30 Trending High Fade Haircuts in 2024

The high fade haircut is one of the most popular styles this year. But did you know it can be worn in many ways? Read on to see 30 examples of this haircut, things to consider, and what to ask for at the barber.

High Fade Haircuts: 30 Trending Styles

The high fade haircut is a contemporary classic in men’s hair. It’s a simple yet stylish cut that has a ton of cool variations. Basically, the high fade haircut is all about what happens on the sides.

As the name suggests, the high fade uses a fade, which is the gradual tapering of hair. With a fade, the sides gradually go from shorter to longer. A high fade is a specific type of fade where the fade is moved up the head.

In other words, the tapering starts fairly high up on the head, usually around or even above the temple area. This means that most of the hair on the sides is extremely short, which usually makes for an eye-catching haircut.

In this article, we’ve gathered 30 stylish high fade haircuts to give you some inspiration for your next haircut, and we’ve broken each one down in detail so you can tell your barber or stylist exactly what you’re seeking.

Read Next: What Is a Fade Haircut?

1. Standard High Fade

Here’s a classic high fade in action. The fade happens right at the middle of the temple and helps the hair on the sides blend into the top. The sides are trimmed with clippers with a setting starting at roughly #1 to #3 (for the shortest part of the fade), and going up to a #5 or higher.

2. Even Higher Fade

The high fade can be pushed quite high up on the head. Here, the fade happens above the forehead line and quickly tapers up to the full-length top for a more striking look.

3. High Drop Fade

The fade shown here is a specific type of fade called a drop fade, which is when the hair doesn’t actually taper. Instead, it abruptly “drops” from long to short, and the rest of the sides are faded. This offers a more dramatic flair than a regular high fade, and it’s also just as versatile.

4. Mid-High Drop Fade

This style toes the line between a mid fade and a high fade. The fade happens around the temple line. When combined with the drop fade, the sides are fuller than they would be with a regular high fade.

5. Grey Fade

The high fade also looks great with grey hair! It brings out the silvery-white colors in the hair, which contrast nicely with the grey hair on top.

6. Textured High Drop Fade

Here’s another twist on the high drop fade. Here, the hair on top is more textured to provide an even stronger contrast with the shaved sides.

7. High Fade with Quiff

The high fade lends itself well to many common hairstyles. For example, here it’s paired with a short and wavy quiff that’s swept off to the side.

8. Faded Brush Up

Want something with a little more volume? Try this brush up hairstyle with a high fade. The hair on top is quite long, around 4-5 inches or so, and the neat fade helps anchor that length.

9. Faded Crop

The crop is an easy-to-get, low maintenance hairstyle that many guys opt for due to its simplicity. When you add a fade, this utilitarian haircut becomes a lot more stylish without forcing you to spend a lot of time in front of the mirror.

10. Thin Fade

If you have thin or fine hair, fear not––the high fade will work for you, too. Usually, finer hair will create a slightly spikier fade because of the hair’s texture, and you can use this to your advantage by going with a spiked or tousled hairstyle on top.

11. Skyscraper High Fade

Is the high fade not quite high enough for you? Try this extremely high drop fade that happens up near where you’d set a part. The short fade that wraps around the entire head adds to the boldness of this look.

12. Brushed Back

The brush back is another popular men’s cut that pairs well with a high fade. This particular brush back is fairly long and uses a blended fade to help the sides balance out the top.

13. Integrated High Fade

With some hairstyles, the fade continues to taper until it blends seamlessly into the hair on top. This is a great option if you want a rather neat and tidy haircut.

14. Extreme Drop Fade

How can you make a drop fade even more extreme? Answer: By having a really long top and really short sides. Consider using a high drop fade for a huge contrast if you dig styles like the quiff or pompadour.

15. Rounded Fringe

If you like to have bangs, try out this rounded fringe haircut that uses a high fade for a clean, unified result that’s stylish yet low maintenance.

16. Faded Bowl Cut

Yes, the bowl cut is back, but it’s new and improved. The bowl shape created by the straight fringe is still there, but the cleanliness of both the cut and the fade ensures that this isn’t the old bowl style of yesteryear.

17. Curved Bowl Cut

This hairstyle is essentially a bowl cut that bends with the head’s natural curvature instead of remaining straight. As usual, the high fade provides contrast and cleanliness.

18. Natural Color Fade

A high fade is also an excellent method of creating color variation. Since most hair has a slightly different color when trimmed or buzzed, you can use a fade to make your sides lighter.

19. Wavy Brush Up

Another take on the brush up hairstyle, this cut uses a fade to draw all attention to the hair on top of the head and also give it a little more visual volume.

20. Coiled Fade

Fades also work really well with coiled hair. The fade provides an unparalleled neatness that directs the eye upward to the hair’s vivid texture.

21. High Volume Pompadour

This isn’t your grandpa’s pompadour. Blending retro and contemporary hairstyles, this adventurous look is the perfect match for a high fade because of how voluminous the pomp is.

22. Side Swept Quiff

This medium-sized quiff pairs with a high fade for a twist on the typical undercut. Two key aspects here are the styled-to-the-side quiff and the hair in the back that overhangs the rear part of the fade.

23. High Volume Brush Up

If none of the brush-up styles on this list have been tall enough for you, then give this one a try! All the hair up top is brushed straight up and back while the fade balances out all that volume.

24. 90s Spikes

To channel the vibe of the 1990s, check out this spiky style. The gradual high fade is gentle and blends the sides and top into each other for a more authentically 90s look.

25. Hard Part

The hard part is a common styling technique where the barber or stylist shaves a line into your hair to create a part. Normally, you’d just brush your hair to create the part, but the hard part gives an edgy flair that you can’t get with a regular part. And, of course, it’s nicely complemented by a high fade.

26. Long Brush Back

If you prefer more medium-length styles, this brush back might be for you. The high fade shown here is gradual and fairly thick at the point where it blends into the top, but you can always go shorter if you want.

27. Faded Quiff

Here’s a more typical quiff that’s fairly long and voluminous. This uses a fade type called a skin fade, where the fade starts at skin level (no hair) and transitions into the taper. (This means that the section right above your ears will have no hair.)

28. Curved High Fade

Here’s a slight tweak on the high fade. It’s barely noticeable, but the fade line curves in an arc. This is a great way to introduce a subtle curve into a style that consists of harsher lines.

29. Polished & Professional

This slick and polished style features neatly styled and brushed hair on top with a high drop fade to accentuate that neatness.

30. Swooping Waves

Finally, here’s a wavy quiff that’s tousled on the top for extra texture. The high fade is gradual and also curves but only toward the back.

What Men’s Haircut Will You Pick?

That wraps up our list of the 30 best high fade haircuts for men. If you have any that we missed, be sure to write us and let us know your favorite!

And if we’ve inspired you to try out a new look, head on over to our salon locator tool to find stylists near you so that you can get that new ‘do in no time.