THE SIDES
Low taper
A low taper is the quiet one. The sides keep an even short length and only drop to skin in the last inch above the ear, so it reads sharp without announcing itself — which is why it overtook the high skin fade as the most-requested fade in the shop. It also pairs with almost anything, and that is the point of this page: the fade is only ever half of a haircut.
Also called low taper fade, low fade, subtle fade.
See one on your face — freeCut with a low taper
Every one of these is photographed at this fade. Tap any of them to see it on your own face.
Crew cut
Short and tidy, a little length up front.
French crop
Blunt fringe forward, short everywhere else.
Textured crop
A crop with the fringe broken up, not blunt.
Caesar cut
Short, combed forward, fringe flat to the forehead.
Quiff
Volume lifted up and back off the forehead.
Pompadour
Smooth, tall, swept straight back.
Slick back
Everything combed back, flat to the head.
Side part
A defined parting, combed to one side.
Comb over
Swept across the top, faded underneath.
Ivy League
A crew cut with enough length to part.
Middle part with a taper
Centre part on top, tapered sides underneath.
Blunt fringe
Hair forward, cut level at the brow.
Spiky
Short, lifted into separated points.
Messy textured
Deliberately undone, moving in every direction.
Blowout
Volume blown up and out, tapered sides.
Curly fringe
Curl worn forward over the forehead.
Sponge twists
Short coily hair twisted into tight curls.
360 waves
Coil trained flat into a rippling pattern.
Loose perm
Straight hair permed into a soft S wave.
Tight perm
Straight hair permed into defined springy curls.
Comma hair
Fringe curves inward into a comma over the brow.
See-through fringe
Thinned fringe you can see the forehead through.
Textured fringe
Fringe broken into separated pieces, not a straight line.
Rat tail
Everything short, one thin tail at the nape.
Frosted tips
Short spiky top, ends bleached blonde.
Also works with one
These are cut with something else by default, so the photographs show that instead — but ask for a low taper and your barber will know exactly what you mean.
Questions
- What is the difference between a low taper and a low fade?
- In most shops, nothing — they are used interchangeably. If a barber does distinguish them, the taper is the softer version confined to the perimeter and the fade climbs a little higher up the side. Either way you are asking for the same conservative shape.
- How often does a low taper need re-cutting?
- Every three to four weeks. That is longer than a mid or high fade, because there is less gradient to blur — one of the main reasons people pick it.
- Does a low taper suit a receding hairline?
- Better than a high fade does. Keeping length on the sides means less contrast against a thinning front, where a skin fade draws the eye straight to the temples.