Whats the difference between fades, tapers and blends (2024)

Thinking of trying out a new look or just a spin on your current look but not exactly sure how to explain it to your barber? One way to help ensure you get the style your happy with is to bring in around four pictures or two to share with your barber. Another way to you help the conversation along is to have a few basic haircut terms in your vocabulary. Here are three you should know:

Fade: "To gradually disappear."Fading is when the barber uses a staggered tooth clipper to gradually work the length from long to super-short (usually done with a foil shaver). If you want to have your long locks up top gradually disappear into nothing, a fade may be the cut for you. It’s a trendier look that brings an edge and can be taken up a notch with all kinds of variations.

This is a example of a Skin Fade

Taper: "Reduce in thickness toward one end."It’s easy to confuse tapers with fades, so we’ll make it easy for you. A taper is when hair gradually changes from one length to another. A fade is a shorter taper that blends or fades into the skin (hence the name).Most men’s haircuts will have some sort of taper, and if you want a clean, thick, classic cut, a taper is a way to go. Your barber will first create a line where the hair is the thickest, then create movement and minimal taper along those lines. For a cleaner look, they may use clippers, but for a more natural look, they'll probably use fingers and scissors. This classic cut can be customized to fit any style, it can even be combined with a fade, talk to your barber about more custom options.

This is a example of a Taper

Blend: "Combine all together."Looking for hair you can run your fingers through without sweating from the extra weight?. Blending removes weight, and connects longer hair into short hair, keeping locks light and manageable, while still leaving the hair with length to style. The barber will cut in two lengths, removing excess weight. Then they'll combine the new length with the sides and back. The end result is a clean, workable, versatile style.

This is a example of a Blend

See Also

25 Modern Bald Fades to Show Your Barber