16 Best Fade Haircuts For Men To Try

Fade haircuts have become the gold standard of modern men's grooming. Whether you're after a clean professional look or a sharp street-style edge, the fade delivers. Its versatility, low maintenance, and ability to complement virtually any hairstyle make it one of the most popular haircut styles worldwide.

But with so many types of fades—low, mid, high, skin, burst, drop—it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

That’s why we’ve created this guide.

Inside, you’ll find the best fade haircuts for men, curated for every face shape, hair type, and personal style. From classic low fades to bold high fades with texture on top, these styles are guaranteed to keep your look sharp all year.

We’ve also included expert tips on how to choose the right fade for your head shape, how to ask your barber (without sounding clueless), and how to maintain your fade so it always looks fresh.

Already know what a fade is? Great. But if you’re new to the game or unsure what makes a fade a “fade,” you can check out this post on what is a fade haircut before diving in.

No matter your lifestyle—corporate, creative, casual, or anything in between—there’s a fade that works for you.

Scroll through, screenshot your favorite styles, and take one to your next barber appointment.

Let’s upgrade your haircut.

Here's a list of the fade haircuts I've covered here today. 

1. Classic Low Fade Hairstyle

If you want or need a really formal look that is super easy to maintain, this is a classic hairstyle, one that combines the best of retro hairstyles with the sleekness of modern styles. And you can style the top in a lot of different manners.

Structure: Ideally, the low fade should begin just above your ears, creating a subtle and understated look. It blends into the hair at the neckline, allowing for a smooth transition.

Face Shape: The classic low fade is flattering for various face shapes, including round, oval, and square faces. The subtlety of the fade helps soften angular features while still providing structure.

Pro Tip: Use minimal product. The low fade looks really natural, and you have to lean it to the organic nature of it, and make it look like it isn’t too styled. So go for a single product with a good enough hold.

2. Mid Fade Quiff Hairstyle

This is actually one of the most versatile and convenient combinations out there. It is versatile because you can add or subtract texture from it as you would like, depending on the occasion that you are styling for. And it is convenient, because the mid fade is slightly easier to maintain compared to other hairstyles.

Structure: The mid fade refers to the gradual shortening of the hair on the sides and back of the head, starting from around the temple and tapering down to the skin or a very short length. The quiff, on the other hand, is a hairstyle where the hair on top is styled upwards and slightly back, giving it volume and a sense of lift.

Face Shape: The mid fade quiff is a pretty flexible hairstyle, flattering on widely different kinds of face shapes – particularly oval and heart-shaped faces, with wider cheekbones. If you want to add more length to your face, we recommend asking your barber for some advice on the length of the quiff.

Pro Tip: Ask your barber for some advice on the best way to style your quiff. How your quiff holds through the day depends on your natural texture, and you have to get a product that works with that texture.

Related: Best Quiff Hairstyles For Men

3. High Skin Fade with a Textured Top

This is a slightly edgier hairstyle, one that combines a sharp, clean look with an effortlessly charming look at the top. The “effortless” part is pretty much how it should appear, but it will require some concerted effort on your part so that the high skin fade looks neat, and the textured top looks appropriately messy.

Structure: The high skin fade refers to the gradual tapering of the hair from the sides and back, starting at or above the temples and fading into the skin. This fade creates a smooth and sharp contrast between the closely shaved hair at the bottom and the longer hair at the top. It's a bold cut because of the high transition point.

Face Shape: Because this is a slightly bolder look, it is best suited to those who want to add a little more angle to their face. This tends to sharpen the face substantially, because of the contrast between the high skin fade and the textured top. This compliments square face and angled faces equally.

Pro tip: Keep the textured top conditioned well. For instance, if you have slightly curlier hair, you will need some kind of curl cream apart from a simple conditioner. But, if you have straighter hair, you wouldn’t need too much apart from a conditioner.

4. Taper Fade with Waves

This is kind of a twist on the high skin fade with a textured top. The textured, wavy part adds to the taper fade, so the contrast on this one is not as high as the previous hairstyle. This haircut is a versatile and sharp look that works well for men with curly or wavy hair, and it can be adapted to suit a variety of styles.

Structure: The taper fade gradually shortens the length of the hair as it moves down the sides and back of the head. Maintaining this would require a little more commitment, because unlike a skin fade, which cuts the hair all the way down to the scalp, the taper fade leaves some length and shape, making it a softer, more subtle transition. You can go for a low, mid or high taper fade, depending on what kind of look you are going for.

Face Shape: This looks great on a round or oval faces, especially since it adds more volume at the top and it makes your face look slightly more angular. This look is far more versatile though, so you can go for it. It will complement most professional and casual looks.

Pro Tip: Humid climates can make waves really frizzy, so make sure you understand the kind of weather you are going to be styling your hair in.

Related: Amazing wavy hairstyles for men

5. Temple Fade with a Curly Top 

The temple fade part is pretty straightforward – what you need to do here is just ask your barber to create a fade starting from around the temples. The fade has to blend in very smoothly with the curls at the top and the exposed skin at the end. If you want to have a really high contrast, ask the barber to create the fade as cleanly as possible.

Structure: Basically, the temple fade creates a clean line at the temples and around the ears, making it a sophisticated and clean look. It gradually tapers down from longer hair on top to shorter hair at the sides, blending seamlessly into the skin or near-skin level at the temple area. The fade starts just above or at the temples, giving the haircut a subtle yet stylish fade without going as short as a skin fade.

Face Shape: This one can complement both round shaped and square shaped faces, depending on how you style the curls – wavier curls tend to add more angle to the face, while rounder curls can add more volume to the face. If you have natural curls, we would very highly recommend this hairstyle to you. One, it accentuates the natural texture of your hair. And two, if you are having trouble with maintaining your curls, the fade would reduce your effort substantially.

Pro Tip: Invest in a really great curl cream, and make sure you keep that cream to the curls at the top. Do not let it leak into the temple fade, or it will make the texture look really sticky.

Related: Have curly hair? Check out this post on best hairstyles for curly hair

6. Low Fade with a Comb Over

This one is specifically for those who want a subtle fade with a sophisticated hairstyle – say you want something that looks professional and chic, but you also want it to be as low maintenance as possible. Of course, a certain degree of maintenance is necessary for all hair styles, but low fades are significantly easier to manage. And the comb over requires some practice, but it goes pretty easy as you get the hang of it.

Structure: You have come across the comb over - it is a standard, safe and classic hairstyle that involves combing the hair to one side, creating a sleek and tidy appearance. While the comb over has been around for decades, it is still popular today because of the degree of polish that it affords to any look. The low fade offers a more understated fade compared to higher fades, making it ideal for those who want a sharp yet subtle contrast between the top and sides.

Face Shape: The best part about this hairstyle is that it goes with pretty much any and every face shape, because you can manipulate the comb over in multiple different ways. Also, make sure you keep the length of hair at the top long enough for the comb over, so that you can comb it to the profile that most suits you – but don’t keep it so long that it cannot be held into the top.

Pro Tip: Pay attention to the tooth of the comb. If it is too wide, it will make your comb over look messy, and the style would not hold as long. If it is too narrow, it will make your comb over look overly-styled.

7. High Fade with a Pompadour

This one is for those who like a more adventurous, edgy hairstyles. The pompadour is, by definition, a rather dramatic haircut, one that has a lot of flair – but you have to spin the dramatic part of it and really commit to it. That it is dramatic is its strongest suite. That, combined with the high fade, makes this into a really cool, edgy style to flaunt.

Structure: The high fade is characterized by its dramatic transition, where the hair quickly tapers from longer on top to almost shaved or very short at the sides. The pompadour, on the other hand, is a really classic hairstyle where the hair is styled upwards and back to create volume and height at the front, often with the sides swept neatly back or to the side.

Face Shape: High fades really bring out your facial features, and the pompadour adds a substantial length to your face. This one is best suited for square shaped or heart shaped faces.

Pro Tip: Make sure the product that you use to hold the pompadour has the right degree of gloss. Pompadours stand out as they are, and too much gloss would make it look even more prominent.

Related: Best Pompadour hairstyles for men

8. Mid Fade with a Messy French Crop

This hairstyle is a really trendy one, and it is one that requires a considerable amount of maintenance. The messy French crop is one of the best plays on the messy hairstyles, because compared to the others, this is quite easier to do. The mid fade is pretty much the standard, fade cut and that complements the messiness of the crop.

Structure: A French crop is a classic short haircut that features a fringe at the front, with the rest of the hair on top kept short and even. The fringe is typically cut straight across the forehead and can range from a blunt to slightly textured finish. This fade creates a sharp contrast between the longer hair on top and the much shorter sides, making the hairstyle appear well-defined and clean.

Face Shape: The great thing about messy hair, is that you can mess it around to work with your face, no matter what your face shape is. You are going to have to play around the style, and find one that brings out your natural features.

Pro Tip: Be careful with the amount of product that you are using. The hair should look appropriately messy, so do not add products that take away from that quality.

9. Mid Fade with a Bro Flow

This is one of the best, chicest hairstyles out there – it is charming and it looks effortless even though styling it does require some kind of effort. Bro flows have never gone out of style, and there’s a reason why they have stuck around for so long, and they go with a lot of different looks. The mid fade just adds a hint of an edge to this classic look.

Structure: Basically, the bro flow is a longer, relaxed hairstyle characterized by flowing, shoulder-length or slightly shorter hair, typically worn with a natural part. You will have to grow your hair out a little, because this style works best with medium to long hair that’s left to grow freely, creating a “flowing” effect, which is why the name. The bro flow is a great way to embrace your natural texture while maintaining a carefree, yet cool look.

Face Shape: This one is best suited for more angled faces, because this tends to soften the face, depending on the texture. Wavier hair softens the angles of your face more than straighter locks. So, if your natural texture is wavier, your look would add a more old-world charm to your face.

Pro Tip: Whenever you leave your hair longer, you have to condition it really well. It has to fall smoothly on your head.

10. Low Fade with a Crew Cut

We are ending the list with one of the most convenient hairstyle combinations, and this is specifically for those who want a professional, low maintenance cut, one that goes with formal as well as casual wear. This style hasn’t gone out of style because of how versatile it is, while also being classic and charming.

Structure: A crew cut is a type of short haircut where the hair is cut uniformly, typically short on top and tapering down toward the sides and back. In its traditional form, the crew cut is uniform on top and gradually shorter on the sides. The hair is often cut very short (buzzed) to give a very clean and military-inspired look. Modern versions of the crew cut can incorporate slightly more length on top, allowing for some texture or volume.

Face Shape: This goes really well with more rounded faces, or even square ones. You can play around with the texture of the crew cut to compliment the shape of your face.

Pro Tip: Make sure that your scalp, and not just your hair, is well conditioned. A flaky scalp could really ruin this look, more so than the others, because the hair will be cropped shorter.

11. Side Part Fade Haircut

This one has three great advantages – one, it is easy to style personally. Two, it requires a more minimalistic maintenance. And three, it goes with everything. The side part fade epitomizes stylish refinement by merging the timeless sophistication of a side part with the sharp, contemporary lines of a fade haircut.

Its versatility has made it a favourite among men, because it can effortless complement diverse face shapes and hair textures with a polished finish ideal for any occasion, whether it is formal or casual. You can use a comb to create a precise part on one side of the head, then comb the hair neatly to the side.

Apply a small amount of styling product like pomade or wax to keep the part sharp and to add shine. For a more modern twist, use a styling product with a matte finish to create texture and definition in the hair. Ruffle the hair slightly with your fingers for a relaxed yet polished look.

13. Mohawk Fade

Over To You

Hope you loved reading this article on men's fade haircuts. Fade hairstyles are cool and easy to maintain. Let us know which fade haircuts for men you love the most.