A “fade” or extra short tapered haircut has become quite popular with younger folks in the recent past. Older men have liked these haircuts for many years, but for them it’s been called a “clipper-all-around” haircut, or a “regular haircut with no sideburns”. This haircut goes from having a visible scalp around the sides and back to a very gradual “disappearance” of the scalp higher up. I’ve seen some of these haircuts that are very good, some are O.K., and some are not good at all.
Because of the precision cutting, a fade ranks just behind flattops and crewcuts in terms of difficulty. A very precise smooth tapering makes the visible scalp disappear, but if the tapering begins too high, it looks as if the person is wearing a “beanie” cap on top of their head. This look is easily avoided if the tapering on the sides and back begins at the halfway point, or just slightly higher. If a person wants a short cutting up high, then there has to be a fairly abrupt taper on the upper sides and back, which creates the cap. By definition, “fade” is a term describing gradual change. If a cap appearance is what is wanted, don’t call it a fade haircut–call it a “beanie” cut.
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