What is a High Taper Fade Haircut?

In the simplest of terms, a taper fade is basically a combination of a Taper and a Fade haircut.

Normally:

Each of the two styles looks great independently, but sometimes the barber – as instructed by the client – may mashup the two hairstyles to come up with a taper fade.

Aside from the high taper fade, there are many other types of taper fades that exist including the taper fade afro, taper fade curly hair, low taper fade, taper fade long hair, as well as the taper fade with waves just to mention a few.

Now:

When it comes to the high taper fade, a few things set it apart from other taper fades.

Some of its unique qualities include:

• A tapered top characterized by long hair on top of the head that gradually decreases in size as you move down to the side and back of the head.
• But, unlike normal tapers, a high taper fade features a smooth fade just above the ears – that’s where it gets the “high” title.

Also:

Getting a high taper fade with beard is always a great choice especially when you have black hair.

This is probably why a taper fade black male always looks great!

Knowing what it looks like – which you now know – makes it easy for you to explain to your barber when you want a High Taper Fade Haircut.

So, if want to master the art of high taper fades, below are a few things that you may need to know and have!

The Tools Used

To professionally cut a high taper fade, you’ll need to have these tools:

• Balding Clippers – Here you can use the Wahl Magic Clip and the Oster fast feed. But, to achieve the perfect razor-bald fade, you may also need an Andis ProFoil Lithium Ion Shaver.
• An Outlining Trimmer – For the perfect outline and ear edge-ups, you can use the Andis GTX, the Andis T-Outliner, or the Oster T-Finisher.
• Other Accessories Include – Sturdy guide combs, brushes, razors, scissors and

Learning How to Do a High Taper Fade Haircut

In my years as a barber, I’ve learned that learning becomes easy when you take the practical rather than the theoretical approach.

Therefore:

Instead of documenting the whole process, I’ll use this very interesting YouTube video guide from a fellow barber, 360Jeezy, about the high taper fade.

It’s well explained with all the tools and procedures used being highlighted!

Assuming you’ve watched the video, it’s safe to say that you’ve picked up most of the basics and info you need to do a high taper fade cut.

Obviously: 

It won’t be that perfect for first-timers, but with a little practice, you’ll definitely get there.

As I wrap this up:

Here Are a Few Useful Tips to Remember

• Remember to do the ear edge-ups to ensure you don’t mess up the hairline.
• A taper fade comb over is essential if you are to maintain the “boxy” look of a high taper fade.
• And lastly, your measurements don’t necessarily have to be exact figure as long as you maintain consistency when doing the haircut.