Fade
Drop Fade
The fade line curves down behind the ear instead of running level around the head. It follows the skull rather than cutting across it, which softens a hard jaw and adds a little height at the crown.
Cut lives at guard 0-1
- Guard range
- 0-1
- Chair time
- 35-45m
- Back in
- 2-3 wks
- Instrument
- Clipper + scissors
What to say
Ask for it like this.
Barbers work from instructions, not vibes. These are the three things that decide whether you get this cut or something adjacent to it.
- Ask for a drop fade and say where you want the arc to sit — behind the ear is standard, lower is softer.
- Name the guard you want at the bottom. A zero is skin; a one leaves a shadow.
- Say whether the top is staying long. The drop reads best with weight left on top.
Often confused with
Make sure you asked for this one.
These cuts get ordered by the wrong name more than any others on the list. Each page states the mechanical difference and the sentence that gets you the one you meant.
Combinations using this cut
What it pairs with.
A cut is two decisions — sides and top. These are the pairings this one turns up in, with the upkeep of the pair rather than of the half.
If this is close but not right