Combination
Low Fade + Curtain Fringe
A sharper reading of the taper-and-curtains than the low taper version — the fade takes the full side panel, so the fringe has more contrast to sit against. Slightly less forgiving and slightly more maintenance for it.
Cut lives at guard 1
- Guard range
- 1
- Chair time
- 40-50m
- Back in
- 3-4 wks
- Instrument
- Clipper + scissors
Two decisions, not one.
Sides
Low Fade
The gradient starts just above the ear and stays low around the head. The most forgiving fade there is — it works with almost any top and almost any face, which is why it is the default ask in most shops.
Full low fade pageTop
Curtain Fringe
Length through the front, parted in the middle and swept to both sides. It needs real length before it works — most people give up during the awkward month rather than at the cut itself.
Full curtain fringe pageAsk for it like this.
Two decisions means two sets of instructions, and the third sentence is usually the one that decides whether they meet in the middle.
- Ask for a low fade starting just above the ear, blending to a 1.
- Say the top is a curtain fringe reaching the eyebrow when pulled straight down.
- Ask for the sides of the top section left long enough to connect to the fringe.
The failure mode.
Every pairing has one specific way it goes wrong, and it is almost always at the join between the two halves rather than in either one of them.
With a fade rather than a taper, there is less weight at the side to balance the fringe. If your hair is fine, the low taper version will sit better.