In recent years men’s hairdressing and barbering has excelled and has quickly established itself as the fastest growing sector in health, hair, beauty and holistic therapy therefore attracting attention from a wider range of people and has also been trust upon the general public via social media.
This progression has pushed the expectations far beyond a simple 10 minute hair cut which has long been seen as the norm in the common barbershop. However, things have changed and more and more people expect the 'photo shopped looking' styles being seen published online on a daily basis.
One aspect of barbering in particular, which has caught the attention of customers, barbers and hair stylists alike, is fading. Our desire to endlessly seek the 'perfect' transition from skin to hair has not only increased appointment times but also push stylists to assess other aspects of cutting and shaving generally improving the overall service.
Well I've got some news for everybody; they were around before us and will around long after us! Whether you have called it a taper, blend, fade it’s been around and becomes reinvented each and every decade into a new form and will continue to do so. Furthermore the incorporation and acceptance of 'hairdressing' techniques within barbering leave us in an even stronger position than before to cater for any upcoming trends that may also shy away from tight clipper work. This 'current' trend has also seen an increase and improvement in the amount of tools to use which again only benefits everyone involved.
Due to the impact of social media we now see a lot of names for different types of fades but the reality is a fade is a transition from very short hair, smoothly blending into longer hair.
Whether your looking for a more natural professional look, a high and tight military style cut or something to make an instant impact there is a fade for everyone, below we will look at a modern guide to fades to help you decide what is right for you.
'Low fade'
A low fade is slightly tapered effect leaving more weight and length around the parietal ridge and crown area of the head. Often incorporated with more length on top for a more professional look. Perfectly encapsulated by this beautiful piece of work by Josh Lamonaca
'High Fade'
A high fade is a slightly more severe cut revealing more skin throughout the sides and back of the head. Often incorporated with disconnection or short length on top, as demonstrated by Greg Mcerlane
'Drop Fade'
Made instagram 'famous' by Irelands Ryan Cullen, when tied in a striking line or beard line out this cut has an instant visual and artistic impact
'Taper Fade'
The ever growing popularity of a 'taper fade' enables the client to move away from super short hair and maintain more length throughout the entire cut. Rhys Green shows this is possible whilst still keeping the clean edges.
'Creative fading'
The incorporation of sharp lines and colour can make a brilliant visual impact and show a different element to fading. In early 2015 i produced this image for advertising purposes, enhancing the edges with colour and using contrasting transition, this image was created simply and effectively.
So don't be scared when you hear the words skin or fade as it doesn't always have to look severe!
Written By:
Jack Robinson Pullen
Director / Owner
MBA
