15 Ways to Style a Taper Fade Haircut
Fifteen ways to style the top of a taper fade, each with the product type and the time it actually takes. Plus the rule that fixes most bad results — style dry, not damp, whatever the bottle says.
In this article · 21
- The One Rule That Fixes Most Styling
- The 15 Ways to Style a Taper Fade
- 1. Matte Textured Crop
- 2. Slick Back
- 3. Side Comb Over
- 4. Quiff
- 5. Forward Fringe
- 6. Messy Bedhead
- 7. Middle Part Curtains
- 8. Brushed-Up Front
- 9. Air-Dried Natural
- 10. Defined Curls
- 11. Brushed 360 Waves
- 12. Sponge-Twisted Coils
- 13. Low-Shine Formal
- 14. Sea Salt Texture
- 15. Nothing, Second Day
- Choosing the Right Product
- Mistakes to Avoid
- FAQ
- Final Thoughts
The fade is the barber's job; the top is yours. Most bad results come from one habit rather than the wrong product — applying it to damp hair, which dilutes the hold and drags everything to the roots.
The One Rule That Fixes Most Styling
Style dry. Product on wet hair spreads through the whole shaft as it dries and leaves the roots heavy and the ends unsupported. Dry the hair first — rough dry with a towel, then a hairdryer if you have thirty seconds — and only then apply.
The single exception is a slick back, where a little dampness helps the comb move.
The 15 Ways to Style a Taper Fade
1. Matte Textured Crop
Rice grain of clay, pressed in from the back forward. Twenty seconds.
2. Slick Back
Pomade on slightly damp hair, combed straight back. The only damp-hair style here.
3. Side Comb Over
Cream on dry hair, combed to your natural part. The most workplace-safe option.
4. Quiff
Blow-dry the front upward and back, then clay to hold. Two minutes, the longest routine here.
5. Forward Fringe
Paste raked forward. Zero technique required and it suits a receding hairline.
6. Messy Bedhead
Clay through dry hair with your fingers, no direction at all. Deliberately unstructured.
7. Middle Part Curtains
Split centrally, tuck each side back. Sea salt spray helps if your hair is fine.
8. Brushed-Up Front
Brush the front straight up, leave the rest flat. Strong hold needed.
9. Air-Dried Natural
Nothing at all. On wavy and curly hair this often beats anything you can do with product.
10. Defined Curls
Curl cream on damp hair, scrunched, diffused. The one curly exception to the dry rule.
11. Brushed 360 Waves
Ten minutes of brushing in the growth direction, then a durag. A habit rather than a style.
12. Sponge-Twisted Coils
Circular sponge motion on damp coils. Uniform definition in about two minutes.
13. Low-Shine Formal
Cream rather than pomade for a combed style without gloss. Reads expensive.
14. Sea Salt Texture
Spray on damp hair, rough dry. Adds grip to fine straight hair that will not hold otherwise.
15. Nothing, Second Day
Day-two hair holds shape better than clean hair. Often the best the cut looks all week.
Choosing the Right Product
Clay — matte, high hold, best for texture and short crops. Paste — softer and re-workable, good for fringes and messy styles. Pomade — shine and slip, for slick backs and combed styles only. Cream — light hold, low shine, the safest all-rounder. Sea salt spray — grip rather than hold, for fine hair that slides.
Warm any of them between your palms first. Applying straight from the tub deposits a lump in one place.
Mistakes to Avoid
Styling damp. Dilutes the hold and weighs the roots down.
Too much product. A pea, not a scoop. Excess is the main cause of stringy hair by afternoon.
Applying from the front. Start at the back and work forward, or the front takes the whole dose.
Pomade on a textured cut. Shine turns separation into greasiness.
FAQ
Wet or dry? Dry, except for a slick back or curl cream on curls.
How much product? A pea for short hair, a rice grain for very short.
Clay, paste or pomade? Clay for matte texture, paste for pliable fringes, pomade for shine and combing.
Final Thoughts
Dry hair, less product than you think, and start at the back. Those three things fix most styling problems without buying anything new.
See the cuts these styles sit on in 20 low taper fade ideas and 15 textured taper fade ideas. More in Fade Haircuts.
