Taper
- Subtle Taper Fade
- Flowing Azure
- Shaved Stars
- Exquisite Design On Taper
- Taper Floral Shapes
- All Spiked Up With Neat Beard
- Silver Taper Fade Cut
- Spider-Wave Style
- God Of Thunder Cut
- Fusion With Dreadlocks
- Takuache Taper Fade
- Taper Fade Guide: Do It Yourself At Home
- FAQ
- Final Thoughts
What Is A Taper Fade?
You know how regular fades work, don’t you? For those of you who don’t, a fade is an umbrella style that contains very short hair on the sides with longer hair at the top, which was featured by the likes of the New York Times due to its versatility. A taper fade is a subcategory of the broad fade section.
Taper fade implies a gradual decrease in hair length from top to the bottom. Which means, right next to the top part where the sides begin, taper fade will start its fading process there. As the hair gradually climbs down, the length will equally be reduced. By the end, this style will expose your skin around the temple area and sideburns!
Taper Fade Haircut: 35 Exclusive Styles
In this section, our hairstyling experts have picked out 35 completely different yet potentially iconic taper fade hairstyles that’s going to raise you up in the trend in a very short time!
High Taper Fade
This particular hairstyle borrows its concept from the Mohawk trend by keeping the middle patch of hair on top intact and long. It’s actually a hybrid between taper fade and faux hawk style, with a significant amount of brush work to generate a premium hair texture on top.
For the sides, you’ll pull out your trimmer to start fading your sides. Unlike regular taper fade, this one starts the fading at a high position and gradually reduces your hair length. This generates a very unique hairstyle and prepares you to rock at any party in your neighborhood!
Low Taper Fade
It’s for the ones who prefer to have a larger volume of hair sitting prettily on the top of your head. This low taper fade lets you grow your hair as long as you want with the thickest of density, and it’ll look just fine the way overgrown hair falls over the sides and covers your ears as well as forehead.
This style can work perfectly with both curly and straight hair. Curly hair should see an increased thickness compared to fine hair. The sides are to be trimmed down at the bottom edge, all the way around the back. A grubble paired with it can emphasize on the casual aura of this look.
Bald Taper Fade
If you’re looking for a very low-maintenance hairstyle that wouldn’t require much attention once you get your hair done, this bald edition of taper fade haircut is going to float your boat. Very short hair on top is to be neatly brushed down to create a soothing symmetry to anyone that sees you.
The sides consist of a regular taper fade style that follows around the back. The edged in the front should be sharply lined for a stark contrast. A beard with the same sharp treatment can boost the potential of this look by a large margin!
Comb Over Fade
This style is one of the fanciest hairstyles you’ll find in this list. Comb over looks are generally attractive and ones with fine hair can pull it off better due to the nature of how the top hair is worn. You can directly comb the hair over at the top, or break it into visible sections to create a more aesthetic display.
Taper fade is the go to method on the sides, with the top portion consisting of increased density of hair, almost matching the portion on top. The comb over process needs to be stern and done precisely so that there’s a visible hairline between the top and the side section.
Temple Fade
This particular style goes by a lot of names due to the type of hair it most commonly features. Since it works best with curly Type 4 hair combining it with the traditional blowout cut, some even call it the Afro blow due to the fusion between these unique styles.
Basically, your curly hair is to be evenly kept at around medium length at the top. You’ll draw a taper fade only at the bottom of the temple region and at the back. Around the forehead you have to create sharp edges with your razor to make it look distinct. It can carry on to your face should you have any beard to go with the look.
Taper Fade Deep Part
This hairstyle oddly resembles the comb over fade hairstyle but consists of some structural difference at the core. While the former style is very neat and distinct-looking, the later is more casual and messy in nature. It allows you to work with longer hair since neatness is not its major aspect.
While you may get away with the same taper fade formula on the sides and the back, the top portion is however dealt with less strictness. You can comb over loosely with dipping your finger tips to decorate the hair. Due to the length, your hair won’t be standing upright and it’ll generate a laid-back look.
Brushed Back Fade
If you’re a fan of the mafia hairstyles and crank it up another degree to make yourself look menacingly beautiful, then you must consider this style for your next haircut. This variant of taper fade haircut utilizes the longer hair on your crown and brushes them straight back to generate a sleek and cold effect.
But it doesn’t mean it’s going to reduce the hotness that you were aiming for. With tapered sides and the back along with this mafioso hairdo at the top, you’ll find all the girls lining up to grab a piece of you and offer you their number without you even trying!
Taper Fade For Curly Hair
Curly hair enthusiasts, this one is just for you! If your hair is less kinky than hard coils, you’ll easily pull off this hairstyle in a matter of minutes! The hair on top is to be shaped evenly for this eccentric style to work, and upon completion you’ll find yourself to be the most engaging person in the room!
After getting the top part trimmed evenly to medium length, the sides are to be treated very gently. You need to aim for a very low taper fade on the sides through the back with sharp edges done by a razor. Flick the top hair upwards before heading out and let your style do all the talking for you!
Traditional Taper Fade
This is one of the most traditional forms of taper fade haircut that is still relevant in the fashion industry this year! You’ve probably seen the likes of David Beckham hanging out with similar hairstyles because it has the potential to make anyone look more dashing than ever!
The sides are to be tapered down to a short-medium length. On the other hand, the top portion over the crown is to be grown long, at such a length where your hair won’t have the strength to stand upright and it’ll lay down flat. Once there, brush them upward and backwards to seal the deal!
Mid Fade Haircut
The generic mid fade haircut has a lot more styling appeal than you might think at highsight. It can make you look composed while at the same time generating fashionable radiation from your looks. The varying length between the top and the sides is the prime principle of this look.
The top portion should be kept at medium length and sleekly brushed from one side to the other. You can use hair shiner spray or balm to create a glossy effect. The sides should begin the taper fade at the mid level climbing all the way down to expose your skin. Grow a beard to make it more striking for the audience!
Fade Undercut
This style belongs to the edgy & radical genre of this haircut category. It resembles the hairstyle footballer Marco Reus has been carrying around for a while, and the effect it had on women was out of the world! You can achieve the same by trying out this dynamic look that’s guaranteed to stand you out of the general crowd.
Draw your taper fade on the sides and the back at a very high level, almost adjacent to the hairline. The top hair is to be kept at medium length, but radically standing upwards rigidly. You can achieve that with hair gel or spray that holds them tight. Curl the hair a little toward the back to make it look aesthetic!
High Top Fade With Surgical Line Design
Surgical line designs are back in the trend again, and fades help these lines to get massively highlighted! Such lines take your styles to a whole new level by creating something new with the existing cuts. Be it straight hair or curly, a surgical line fits nicely with any of these types of hair directly!
For curly hair, let your curls grow out and sit nice at the top. Taper down the sides starting from the peak with the bottom cleanly exposing the skin. At that point, draw a shaved line that goes all the way to the back at the fade region. Sharpen up the edges to uplift the contrasting lines!
Neck Taper
A delicate hairstyle often wins over the hearts of the ones who admire inner beauty. Delicacy is reflected by how a person carries himself, wears his dress, or styles his hair. This neck taper endorses the minimalist trend to create micro adjustments that aren’t apparent on the eye, but the result can certainly be felt.
Such a sophisticated hairstyle doesn’t require the application of a lot of techniques, rather it needs precision. With hair length fairly even at the top and a neck taper around the back, this style will prepare you for any top-notch occasion. Remember to sharpen the edges with your razor before setting foot outside!
Buzz Cut Taper Fade
Derived from the military trend of haircuts, the buzz style is something that goes hand in hand with taper fade due to its core nature. Such hairstyles are easygoing and low-maintenance, with the possibility to look more handsome by highlighting your face shape and all the distinct features.
Although it may look very simple to the naked eye, in reality it’s anything but. The buzz cut demands the top portion to be reduced to a short length, but you can play around with that length too as you can both lay the hair up or down. Tapered sides with a designer stub are guaranteed to make you look effortlessly elegant!
Swept Up Taper Fade
The swept up style concentrates on the frontal part of the top hair rather than the hairlines. Whereas the brushed back sides maintained a neat distinction between the side and the top, this particular style rather opts for brushing or flicking your hair upwards which gradually go back till the crown.
For this dynamic way of styling, you’ll see the front row of your top hair standing upright due to the support from the longer hair right behind. Any sort of taper fade can be attached to this look, but a high taper should generate finer outcomes. A short beard can boost up your looks with such a hairstyle any day of the week!
Taper Fade With Waves
The waves part in the name suggests how this haircut is going to go – like the waves of the ocean. Thus, you’ll either need hair with wavy texture to begin with, or use a curler to add gentle waves to your straight hair. Whichever may be the case, you’ll look dignified with such hairdo in your arsenal!
Short hair won’t do the trick since the formation of waves requires a significant length of hair, at least to a medium length. While the waves may sound messy, you have to organize them in layers on top of your head for this to function. Tapered sides with neatly drawn edge lines should upgrade the class of your style!
Thick Hair Taper Fade Haircut
You often might feel concerned with your thick hair and get confused between so many hairstyles that require intense maintenance. Here’s one for you which can happen right here and now with a styling time of only a few minutes! Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?
All you’ll for this to work is your trimmer. Taper down the sides following our DIY guide below and expose your skin all around. Use your fingers to comb through the hair and brush them backwards in a motion that makes the hair meet down the middle. Add a captivating color to your hair that’ll level-up your style and prepare you for all the compliments!
Wispy Layer Taper Fade
It’s a style that you’ll see all the film actors or sport stars are wearing these days with grace. This is a debonair look aiming to set your styling standard up so high that your friends around you will start questioning whether you’ve become a star yourself in secret!
You need to taper the sides and the back very neatly with a smooth gradient. The smoothness is the main foundation of this premium taper fade haircut. On top of that, keep the crown hair longer and brush it in layers, the bottom flowing toward the back and the top, to one side.
Spiky Taper Fade Haircut
Look sharp with this modish hairstyle that has just the right mix of sophistication and messiness to it. Carefully spiked up hairdos at the top can reach your styling potential to such a level that people might start calling you a fashion guru and start taking advice from you!
Your dashing look can be achieved with a regular taper fade on the sides as well as the back. The top portion should be left about short-medium length so that it can be effortlessly spiked up. Use some gel or hair spray to make them all stand up with some added texture that completes the look!
Side Slicked Taper Fade
Take a journey through the retro looks and revive one of these iconic features that were prominent in the 80s rockstars! This hybrid hairstyle modernizes the old with the touch of something new, and such fusions are currently going on the trend trains of pop culture!
For the start, a simple taper fade for the sides and back will suffice. Now comes the fun part at the top. Brush your medium length hair evenly backward but make a full swing so that their posture at the end is facing the front. What it does is, it allows a few groups of hair to hang loose by one side of your frontal area that pays homage to the once popular styles adorned by people!
Pompadour Taper Fade
Much like our previous style, pompadour is more or less the same in terms of retro looks. But the major difference is that it never died and has always been a timeless style for fashionable men. These styles tend to make you look more manly with an opportunity to show off your fine hair.
Have your thick hair on top flipped upward and the hair right behind brushed backward. The sides should follow a regular taper fade with sharply drawn edges. Mixing a light beard with this look can generate a long-lasting effect on the minds of whoever may see you!
Deep Undercut With Long Hair
If badass haircuts are where you find your mojo, then this definitely should give you goosebumps due to its unique nature. Borrowing small concepts from different styles, this is a masterclass in crafting the most authentic taper fade haircut that you won’t find anywhere else!
Your top portion should be isolated from the sides and the back right next to the crown area. The bottom portion is to be finely tapered and the top part should grow out to medium length. Add some hair balm to generate the wet look and brush everything back so that the remains hang loose over the nape. And a dense beard would literally kill everyone with your look!
College High Taper
This look should appeal more to the younger audience of this article, but anyone is free to try it out really! It features a shorter hairstyle with an ecstatic color that easily catches the eye, and you’ll find yourself full of admiration once you settle down with this haircut!
The taper at the sides starts rather abruptly from the top. All the hair can be colored to a dark crimson or faded caramel – the saturation is left up to your preference. Mess it up with an upward flick and laid down strands to generate this unique college high taper fade haircut!
High Bun With Low Taper
Your longer hair shouldn’t discourage you from trying out such a sleek hairstyle as well! Make your top hair into a bun and tie a ribbon tightly around so that it sits tightly on your temple.
Once that is in place, taper fade the sides all through the back to create that contrasting image. Draw a long surgical line to edge up this extravagant look even more!
Subtle Taper Fade
Another minimalist taper fade haircut in our list that completely keeps its focus on subtlety. Corporate dealers or aristocrats don’t always go for flashy or fancy styles, rather some prefer delicacy which only comes with implicit styling techniques as this one.
The top hair can be kept until medium length but you have to ensure that all of the hair is evenly cut. Because rough edges or messy strands will only pull your style down in the wrong direction. Add subtle taper fade on the sides and around the back. Grow an elegant beard to look perfect for all the sophisticated events!
Flowing Azure
Speak edgy without ever uttering the word with this captivating & jaw-dropping hairstyle! What doesn’t it have! From exquisite styles to impeccable color variations – it’s a designer’s nightmare and a pop culture fashion enthusiast’s sweet dream all at the same time!
Such diversity in color and style is going to keep everyone’s eyes fixated on you. Start with taper fade on the sides. The top hair should be completely bleached for the colors to stand out in the end. Dye half of the hair with a striking blue and the rest with a soothing silver. When it comes together it’ll generate the effect of azure flowing calmly and freely over your head.
Shaved Stars
If you think you’ve seen all the surgical line designs, then this particular hairstyle will make you reconsider your thought! It’s specifically made for ones with curly hair as the coily texture on top helps enhance this cut by a large margin. And given all the credit to the designs at the sides, you’re going to be under a lot of spotlights once you walk out!
The top portion can be medium in length with the hair’s natural flow facing the frontal area. The sides will go taper as usual. But this time, you’re going to draw out some unorthodox and captivating designs with the expertise of your razor! A large star coupled with a few small ones around can be one of the many drawings you may explore!
Exquisite Design On Taper
This surgical line design however is much toned down and belongs more toward the sophisticated side. It fuses up a few elements from separate trends and makes it work beautifully together. The top part of your hair can be quite short in length.
Bleach only the top part to be dyed into magenta or any shade of maroon that suits your taste the best. Brush everything down the front and leave it be. The tapered sides feature some gorgeous designs that aren’t just straight lines, rather a mixture of different shapes. Overall, it creates an alluring and meaningful haircut that’s unique to only you.
Taper Floral Shapes
The floral taper is rather a more straightforward one in comparison with the previous style. What it does is, it draws some beautiful flowers on the side tapers to make this style look highly charming for every onlooker, and for yourself as well.
The top part is to be kept very long and it should carry all the way till your neck. The nape region won’t be tapered, which means it’ll become a mutation of the mullet look. Tie all the loose hair into a bun and keep it pressed against your nape to finalize the look!
All Spiked Up With Neat Beard
This rendition of taper fade haircut sticks truly to the authentic style. With exposed sides and the back with a solid taper, it’s going to present a new version of you to the ones that know you. It is to be noted that this look works better with a long face.
After getting the sides done, the top portion of the hair should be short-medium in length. You’ll need some gel to keep it standing upright, and can also use a brush to create a circular movement from one side to the other. Throw in a neat beard to generate a solid 10/10 look!
Silver Taper Fade Cut
It’s rather a straightforward look that shortens your top hair and bleaches it completely. You can add silver dye to your hair if you like, or keep it as it is for a more raw effect.
The tapered sides create distinction between the two hair sections. Messy top hair with a casually kept mustacheless goatee should provide you with an urbane look!
Spider-Wave Style
If you’re a Spider-man fan, let everyone know about your choice with this diverse hairdo! You can try it with short to very long hair at the top, but a dense hair is proven to produce better effect.
The sides in this look need to be subtly tapered at the edges and over the sideburns. Now comes the main event – the bottom of the nape area right over the neck where your expert barber needs to sketch out a spider wave!
God Of Thunder Cut
Let everyone know that you’re a fan of mighty Thor with this strikingly lavish hairstyle! A basic taper fade haircut should give you the space upon which you can generate your masterpiece.
The top part can be tidy and brushed out of the way at any length. The taper fade area should begin in the middle part of the side so that the God of Thunder drawing is highlighted sharply with the fine work of a razor!
Fusion With Dreadlocks
You’ve probably seen people apply taper fade with almost any styling trend there may exist! Let us add another one to that list of dynamic styles with this fusion with dreadlocks that just blows everyone’s minds!
With a regular taper fade at the sides drawn very gently, the top portion is not so subtle. Long dreadlocks pulled backward and the tips highlighted to gain more attraction. The solid dreads stand at 90 degrees with your head generating the style of a hedgehog!
Takuache Taper Fade
The wide choices of Takuache or Edgar haircut may have been under your radar for quite some time. Instead of going for a sharp fade, why not go subtle with tapered sides instead?
This meme god hairstyle consists of brushed down short to medium hair with sharp edges in all attempts to make it look radical. Fuse it with a gentle taper fade round the temple area to create something new out of something old!
Taper Fade Guide: Do It Yourself At Home
This DIY guide for taper fade will enable you to try out this look at the comfort zone of your home. It’s not possible to cover every taper fade haircut because there is a wide array of collections, but the most basic method should set you straight towards experimenting with new styles!
Step 1
Wash your hair with shampoo and mop it completely dry. Do not use conditioner and do not blowdry your hair. Let the air and towel do their job.
Step 2
Use your combs to neatly go through your hair so that you can evenly see everything in the mirror. This will prevent uneven cuts that can result in catastrophe afterwards.
Step 3
You’ll be needing more than one comb for this step. Once you find out your hairline at each side and the edge of the crown, use the combs to separate & hold the top hair from the side portions. Fastening it up will ensure you an effortless trimming process.
Step 4
Use your trimmer to start the taper fade process. Use a larger clip guard to initially scrape off all the side and back hair. After the first trip, reduce the clipper size for keeping your hair shorter that should begin an inch below the hairline.
Keep reducing the clipper size and trimming an inch lower each time to create a gradual decline of hair length. In the end, you can remove the clipper guard to trim the taper and sideburn areas down to the skin.
And in these four quick & easy steps, you’ll be able to create the basic taper fade haircut that you can now fuse with any other style of your liking!
FAQ
To offer you even further clarification of the taper fade concept, our experts here have answered some of the commonly asked questions regarding this topic on the internet.
Q: How do you ask for a taper?
A: It depends on your barber really. If he’s a professional, stating taper should suffice. But we advise you to show a picture of the haircut that you intend on getting and explain every part of it so that there’s no gap in communication and you receive precisely what you came for.
Q: What length is a taper haircut?
A: Generally during a taper fade the top hair is kept between two to four inches, but many modern styles don’t follow these and go above or beyond this rough estimation. The sides however are much shorter with a maximum length of ¼”.
Q: What number should a taper be?
A: A taper should be made with clippers sized between 1 and 4, which means your side hair will gradually length upward from 1/16″, 1/8″, 3/16″, and all the way up to 1/4″.
Q: Do barbers know what a taper & fade hairstyle is?
A: In recent times, most barbers know what a taper and a fade hairstyle is. But if you have your doubts, feel free to explain what you are going for so that they can deliver effectively.
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve reached the concluding point of this article, you must have learned a great deal about taper fade haircuts along the way. Until this point, you may have underestimated the potential of this straightforward style due to how easy it is to achieve the looks.
But now you know the ways it can be fused with styles & techniques across age, genre and trend to be made into something that has never been created before. Such modularity and diversity enables you to venture into the unexplored territory of hairstyling and to create something new with your taste & knowledge.
So show us your craftsmanship with the taper fade style! We hope to feature you one day in our article with the most eye-catching and strikingly sumptuous original hairstyle generated by a genius individual! Till then, peace out!
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