How to Cut a Clean and Neat Fade

The fade haircut is a popular, flattering style that leaves a person’s hair long and luscious near the top and short and neat towards the bottom. Even if you've never faded hair before, cutting this style is simple so long as you have the right tools and know the basic steps. After you’re through reading this article, you’ll be able to cut a flawless fade.

Things You Should Know

Wash the hair with shampoo and dry it until it’s just damp rather than dripping wet.
Trim the top of the hair with styling scissors to the desired length. This will be the longest part of the fade.
Use clippers with a long guard size to trim the sides and back of their head, then use a shorter guard size for the area between their nape and the crown of the head.
Buzz their nape with the shortest guard size, then use it to blend any uneven spots and clean up the lines around their ears, nape, and forehead.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Fade Style Options & Hair Prep

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1
Try a low fade on hair that has more texture. For hair that’s thick or wavy, buzz the hair with the shortest clipper guard settings at a lower area. The best place to do this is below the ears and around the nape of the neck. Low fades show off a hair's texture better and work with the hair's natural pattern.^{[1]
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- The longer the hair is on top, the lower the fade will start down the person’s neck.
- A fade is different from a taper cut. A taper cut leaves the hair a bit longer, while a fade usually shaves down to the person’s natural hairline.^{[2]
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Choose a high fade for more contrast. This is a style that trims away most of the hair on the back and sides of the head. They can either leave it as a short buzz cut or have it shaved down to the skin. With the lowest clipper guard settings, start at the nape of their neck and work up to their temples. A high fade will give them a much cleaner and sleeker look.^{[3]
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- High fades work well with square or round face shapes because they lengthen the appearance of the face.
- For the highest contrast, try a “skin fade,” which shaves the hair all the way down to the scalp.
- A mid fade is a bit more noticeable as a low fade, but doesn’t expose the scalp as much as a high fade. The fade starts at a point above the ears and offers a lot more styling options.
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3
Get a pair of styling scissors and clippers that have at least 3 guard lengths. Choose a pair of clippers with at least 3 different guard lengths so you can blend the hair as you go. Use the clippers on the back and sides of their head as well as their nape. Then go in with your styling scissors for the hair on top.^{[4]
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- If they’re looking for a softer fade, you can also use styling scissors on the back and sides to create what’s called the “scissor fade.” However, this is an advanced technique, so don’t attempt it unless you are very experienced with fades.
- Do not use household scissors to trim hair, as it can result in a blunt or uneven cut.
- Use clippers near the top of their head if they want their hair shorter than 1 in (2.5 cm).
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Wash and dry the hair before cutting it. Damp, clean hair is easier to work with while cutting fades. Wash the person's hair with shampoo, rinse it with water, and dry it with a towel or let it air-dry until it’s just damp rather than soaking wet.
- The hair shouldn’t be so wet that it clumps together. If that’s the case, you may end up cutting out chunks of their hair by accident.

Part 2

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Fading the Hair

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Trim the top with styling scissors. Lift sections of hair straight up from the top of the head so that the tips of the hair protrude from between your forefinger and middle finger. Trim the tips of the hair with the scissors until you reach the desired length.^{[5]
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- Continue trimming the hair at the top of the head in sections until you've trimmed it all to the same length.
- If the person has bangs, trim the bangs in sections for a neat and even line.
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Trim the entire sides and back with a long guard size. Set the clippers to a long guard length and buzz the entire back and sides. The size of the guard length will depend on how long you want the top of the fade to be. Work against the grain of the hair to achieve an even cut. Continue trimming until each section of hair is a uniform length.^{[6]
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Arthur Sebastian
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 29 April 2019.}
- Use a vertical movement to cut the hair, starting at the hairline and then sweeping up toward the top of the head.
- Lift the clippers up and outwards slightly at the end of each stroke as you get closer to the rounded part of the person’s head. This helps the cuts fade together smoothly.
- Leave more of the hair outline visible around the temples to achieve the popular “temple fade’ style.
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Trim the hair at the back of the head with the next shortest guard. Switch to the next shortest guard length and, starting at the back of their head, cut the hair in vertical strokes from the neck toward the crown. Stop just below the crown so that the hair on top of the head is left long.^{[7]
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Arthur Sebastian
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 29 April 2019.}
- For example, if you were using a #3 guard size, switch to a #2.^{[8]
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  Arthur Sebastian
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  Expert Interview. 29 April 2019.}
- Blend any uneven lines by going back over them with the clippers.
4
Buzz the nape with the shortest guard setting. Start at the nape of their neck and cut in upward strokes toward the center of the back of their head. Work your way around the back of their head and to the sides, maintaining the same length all the way around for an even finish.^{[9]
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Arthur Sebastian
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 29 April 2019.}
- Shave the hair from the nape and below to create a clean, neat edge.

Part 3

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Cleaning Up & Styling

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Clean the edges with your clippers on the shortest guard setting. Move your clippers along the nape and edges of the sides, right around their ears and temples. If you find any uneven spots, use the appropriate clipper guard length to blend them out. Then, turn the blade around and use it to go around the edges of the hairline. This will help to create a clean outline.
- Use a razor along their hairline to get an even sharper line.^{[10]
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Inspect the fade and brush off any hair clippings. If you’re cutting someone else’s hair, have them look at their new cut and see if they want to make any changes. Brush away any loose hair from their neck and collar before you move on to styling their hair.^{[11]
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- If the person wants a shorter cut, trim off small amounts at a time to avoid cutting off too much.
3
Style the top with a hair styling product. Clay, wax, gel, and pomade all work well with faded hair. Work a small amount of styling product into the top, brushing or combing it as you do to give it a clean, neat look.
- If you’re doing someone else’s hair, ask them what products they normally use and, if possible, incorporate these items so they can replicate the style themselves at home.
4
Trim the fade every 4 to 6 weeks to maintain it. To maintain the same hair length and fade, re-trim the cut approximately once every 4 to 6 weeks. Although fades grow out evenly, their style can change significantly as they grow out and so might require routine trims.^{[12]
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- Use the same clipper guards and styling method that you did for the initial haircut.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What attachment do you use for the end of the fade?

Arthur Sebastian
Professional Hair Stylist
Arthur Sebastian is the Owner of Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon in San Francisco, California. Arthur has worked as a hair stylist for over 20 years and received his Cosmetology License in 1998. He believes that the true work of a successful hair stylist comes from passion and a love for hairdressing.

Arthur Sebastian

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

The end of the fade is typically going to be 0, which is skin. So you may start with like a 2, then move to like a 1.5, then a 1, and a 0.5. This will give you that nice seamless fade.

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Question

How do you blend a fade haircut?

Arthur Sebastian
Professional Hair Stylist
Arthur Sebastian is the Owner of Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon in San Francisco, California. Arthur has worked as a hair stylist for over 20 years and received his Cosmetology License in 1998. He believes that the true work of a successful hair stylist comes from passion and a love for hairdressing.

Arthur Sebastian

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Start with a higher number of guard size, like a 3. Then, go down 1 size as you work your way down from the crown of the head. Go down 1 size for each layer of the fade.

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Is this haircut popular?

Community Answer

This kind of haircut is definitely in style for men today. It's fairly easy to maintain, and tends to look pretty good.

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Tips

For an even and well-maintained fade, plan on trimming the cut every 4-6 weeks.^{[13]
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If there’s a cowlick that would make it difficult to fade at a certain point on the head, start the fade just above or below it.

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Consult the person whose hair you're cutting as you work to make sure they're satisfied with the length and overall style.

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Warnings

Because fades are a more complex style of cut, avoid cutting your own hair unless you have hairstyling experience. Cut another person's hair or have someone cut your hair so the person cutting can see the entire head and blend the cut evenly.^{[14]
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