Side by side
Mid Fade vs High Fade
A step apart on the same ladder, and the difference is a couple of centimetres of head.
Fade
Mid Fade
The gradient begins around the temple, halfway between a low and a high fade. It gives more contrast than a low fade without the severity of a high one, and it is the safest place to start if you have never had a fade.
Full mid fade pageFade
High Fade
The gradient starts at or above the temple and takes most of the side down to skin. Maximum contrast, maximum height. It narrows a wide head and pushes all the visual weight to the top.
Full high fade pageWhat actually separates them.
A high fade takes the blend up to the parietal ridge — the corner where the side of your skull turns into the top. That is the highest a fade can go and still be a fade. The result is a hard separation between the top section and the sides. A mid fade stops below that corner, so the two sections still relate to each other. The high runs to skin at guard 0; the mid usually leaves a shadow at 1.
| Measure | Mid Fade | High Fade |
|---|---|---|
| Guard range | 0-1 | 0 |
| Chair time | 30-40m | 35-45m |
| Back in | 2-3 wks | 2-3 wkssame |
| Instrument | Clipper + scissors | Clipper + scissorssame |
| Category | Fade | Fadesame |
| Suits | Oval, Square, Heart | Diamond, Oval, Square |
| Hair type | Straight, Wavy, Thick, Coily | Coily, Thick, Dense |
Pick on upkeep, not on the photo.
Choose the mid fade
You want the top and sides to read as one shape. More forgiving as it grows, and less dependent on styling the top.
Choose the high fade
You want maximum contrast and a defined top section. It is the sharper cut and it grows out faster — the line above the ear starts blurring at two weeks.
Say whether you want the short section to go above the corner of your head or stay below it. That corner is the whole decision.
The words for each.
For a mid fade
- Ask for a mid fade starting at the temple.
- Say how much contrast you want — a skin fade is loud, a one is quiet.
- Mention if your hairline is receding; a good barber will drop the start point.
For a high fade
- Ask for a high fade and point to where you want it to start.
- Say skin or say a zero — they are not the same thing.
- Ask for the top to be left long enough to balance it, or the cut reads severe.