High Fade
The fade climbs to the top of the sides, so the sides are mostly short and the top stands out.
A high fade is a haircut where the sides and back blend from very short at the bottom to longer above, with the blend starting high, where the side of the head turns into the top. Almost the whole side ends up short, so the hair on top stands out sharply against it. It gives the most contrast of any fade, and it needs the most frequent cutting. It is one of the bolder cuts among plus de coiffures pour hommes in the directory.
En bref
- Également appelé
- High fade haircut
- Accompagnements
- Short almost to the top of the head
- Haut de la page
- 1 to 5cm, often a crew cut or flat top
- Where it starts
- Where the side of the head turns into the top
- Goes down to
- A grade 0 or 1, or skin
- Entretien
- Toutes les deux semaines
- À ne pas manquer sur
- Round faces. It adds height
- À éviter si
- Your face is long and narrow
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Comment s'adresser à son coiffeur
- Say where it startsAsk for a high fade starting where the side of your head turns into the top.
- Give the bottom gradeA grade 0 or 1, or skin.
- Describe the topGive the length. A crew cut is usually 1 to 3cm.
- Check the blendAsk for the line between the fade and the top blended in, not left as a step.
Les variations
La même coupe, portée différemment. Ce qui change, c'est la longueur, l'endroit où commence la partie courte et la façon dont le haut est coiffé.
Est-ce que ça ira avec vos cheveux ?
Le type de cheveux détermine la façon dont une coupe tient et la rapidité avec laquelle elle perd sa forme. Le tableau ci-dessous en présente un résumé.
| Hétéro | Œuvres | Clean, but can look severe with a very short top. |
|---|---|---|
| Ondulé | Œuvres | Keep a little length on top for the waves. |
| Bouclé | Idéal | Curls on top against short sides. |
| Coily | Idéal | A sharp outline that holds its shape. |
| Épais | Idéal | Removes nearly all the side bulk. |
| Cheveux fins ou clairsemés | Œuvres | A short top over a high fade makes thin hair look deliberate. |
Est-ce que ça ira bien avec votre visage ?
C'est la façon dont la coupe ajoute de la hauteur ou enlève de la largeur qui détermine comment elle s'harmonise avec la forme de votre visage. Le type de cheveux a certes plus d'importance, mais voilà en bref.
| Ovale | Idéal | Des proportions équilibrées : c'est la coupe elle-même qui fait la différence. |
|---|---|---|
| Rond | Idéal | Height on top and shorter sides lengthen the face. |
| Carré | Idéal | Height on top balances a strong jaw. |
| Oblong | À éviter | Extra height makes a long face look longer. |
| Cœur | Œuvres | Keep the height modest so the forehead does not look wider. |
| Diamant | Œuvres | Some fullness on top helps; very tight sides stress the cheekbones. |
Les styles de barbe qui vont bien avec
Les cheveux et la barbe ne forment qu'un seul et même contour. C'est ce qui permet de respecter les proportions de cette coupe.
What a high fade is
A fade is any cut where the hair shortens gradually towards the bottom, with no visible step between lengths. The height in the name is where that blend starts. On a high fade it starts at the top of the sides, around the corner of the head. Stand side-on to a mirror and look for where your head stops being vertical and starts curving over. That is the line.
Below it, the barber works down through the grades to the shortest point, usually a grade 0 or a half, just above the ear and at the nape. Because the distance between the top of the fade and the bottom is short, the blend has to be done carefully. A rushed high fade shows its steps.
Take the bottom down to bare skin with a foil shaver or razor and it becomes a high skin fade. That is the most dramatic version, and the dégradé de couleur page covers it in full.
High fade vs low fade and mid fade
Height is the only difference. The top and the finishing grade can be identical.
A faible évanouissement starts just above the ear and keeps most of the side at length. It is subtle and grows out slowly.
A mid fade starts around the temple. Clear contrast from the front, nothing dramatic.
A high fade starts at the top of the side. Very little length is left anywhere below the top, and the shape of the head shows clearly. Regrowth is visible within a week or so, because a few millimetres of new hair on a big area of short hair is easy to see.
If you are weighing them up, the types of fade page lays them all side by side.
High fade vs high taper
A high taper fade starts at a similar height, but the short part is concentrated at the edges, the sideburns and the nape, and more of the side keeps some length. It reads softer. If a high fade feels too stark, the dégradé très prononcé is the gentler relative.
Who a high fade suits
Round faces. Taking almost all the width off the sides and leaving length on top makes a round face look longer. This is where a high fade does the most good.
Long, narrow faces. The opposite. A high fade narrows the head further and makes a long face look longer. A low or mid fade is the better call.
Type de cheveux. Thick hair suits it well, because the high fade removes nearly all the side bulk in one go. Curly and coily hair are a natural match. The sides stay tight against the volume on top, and the outline holds its shape. Straight and wavy hair work, though a very short straight top over a high fade can look severe. Leave a little more length on top to soften it.
Fine or thinning hair. It can work. A short top over a high fade makes thin hair look deliberate rather than sparse. What does not work is a long, flat top over very pale sides, which puts the thin areas on display. If coverage is the worry, see coupes de cheveux pour les hommes qui perdent leurs cheveux.
Work. A high fade with a neat top is accepted in most workplaces now. It reads as sharper and more deliberate than a low fade. In very conservative settings, a low fade attracts less attention.
Lifestyle. Anyone happy to be in the barber's chair every fortnight. If you want to stretch cuts to five or six weeks, this is the wrong fade.
How to ask a UK barber for a high fade
- Say where it starts. "A high fade, starting where the side of my head turns into the top." Touching the spot is clearer than any word.
- Give the bottom grade. A grade 0 (no guard, about 0.5 to 1mm) is standard. A grade 1 (3mm) at the bottom is softer and less pale. For skin, ask for a high skin fade.
- Describe the top. Give a length. A crew cut top is usually 1 to 3cm. A textured crop is 3 to 5cm. Anything combed needs more.
- Ask for the blend. Say you want the top of the fade blended into the top of the head, not left as a ledge. That is the difference between a high fade and an undercut.
Example orders:
- "High fade from a grade 0, starting at the top of the sides, blended into about 2cm on top."
- "High skin fade, blended in, about 4cm on top, textured and pushed forward."
If you wear a beard, ask for a beard fade, with the sideburn blended down into the beard so the two connect without a hard line.
Styling a high fade
The sides need nothing. The top is the whole job, and with a high fade the top is usually short.
Very short tops. A crew cut or buzzed top needs no product at all. If it sticks up, a pea-sized amount of matte paste flattens the fluff.
Crops, 3 to 5cm. Rub a small amount of matte clay or paste between your palms and work it through dry hair with your fingers. Push it forward or up. One minute.
Longer, combed tops. A quiff or a side part over a high fade needs a blow-dry in the direction you want it to sit, then a cream or light pomade and a comb.
Curly tops. Curl cream on damp hair, scrunch, and leave it to dry without touching it.
Keep product light and keep it off the short hair. Heavy, shiny product over pale sides looks greasy fast.
Upkeep and how often to cut a high fade
Every two weeks to keep it sharp. Three at a push.
Hair grows roughly 1cm a month, and on a high fade a few millimetres of regrowth is enough to soften the blend and blur the line. A high skin fade loses its contrast quickest of all.
The top can go longer between cuts. If you are growing the top, tell the barber you only want the sides and back done. Some barbers offer a cheaper fade-only tidy between full cuts. Worth asking.
High fade variations
The fade stays the same. What changes is the top.
- With a crew cut. About 2cm on top. The classic military look, and the lowest-effort version there is. See coupe en brosse.
- High and tight. A very short buzzed top, often a grade 2 or 3, over a high skin fade. Even less to style.
- High skin fade. Taken to bare skin. Maximum contrast and maximum upkeep.
- With a flat top. A squared-off top that needs a barber who knows the shape.
- With curls. Sharp sides and natural volume on top.
- With a textured crop. 3 to 4cm pushed forward. Modern and easy.
To grow a high fade out, ask the barber to leave the sides alone and only tidy the neckline and around the ears. Because so much of the side is short, it takes a couple of months to look like an ordinary cut. Expect an awkward patch around weeks four to six where the sides puff out. A grade 3 or 4 all round the sides at that point evens it up.
Questions qui nous sont fréquemment posées
What is a high fade?
A high fade is a fade haircut where the blend starts high on the head, at the point where the side turns into the top. Almost the whole side is cut short, usually down to a grade 0 or skin at the bottom, leaving the hair on top to stand out against it.
How often does a high fade need cutting?
About every two weeks to keep it sharp, three at the most. The short area is large, so regrowth shows quickly. A high skin fade needs cutting the most often of all.
Does a high fade suit a round face?
Yes, it is one of the best fades for a round face. Removing the width from the sides and leaving height on top makes the face look longer. On a long, narrow face it has the opposite effect, so a low fade is the better choice there.
What is the difference between a high fade and a high taper?
A high fade shortens the whole side below the starting line. A high taper only shortens the edges, the sideburns and nape, and leaves more length through the middle of the side. The taper is softer and grows out more gently.
Can you get a high fade with thinning hair?
Yes, if the top is kept short. A short, textured top over a high fade makes thin hair look intentional. A long top swept back over very pale sides draws attention to thin areas, so avoid that combination.
What is a high and tight?
A high and tight is a high fade, often taken to skin, with a very short buzzed top, usually a grade 2 or 3. It is the shortest and lowest-effort version of the high fade.
Other fades
Des proches parents, et en quoi ils diffèrent.
Parcourez les contenus en fonction de ce qui vous intéresse
Le même répertoire, vu sous un autre angle.