The fade is absolutely the most popular mens haircut for 2019. The style – graduating length with a mop on top – has been going strong for a couple of years now, and there’s no signs it’ll stop being a thing anytime soon.
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But did you know not all fades are the same? Yep, there’s an art to all that trimming, so we asked Georgina Bools, Senior Stylist and Men’s Cutter at Mr Burrows Hair for her tips on how to get a 100/10 fade, and not some awful scalpy mess.
1. There’s More Than One Type
Let’s start with the obvious – there’s more than one type of fade. As Georgina explains:
There are a variety of different fades. High taper, low taper, seamless hairlines, disconnection, classic. You can combine any of these techniques in order to personalise the look for the client.
But what do all of those terms mean? Let’s start with high/low taper.
The higher the shade, the more edgy the look. The low fades are generally more of your classic aesthetic, less extreme and a little more ‘corporate’.
So if you’re looking for something more everyday, go for a low fade. If you’re wanting a fashion cut, the high fade is where it’s at. A seamless hairline is where there’s not a lot of disconnection between the shaved area and the longer hair on top.
2. Be Clear About Your Hair Type & Your Lifestyle
The worst thing you can do – and a surefire way to get a shit fade – is to pretend you’ll maintain something super fashiony when in reality, you barely wash your hair let alone fiddle with products.
First of all, you need to explain how you like to style it day to day in order to establish the best way to maintain the style. Explain your problem areas, and also how you personally prefer your hair to look.
Are you committed to styling your hair daily? If so, go on with your bad self and get a really edgy cut that requires work to make it schmick. Are you the laziest motherfucker in history? Tell you hairdresser so they can give you something no-fuss.
Another big one to consider – hair type. “Hair type is a major factor when determining what type of fade will suit,” explains Georgina. Do you have wavy or curly hair? Is it coarse? Does it need a lot of product to keep volume? Basically, the more information you can give your barber/hairdresser regarding your hair’s natural ways, the better the cut will be.
3. Listen To Your Barber
As much as you might froth Tom Hardy’s skin fade, that doesn’t mean it’ll suit you head shape or hair type. Rather than get stuck on a Pinterest pic you found or your mates cut, give them as examples to your barber but be open to flexibility.
I think you should always rely on your stylist to offer opinion on what would be the most flattering fade your their lifestyle, face shape and head.
The golden rule of haircuts – listen to the expert.
