Difference Between Taper vs. Fade

Table of Contents

1 Main difference
2 Comparison
3 What is Fade Haircut?
4 Key Differences

Main difference

In tapper haircuts, the length of the hair decreases from the top of the pate down to the nape of the neck and to the side and in fade haircut, the hair starting at the top of the pate and ending just right at the ear.

Comparison

Basis	Tapper	Fade
Definition	Tapered cuts are where the hair is long at the top and then gradually gets shorter down the back and sides of the head	Fade haircuts can be described as no hair at the sides and back of the head and more hair move to the top of the head
Provide	clean, crisp look	Clean, crisp look
Longest	Tapper begin with the longest hair at the top of the scalp	Fade also start with the longest hair at the top of the scalp
Shorter	Tapper hair get shorter and shorter as it leads towards the back of your head and down the sides	Fade hair also more removed hair from the back side of the head
Types	Side part, faint and classic	Bald, temp and disconnected
Use	Tapering is used in the majority of men’s haircuts to some degree, particularly near to base	Fades are also used as gradient haircuts
Allows	Tapering allows for easy management and symmetry if different hairstyles	Fades allows for different lengths
Low and high	Short and long tapper haircuts	Low fades end very close to the hairline and high fades come to a stop quite a bit above the ears
Leaves	Taper leaves quite a fair amount of hair at the top of the head	Fade leaves quite a small amount of hair at the top of the head
Effect	Tapers can be a bit more casual	Fade are meant to be accurate and smooth

What is Tapper Haircut?

Tapered cuts are where the hair is longer at the top and then gradually gets shorter the back and sides of the head. In a normal taper haircut, the top is left about 2 to 4 inches long while the rest of the hair is cut shorter. There are two basic types of tapper haircuts: Long tapper haircuts and short tapper haircuts. Short tapper are generally 1 inch of hair and lower that tapers down toward the ear. This style is perfect for those who are not interested in leaving a substantial amount of hair at the top. Long tapper haircuts function hair that is longer at the top and shorter around the sides, but not short enough to see the scalp. This tapered style is popular among those who want to go short, but do not want to commit to cutting the sides very low. Some other different type of tappers are: classic tappers, side part tappers, faint tapers and long crown. The tapper cut is a classic style as it allows men to have long hair, while still maintaining a well-groomed and contemporary look.

What is Fade Haircut?

Fade cuts can be described as no hair at the sides and back of the head, but graduates into more hair as you move to the top of the head. A fade haircut is actually a form of tapering the hair, but the hair is cut drastically lower than a regular taper. Many barbers tend to bald the hair around the sides and back of the head beforehand and taper the cut so that it gradually gets thicker as it extends to the top of the head giving it the faded look. While most fades are cut relatively short, the top can be left long like a classic tapered cut. There are a few different types of fades, but the most popular variations include either a high fade or low fade. High fades usually fade away completely within at least 2 inches from the top of the head. Low fades feature a taper cut that gradually extends down the sides and back of the head, and fade completely at nape and right above the ears. Here are a few fade styles name: Bald fades, Temp fades, disconnected undercut fade, Faux Hawk fade, high top fade and side part tapper fade.

Key Differences

In tapper haircuts, the length of the hair decreases from the top of the pate down to the nape of the neck while in fade, the hair is starting at the top of the pate and ending just right at the ear.
Both can be provide clean and crisp look
Tapers haircuts types are: classic, short and long while fade haircuts types are: Bald, temp and disconnected
Tapper can be bit more causal while fade can be accurate and smooth