If you’re looking for the best hairstyles this year, look no further than the fade haircuts. In fact, it’s not just men that can take advantage of the fade. Many of the trendiest women’s styles this year boast a smokin’ hot fade too. These hairstyles are great for guys who like short hair, a bit of stubble (or not), and relatively low maintenance. There are some basic styles to choose from that can be modified to suit your particular face shape and hairstyle. Adding a beard to the style can create a trendy yet professional look that is sure to please. Get ready to look like you just walked off the latest cover of GQ. Say cheese!
So let’s get right into it. Let’s have a look into the best fade haircut for you this year. Get ready to impress!
The 33 Best Fade Haircuts For Men 2022
It’s not every day you come across a style that is universally appealing to most guys. The great thing about the fade hairstyle is that it pretty much goes with anything. The vast majority of guys look great when they keep the sides and back all tidy and faded. You can be one of them with the 33 fades on the list this year. Check these out…
1The Low Fade
The low fade is the go-to cut for a lot of guys. It leaves plenty of hair left over on the sides to give the style great contrast. It also leaves plenty of hair on the top for things like a pompadour or quiff if you like these trendier looks.
2The High Fade
The high fade haircut helps to really highlight any style you choose to have on top. This is especially true with the comb over, slick-back, undercut or pompadour. This is not an easy style to maintain by yourself—but fades are all typically hard to self-maintain.
3The Mid Fade
The mid fade (aka the medium fade) is just that: a fade that gets skin close midway between the top style and the ear. This is great if you like a bit more hair on the side than what a high fade allows. Sometimes this is great if you are not fond of bald sides or live in cold weather conditions.
4The Taper Fade
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The taper fade is very close to a taper cut. The difference is that near the bottom of the fade it still goes to the skin. This is a great style if you like to highlight where your beard meets the hairstyle. You can get low, mid, and high taper fade styles.
5The Skin Fade
The skin fade is the closest shave you can get. It’s often achieved by using the razor rather than the clippers as this makes sure there is no trace of hair left over on the faded area. Make sure you love your scalp—it’s going to be the highlight of the cut.
6The Bald Fade
The skin fade and the bald fade haircut can be used interchangeably. They are basically the same thing. They both use a razor to accomplish the look and require you to sport a skin-close shave at the bottom of the fade. Both can be used with low, mid, and high fades.
7The Undercut Fade
This fade lets you keep the top as long as you’d like. This is also a favorite style among women who have long hair. The undercut fade is a great way to provide contrast for a stellar comb over style that is sure to impress. You can add a hair design to give a little more edginess as well.
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8The Temp Fade Haircut
The temp fade is a popular look that uses the temples as the beginning of the ‘fade.’ the resulting look frames the top style and the beard very well. There is a natural progression that occurs from the temple that provides a clean and smooth appearance giving you a professional yet stylish look.
9The Side Part Fade
The side part is a classical style that reaches back as far as men’s haircuts can be traced. There have been many variations of the style and adding the fade is one of them. The side part fade is a very classy look that gives you a professional demeanor and yet retains a sense of fun and adventure.
10The Comb Over Fade
The comb over is another one of the timeless classical styles. It has a long history of bringing fresh style to men’s cuts and will continue to do so as long as men have hair. The fade adds a modern appeal to the comb over. It lets you use new styling tools and techniques to add fresh flair to an old style.
11The Pompadour Fade
The pompadour is a relatively new style on the block, although its roots can be traced back many years. When a fade is added to this iconic look, you have all the ingredients for a style sure to please. This is one of those styles that do really well on a face shape that looks good with a high-top kind of style.
12The Faux Hawk Fade
The faux hawk fade is one of the styles that will either make or break your chance of entering into the fashionable elite. It’s an edgy style and thus requires a certain lifestyle and livelihood in order to get away with it. If you have all the right circumstances in place to sport this style, go for it.
13The Quiff Fade
The quiff fade is the style for you if you love the idea of being able to just get out of bed, mess up your hair-do a bit and get on with your day. It is a versatile style that requires little maintenance but can still be styled for occasions that need you to be on your best behavior.
14The Mohawk Fade
This is another one of the edgier styles available. Like the faux hawk fade, if you have all the right circumstances in place to be able to justify sporting this style, go for it. It’s fun, edgy, and adventurous giving you an exciting style that is sure to impress.
15The Short Hair Fade
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There’s no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. If you want to go for a fade but don’t want to sacrifice your well-kept short hair, this is the style for you. You get to keep a clean and finished look that’s office appropriate, yet still have a modern style sure to please.
16The Long Hair Fade
Even if you have long hair, you can still find creative ways to sport a fade. This look is becoming ever more popular because of the appeal that a fade has with modern fashion. If you have longer hair and want to sport a fade, ask your barber to show you a few examples of how they can rock it for you.
17The Curly Hair Fade
It’s not always easy to sport the curly hair. It can get in the way and often feel like it’s out of control. One of the easiest ways to get your curls in check is to keep them in check with a strategic fade. It doesn’t matter what kind of fade you choose to go with, you’ll get more control and have a modern looking style to go with it.
18The Straight Hair Fade
Just like curly hair, straight hair can also be hard to manage, believe it or not. Straight, thick hair is challenging at the best of times. Often this kind of hair type requires shorter hairstyles to look good. This is where a few styling tools and a strategic fade come in handy. You’ll have that straight hair sorted out with this style.
19The Box Fade
The box fade (aka the high top fade or box haircut) is a very niche look that is suitable for you if you feel like it fits into your lifestyle. Often reserved for black guys, this style is great when paired with the mid to high fade that often goes along with it. If you like the look of this style, try it out and see how you look in it. You may just love it after all!
20The Taper Fade w/ Lineup
When pairing a fade with a beard, one of the most fashionable approaches is dialing it in with a sharp lineup. The taper fade with a lineup is a great pairing because they offer great contrast for one another. Each aspect of your facial fashion gets to be seen in all of its glory.
21The Burst Fade
The burst fade is a popular look that uses the ear as the beginning of the ‘burst.’ The resulting look is akin to a faux hawk but can be styled in a way that is unique on its own. This is a popular style among black men as it gives a great contrast to the hairline where it meets the face, chin, and beard.
22The Low Skin Fade w/ Hair Design
The great thing about a low skin fade is that if you appreciate adding more detail through a hair design, there is still plenty of contrast to work with. This allows you to create more designs that suit you and your unique style.
23The Faux Hawk Fade w/ Hair Design
The faux hawk is already an edgy style. If you really want to communicate your inner rebel and rogue attitude, try adding a hair design to the cut. This will add a new layer of excitement and charisma to the style that is sure to please!
24The Mid Bald Fade w/ Spiky Hair
The great thing about a short top is that you can style it for various occasions. With a bit of matte pomade, you can achieve a stylish spiky look that is both fun and professional. The mid bald fade frames this look perfectly.
25The High Faded Undercut w/ Textured Comb Over
If you love the comb over style and want to bring some modern flair to the look, the high fade undercut does just that. Using a wide-tooth comb, you can get a fashionable textured look that is sure to bring a fresh approach to your classic style. This was one of the most popular mens haircuts of 2017 as well.
26The Low Fade Haircut w/ Quiff
When you use the low fade with your quiff style, you get the most from your hair. You have a relaxed approach to your top hair while still having enough on the sides to feel comfortable in cold, rainy, or drab weather conditions.
27The High Skin Fade w/ French Crop
The French crop has been redefined in recent years to have a very potent look. If you suit this style, adding the high skin fade gives this cut a rebellious feel that is sure to impress your inner rogue. Styling the top with a pomade for texture really makes this look pop.
28The Low Taper Fade w/ Textured Top
This style gives you the opportunity to keep your hair on the sides nice and short without going right to the skin. With a matte pomade on hand, you can add a freshly textured style to the top hair that gives a professional, fun, and exciting look to this cut.
29The Low Bald Fade w/ Curly Fringe
If you are sporting naturally curly hair and love to let them hang into your face a bit, the low bald fade will help you frame the style perfectly. Adding the fade to your curls helps to create a perfect contrast for this professional style that is sure to please.
30The Low Fade w/ Short Dreadlock Fringe
This is a style popularized in recent pop culture in the movie ‘Black Panther.’ It’s an edgy yet still professional look that is sure to please if this is your preferred stylistic approach. Keep the dreads between 4 to 8-inches and allow them to hang forward on the face and forehead.
31The Mid Fade Haircut w/ Hard Part Comb Over
The hard part fade comb over is a very popular style right now. It will continue to be a favorite cut for lots of guys this year due to the neat, professional look that it helps you accomplish. If you love the comb over, adding a mid or low fade comb over with a hard part will bring a new level to your style.
32The Dreadlock Mid Fade w/ Lineup
Another great option for the dreadlock style is using a mid fade to frame your overall look. The mid fade does a great job of framing your beard and hair perfectly with your jawline. The lineup adds a sleek and well-kept look to this style that is both professional and modern.
33The High Skin Fade w/ Buzz Cut
The buzz cut is another one of the classic cuts that are as old as time. Over the years there have been many variations to this style. The high fade helps to highlight your natural head shape and accentuates your jawline and chin. Keeping the top short and the sides close to the skin is a cool summer cut sure to please. This is also a great style if you are bald and need a stylish bald haircut.
What is a Fade Haircut?
Put simply, a fade haircut takes the hair near the top of the head and gradually clips the hair shorter and shorter until you reach the ears and neck. Once you get to the ears and neck, the hair is clipped down to the skin. There isn’t really much more to it than that. The rest is up to you as to what kind of haircut you will pick to go with it and how you choose to style it.
The Taper vs. The Fade — What’s The Difference?
There are many different types of fades your barber can offer. When you visit most barber shops and listen to how the barber talks about hairstyles, you’ll probably hear them using the term ‘fade’ and ‘taper’ all the time. To make the matter a bit more confusing is that they typically use these terms interchangeably. After all, they refer to a similar kind of technique and end up looking similar as well.
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So what’s the difference? It’s really quite simple. A fade haircut ends with the skin, whereas a taper leaves some hair behind. The rest is all the same. The hair is still carefully faded from longer to shorter lengths along the sides and back.
Fade Care 101 — Looking This Great Has Never Been Easier
It’s really all about the sharp lines when it comes to caring for a fresh fade. Using a high-quality beard trimmer typically takes care of this for you. With a steady hand and a will to look awesome, you’ll have the technique down in no time. If you really want to keep it skin close and have a hard time navigating a manual razor around the back of your head, opt for a high-end electric razor to do the job.
If you are not confident that you can keep the style looking good by yourself, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most guys don’t maintain their own style. It’s a bit tricky to get it looking right and often best left to the pros.
Final Thoughts – 2022 Is The Year of the Fade Haircut
So there you have it! With so many styles to choose from in the modern barbershop, you have your work cut out for you. At least now you can bring a picture of your favorite hairstyle to your barber and they can get you all sorted, looking great, and ready to take on the world. It’s time to sport one of the best fade haircuts for men like you—your hair will soon be the talk of the town!
