A skin fade haircut is a type of men’s haircut that has a gradual fade starting near the top of the head and gradually gets shorter until it reaches the skin at the neckline. Previously associated with the ’50s and military type cuts, this clean-cut look is now relished for its unparalleled contrast.
Regardless of the length and texture of your mane on top, the skin fade aka bald or zero fade never fails to produce a contemporary, versatile look suited for all environments. It’s just a matter of how you style your top strands, and you have full control!
You can opt for a low, mid, or high fade depending on your desired output. Classy, subtle looks are complemented by high fades compared to casual and sporty hairstyles that work best with mid to low fades.
English barber Oscar Mcmillan does the skin fade on a wide range of hair types – straight, wavy, curly, and afro – and combines it with well-known modern haircuts, proving how versatile the fade could be!
Before your next haircut, check out these stylish photos of the best skin fade haircut ideas.
Slicked Back Style with Skin Taper Fade
Ample gel or pomade and a nice comb-over is the key to this successful skin taper fade with a slicked back look. The skin fade haircut on guys is more appreciated with a nice accent like this.
Disconnected Skin Fade Undercut
The disconnected skin fade undercut has reached new acclaim due to the revival of 1920’s culture in recent years. The undercut is popular with good reason since it gives the wearer a host of creative adaptations – slicked back, a hard part, side-swept, quiff, curly, a pompadour, french crop, or long with a topknot. The skin fade features tightly clipped sides with no blending (or disconnection) between the short sides and longer tops. The style works with slight alteration for most face shapes. Be sure to schedule a trip to your stylist or barber every 2-3 weeks to keep the cut looking tight and clean.
Side-Swept Skin Fade Taper
A side-swept skin fade taper is a great haircut option for any businessman. It is classic and offers a clean-cut while being effortlessly cool. The side-swept skin fade taper is suitable for all hair types. Styling this cut requires applying pomade to damp hair while molding hair to the side.
Textured Crop with Temple Fade
A textured crop with temple fade is best suited to those with a strong hairline and medium coarse hair. The temple line fade works really well with the blunt fringe and brings the style together. A styling powder will give the texture needed to style the top.
Line-Up and High Fade for Curly Hair
This skin fade curly hair confirms that more action can be done on those curls while keeping everything neat with faded sides. Now, you can work that ‘fro with some clean skin fade line-up!
Skin Drop Fade for Medium-Length Hair
A masculine skin drop fade on medium-length hair. Skin fade haircuts and styles like this, which go well with facial hair, are very ideal in framing the face and creating edges.
High Skin Fade Haircut with Fringe
The fringe up front helps give the fade some composure that makes this high skin fade haircut work.
French Crop with Skin Fade
It’s like the gods carved out those edges with such a divine skin fade, short top and bangs combo. This French crop with skin fade makes a popular style that looks creative and fun to wear!
Skin Fade Buzz Cut
The clippers are your friend when achieving this particular buzz cut with a skin fade. Your most trusted barber with precise hands and a good taste in style is the second requirement.
Bald Fade with Beard
Why go mid-way when you can go all the way with a bald fade haircut with a beard? Looks great, feels great, and definitely takes the top quiff to a whole other level.
Spiky, Textured Quiff with Skin Faded Sides
Mimic a spiky faux hawk with a skin fade with some delicate combing and hair mousse.
Low Skin Fade
Young guys would ace this low skin fade hairstyle. Also, known as a low bald fade, this brings a youthful effect that is still fashion-forward.
Crew Cut with Low Fade
The classic gentleman’s haircut can be found in this skin fade crew cut. Low fade haircuts like this never fail to bring a high level of sophistication.
Long Hair with Undercut and Skin Fade
Bald fade undercuts are really helpful when partnered with long hair. In this case, the gentleman’s beard contributes to a wholesome dapper undercut look.
Mid-Skin Fade
Just like a Brooklyn fade, the fade starts around the temple and goes down the nape and ear area. What a great and simple mid-skin fade style to work with.
Messy, Textured Top with Skin Fade and Side Part
Show off that low fade by having a side-parted effect just where the shave starts! Both features of the hair can be highlighted in this way. A messy, textured top would look great in this skin fade side part haircut, too!
Skin Fade Cut For Wavy Hair
Slick back your wavy hair and pair it with a skin fade cut for a fun and edgy finish. Skin fade haircuts for men like this help to maintain that contrast for a well-maintained cut.
Faux Hawk with Skin Fade
If you want a bold taper skin fade, try this pattern of a faux hawk where you can insert several hair trends into one, messy cut. A hair design like this comes in handy for a style refresher. If you have thick hair, it will look even better.
Skin Fade with a Mohawk Haircut
This mohawk trend is all sorts of fancy, especially with the skin fade! Layered waves work through the hawk, highlighted of course by the conspicuous bald fade style.
Short Hair on Top with Skin Faded Sides
The shaved and faded sides go well with the short length on top. This is a very easy to style skin fade hairstyle.
Skin Pompadour Fade
Prop your hair up with a skin fade pompadour. This trick gives dimension and variability, perfect for adventurous men!
Medium Skin Fade
It’s a fresh haircut with a skin fade and an easy men’s hairstyle with a fingers effect. It’s a mix of old and new school as described by barber Juan Manuel Ortiz Abad of Spain.
Keep your hair length on top long to be able to style it like this.
Abad states, “I used matte ointment and volume powders, then styled the pompadour using my fingers. It’s great for straight hair, and the best face shape is square.”
Hard Part with Comb Over and Bald Fade
This bald fade cut has a razor side part where the sides are well scraped. Stylist Jefferson Alves from Bombinhas, BR is the one created this look.
“I started with the machine “0” and I went up gradually to detail well into the hair division. I made a tuft with a streak in the division, and it is well striped and stylish,” Alves narrates.
For this skin fade with a hard part and comb over, Alves advises to have smoother and slightly larger hair that can be shaped to the side. It’s also necessary to use ointment and hair fixative to keep the hairstyle longer.
“The streak on the side helps break the hair. Put hair ointment and simply pull the tuft back. I advise you to dry your hair with a blow dryer to give a more striped effect,” Alves adds.
High Top Fade with Defined Hairline for Black Men with Afro
This is a haircut called the high top with a mid-skin fade. Barber Justin Johnston of California put a new spin on it by giving the hair a mid fade instead of a high fade.
“My favorite thing about this skin faded afro is the contrast. This fade comes out nice and smooth and matches well with his black skin color to make it somewhat blurry. Lining up the hairline is key to make the haircut pop more than it would with just a clean fade. A fresh line up completes the cut,” Johnston explains.
If you want the curls on top and your hair is coarse, Johnston recommends that you purchase a curl sponge. You’ll need the curl sponge with a medium to strong hold hairspray to lock in the curls.
“Men with curly hair can achieve skin fades. Grow your hair out, if it’s not already long enough,” Johnston mentions.
