GUIDE TO TAPER FADES FOR MEN’S CURLY HAIR

Curly hair may not be the easiest hair type to style sometimes, but once you get it right, you’re onto a winner. If you lack the patience for long curls, then a taper fade could be the haircut for you, as you can keep the length and natural texture of your curls, whilst maintaining frizz control.

What is a taper fade?

A taper fade haircut is when hair gradually changes from one length to another. With a taper fade, the hair is blended into a much shorter length, with the gradient being just above your temples and at the bottom of your neckline.

How is a taper fade different to a normal fade?

A taper fade is similar to a normal fade. With a taper fade, your hair length changes just above your temple and at the bottom of your neckline.

However, with a normal fade, the gradient will be higher up - so the shortest hair length wraps all around your head, not just above the sideburns and at the bottom of your neckline.

Why should I choose a taper fade for curly hair?

If you have curly hair, you’ll know the difficulties of keeping it maintained and frizz-free. A fade lets you keep the natural look and feel of your curls, paired with a haircut that’s easy to style and manage.

Fades are also versatile. They can be tailored to suit your curl type, face shape and personal preference.

How to style a curly taper fade

One of the main benefits of a curly taper fade is that it’s manageable and easy to style, at least compared to longer curls.

Depending on your curls or the look you’re going for, you may not need any product at all. Adding a small amount of Dream Curls Daily Styling Spray or Curl Reviver Mousse to towel-dried hair could help add texture and keep your curls frizz-free.

Curly hair needs natural oils to stay healthy, so it doesn’t need washing as often as straight hair does. However, different types of curls may need washing more often than others.

Your barber could give you advice on how often you should wash your hair, as well as the right products to wash and style it. Our guide to the best curly hair products will help you get off to a great start.

Different types of fades for curly hair

There are many types of fade haircuts you can choose from, even for curly hair. You can speak to your barber who can recommend a certain type of fade to suit your curls and your face shape. We’ve shared a few types of popular curly fade haircuts below.

Curly taper fade

With a taper fade, the length of your hair will be shorter at your temples and at the bottom of your neckline, then fade into a longer length just above your ear.

Low, mid or high curly fade

You can also opt for a low, mid or high curly fade. These haircuts are all effectively the same, the only difference is the height where the length of the hair changes. These haircuts suit different types of curls and face shapes.

Low fades are a good option if you have a round or square face shape. If you have coarse curls, you may want to avoid a low fade as this can make your hair appear heavy.

If you have an oval or diamond face shape, then a curly mid fade could be a good look for you.

A high fade can be a good look if you leave longer curls on top. However, you may want to avoid a high fade if you have fine curls, as this can draw attention to thin hair.

Curly skin fade

With a skin fade, your barber will blend your hair to an especially short length, like grade 0. This gives a clean look and looks good with shorter curls on top. You can ask your barber for a low, mid or high skin fade.

What should I ask my barber for?

It can be difficult to communicate your ideal haircut to your barber. Rather than settling for an everyday short back and sides, it could be worth looking into which type of fade you’d like before you visit, as well as looking up different barber shops.

If you have curly hair, it’s worth finding a barber that is experienced with cutting curls and knows how to cut it correctly. You can see whether there are any pictures on their website or social media of customers with curly hair similar to yours.

If you struggle to explain to your barber the type of haircut you like, it can also help to find an image of what you’d like online to show to them.

You can also book a barbershop or hairdresser with a consultation beforehand, where you can have a relaxed conversation with your barber about what you’d like, and they can also offer some input.