With countless variations in hairstyles, it’s getting difficult to pick a perfect pursuit for your appearance. Low fade vs mid fade competition is getting popular among other hairstyles.
Even celebrities like Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling are seen wearing faded hairstyles. Leave men; the fade has also become a popular choice in women. Who forgets the gorgeous look of famous Singer Rihanna?
Before looking at the detail of types, let’s overview a fade haircut. It refers to a transition in the length of hairs from crown to sides of the head, exposing blurry skin.
It is generally a gradual decrease of hairs in different length levels, starting from the top and moving towards the sides and back of the head.
Before understanding low fade vs. mid fade, let’s jump over common confusions to understand the fade into details.
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Taper Vs Fade
The most common confusion arises between taper and fade. Though these could be similar to its wider appearance, the difference is too stylish to ignore.
The taper is the gradual shortening of hairs from top to bottom, reaching all the sides to give you an even level of length. While the fade, as discussed above, is an instant decrease of hairs from sideburns to leave a visible faded outline.
Fades are categorized into different types, which we have tried to cover in this article. Now, let’s take an in-depth discussion to understand all variations of fades.
What is Low Fade Haircut?
When it comes to choosing between low fade vs. high fade vs. mid fade, people are more likely to get confused to distinguish between these subtle haircut styles.
If you love combing your thick and long hair to keep a dashing hairstyle (just like me), this is the fade you are looking for.
Considered the classic fade mostly, a significant plus point is its professional and cool look combined with your long hair. Another appealing trick is favorable for all kinds of inches, including coarse hairs. Apart from that, low fade looks stunning to every age group.
Unlike other faded choices, this low fade trims the minimum possible hairs right behind your ear to all edges of inches. The barber even makes sure to shorten the coats to give you a possibly visible fade. This short clipping around the sides of hair gives you an intense look.
A perfect balanced fade with low maintenance cut to style your appearance and give fading edges around the corner of the neck. This light and smooth fade follows the hairline from the temple and forms a faded arc to your sideburns. Moreover, this one-inch fade allows you or your barber to experiment with other choices for your long hairs above the fade.
What is Mid Fade Haircut?
In mid-fade haircuts, the transition goes up higher than a low fade. The critical difference lies in the hair length as it cuts more hairs around the higher portion of the head, giving you a more noticeable fade than a low fade.
With fade trending nowadays, this probably would be the most preferred choice of men who enjoy travel, gym, sports, etc. Still, with a more comprehensive volume of hair, this haircut gives you a neat and clear fade to stand you out for an attractive look.
If you are fond of revealing your facial structure and skin of the head, the mid-fade haircut can take you to the next level. The gel and pomade can be used for long hairs above the fade to style an elegant look.
The mid fade has definite details opposite to a dim outline like a low fade making it perfect for a sharp appearance. Men often find more similarities in mid fade vs. low fade; the reason lies in fulfilling the hairstyle needs of those who chose something between a high fade and low fade.
Salons often use blow dryers to deal with such tricky hairstyles so if you are trying to get it done at home it’s important to have a good blow dryer in your hand. Don’t know which one to do buy do check our guide on best blow dryers for natural hair.
According to my recommendation Elchim Iconic hair dryer is a way to go
Following your head structure, this fade allows you to wear any style on long hairs above the fade. If you want to show off your skin, the more dramatic fade, a mid-fade might be a superb choice for your personality.
Other Variations of Fade
Now that you understand all the details of fade haircut and low fade vs. mid fade. Let’s dig deeper into variations of other different fades.
High Fade
If you are looking for a clear and transparent fade, the high fade could be your priority. The fade even reaches the crown, leaving an exceptionally smaller volume. Besides clippers, the sideburns are also shaved to achieve high fade, leaving exposed skin. As the name suggests, high fade is the most prolonged fade as hair disappears around the edges and left bare skin.
Taper Fade
Don’t be confused with fade and taper. Their difference is well described above. The taper fade is just like a low fade. Without any significant change to your existing hairstyle, go with taper fade. If you just need to trim all hair ends, go with taper fade. It involves a sharp decrease in hair length so that others could notice a haircut. Well suited for all face shapes, the taper fade combines fade and haircut.
Shadow fade
Most fades can either be categorized into skin fade or shadow fade. In simple words, the shadow fade refers to the minor shortening of hair from the neck to the nape, leaving a lighter fade than skin fade. The most popular fade haircut comes up with many variations. So, men with every face shape can wear different types of shadow fade as there are numerous choices.
Skin Fade
Not fond of shadow or lighter fades, choose a skin fade. As its name describes, the skin fade tapers more hairs to expose bare skin. Sometimes, the lower part is shaved with a razor to give you an extended fade. The skin fade is also famous with other names such as Zero Fade or Bald Fade. Moreover, it is the most defined style of fade.
Drop Fade
A drop fade is a high-maintenance fashionable haircut similar to other styles of fade, and it gradually tapers the hairline to sideburns with the low transition at the back of the head. This allows you to have a sharp outline for your face shape. If you have a beard, you could pick a drop fade.
Pompadour Fade
Pompadour is combing back your hair if you have long, smooth hair. This fade combines classic pompadour and modern fade haircuts with shorter sides and high volume up there. With long hair, you can experiment with other styles too. The most trending hairstyle for the last few years is too hot to handle.
Quiff Fade
Another trending haircut is quiff fade. Unlike other traditional fades, quiff fade is defined as the wavier and more irregular fade. With short trimmed sides, this eye-catching haircut offers various styles to wear. Appropriate for all occasions, this hairstyle is acclaimed for a timeless look.
Comb Over Fade
Similar to other classic comb hairstyles, this is one of the trending hairstyles nowadays. With all hairs combed to one side, comb over fade is also an excellent choice for those looking for long hair. Combing to one side allows you to wear different styles. This also allows you to have low, mid, or fade.
The Takeaway
Mainly, there are similar qualities in all fades, but little variation could not be ignored if you are serious enough to wear an ideal hairstyle. Now you are all set for choosing your perfect hairstyle but wait tired of hair smell after applying styling products? check our article to get rid of smelly hair.
Choosing a hairstyle is dependent on facial appearance. Moreover, your hairstyle also describes your overall personality.
The final choice to chose any variations of fade is yours. It is also better to consult your barber with all these choices to help you find the best hairstyle.
