61 Attractive High Top Fade Haircuts for Men (Guide)

Men that have a high-top fade haircut are getting more attention from the ladies and guys than those without them.

Having this modern hairstyle will get you noticed much quicker than with any other style.

On a side note we have to say the look is not for everyone.

While the high-top fade is very versatile and can be worn on a lot of different occasions, not everyone is able to pull it off.

There is quite a lot that goes into getting high-top fade right and if you don’t do it you might end up getting extremely disappointed.

That is not to say that it is completely impossible to create one.

Actually, if you prepare and do things well, you are sure to get the hairstyle you want.

It all starts with making the right choice.

Here we have gathered all the main high-top fade hairstyle options for you to check out.

We will also help you choose the best one.

Top 61 High Top Fade Hairstyles

Even within a high-top fade haircut, there are a bunch of hairstyles that you can look into and try out based on your convenience and what catches your eye the most.

These tend to include hairstyles for healthy hair, hairstyles for balding men, hairstyles for different textures and more so that you can go through them briefly and make your pick.

Classic

A classic high-top fade is a popular choice of hairstyle that you can consider. This is the essence of this kind of haircut marked by faded sides and back of the head, with the top being longer than the rest of the hair.

The top is actually of your standard hair length, but the fade can make it seem longer and more shapely.

Tight Fade

A tight fade style can give your hair a clean and disciplined appearance. As part of this hairstyle the fades at the sides and the back are done as is familiar with regular high-top fade haircuts, but the top is shortened.

The top length is still longer than the fades but much shorter than the standard hair length.

Curly

A curly high top keeps the hair at the top curly, with the surrounding parts of the head fading in terms of hair length.
This can be an excellent choice for you if you have natural curls and don’t want to get rid of them.

If you want to add curls, you must maintain them using hair products.

High Fade

A high fade particularly emphasizes the top section of your hair. This requires your hair length to be long enough so that you can shape the top accordingly and add some height in contrast to the fades.

Subtle Taper Fade

A subtle taper fade makes the distinction between the top and the fades less obvious. This requires the top to be restricted to a certain height or length without making the faded sections too short. This can add a naturally tapering texture to your hair.

Simple Fade

A simple fade is essentially a high-top fade hairstyle that does not add too many elements to your haircut.
Asking for this style means that your barber will trim back the length of your top section and give a gradual fade to the sides and the back.

Square

This can give your hairstyle a truly retro look. With the fade in place the top is cut and shaped to provide a square-like appearance.
This involves making the topmost part wholly flat and the corners sharp enough to ensure that you can discern the shape of a square from it.

With Twists

As a black man with twists in your hair, you can consider a high-top fade while retaining your twists.
This will add a gradual fade, while the top will style up your twists to give it a cool and natural appearance.

You can also choose to add twists to your hair.

Man Bun

Adding a bun to your high-top fade can give your hair a considerably stylish appearance. If you have long, twisted hair, you can tie the top-up into a bun while adding a fade to the back and sides. You can also fade the hairstyle into your beard to give it a more uniform look.

Box Cut Fade

A box cut fade adds the shape of a box, as the name suggests, to the top section of your hair.
This keeps the corners sharp enough and the height high enough to add to the appearance.

The fade is also subtle to complete the overall look.

High Top Fade With Shaved Designs

While retaining the high top in the style of your choice (or even sticking to a classic high top), you can ask your barber to add some shaved designs to the faded sections by using their clippers to make zigzag lines, intersecting lines or even custom shapes and letters.

Precise Shave

If you do not want to add a design or shape to your fade but still want to retain precision and a clear distinction between your top and the fade, then you can consider adding a curve with the clipper at the border of the two sections.

What Is the High Top Fade Haircut

The high-top fade haircut essentially combines hair of varying lengths across the head.
Here, the sides and the back are left short while the top is left long.

The exact length of the top can vary according to the style that you opt for. In this sense the haircut fades from top to bottom and the sides. Since there are multiple styles within the high-top fade haircut it can suit different kinds of hair.

Short History of This Haircut

The high-top fade haircut started in 1980 when Grace Jones displayed this style. It became popular in the hip hop and rap community with evolving styles that began to look similar to what we know call the high-top fade or hi-top fade.

For instance, rappers like Schoolly D and Doug E Fresh donned a similar cut, with a more modern style becoming visible in the cut of the dancers in Salt-N-Pepa’s Tramp.

Gradually, it began to grow in popularity among the youth of the African American people in several parts of the United States.
It went through phases of waning and recurring popularity due to changing trends in culture, sports and media.

How to Get One

When getting this kind of haircut, the first thing you should do is to figure out the type of style you want for yourself.
You can then look for a good barber who has the skills and awareness of different styles and knows how to deal with all kinds of hair textures.

Of course, a comfortable barber chair is a bonus!

Your barber should ideally be using hair-cutting shears of high quality along with clippers of different sizes for your sides and top.
Once you have the cut in place you can also opt for hair dyeing if you think that it will add a bit more essence and personality to your hair.

How to Style It

Step 1 – Blow dry

Make it a point to blow dry your hair after you wash it. However, wait for it to dry down slightly instead of running the hairdryer on dripping wet hair. Once your hair is slightly damp you can run the dryer over various sections of your curls.

You do not need to spend more than a couple of seconds on each part of your high top since this should be enough to ensure that the hair stands up well. This is also not entirely essential for you to do each time.

Depending on your styling preferences you can limit it to a few occasions or weekly.

Step 2 – Use hair products

Hair products can be an excellent way for you to style your high-top fade haircut. Using a good and satisfying leave-in conditioner or Vaseline hair tonic or any other effective hair oil for men can help provide your hair with essential moisturization.

This can make it much easier for you to style your hair up while also ensuring that it firmly stays in place throughout a given period.

Making sure that you pick reliable hair products can further help you maintain the overall health of your hair, so make a wise choice just as you would pick a premium beard balm or the world’s best hair removal cream for men or even a high-quality ear hair removal product.

Take a certain amount of the product (as mentioned on its label) and gently massage it into your hair while styling it up to maintain its shape.

Step 3 – Use your fingers

Once you apply the product of your choice to your hair you should use your fingers to move the high-top section of the hair upwards to give it your style. Make sure you do this carefully so that you can ensure that all your curls and strands are well in place.

In many cases the topmost part of your hair might end up going haywire if you do not pay particular attention to it.
Keep this in mind while styling so that the shape you give your hair holds itself throughout your day or evening out.

If you notice some strands stuck in a clump together make it a point to separate them during the styling process, otherwise, it might be challenging to take care of later.

Step 4 – Use a comb

The final step in the process is to use a comb or picks to keep your hair in place. This can further help ensure that no clumps are destroying the shape and style of your hair.

Having a sharp object like a comb can also be an excellent way to create a precise enough square shape of the top section.
Run the comb through the strands so that your hair stands up and keep it in place until you move on to the next area.

Ending the process with this step can give a good amount of durability to the shape and style of your hair.

FAQ

Are high top fades back in style?

High-top fades were never technically out of style, although the trends certainly kept coming and going while also evolving with time.
Now, they certainly are in style no matter which style you specifically opt for. Either way, as long as you like it you can make it work.

Is a high top fade professional?

A high-top fade can be pretty professional since it cleans up the parts of your hair that surround the top.

However, if your workplace or school has strict requirements you can opt for options like a classic, simple, subtle or tight high-top fade to create a more uniform look.

How do you ask your barber for One?

You should first ask your barber if they are comfortable and familiar with this kind of haircut. If they say yes, you can ask them about specific hairstyles within this haircut. You can also ask them for sample pictures if you want further reassurance about the quality.

Who invented It?

It is not possible to pinpoint a single person who invented this haircut. However, it started with Grace Jones, followed by various evolutions in style by rappers and other members of the hip-hop community.

The closest type in terms of similarity can be attributed to Larry Blackmon of the band Cameo.

Why is the fade so popular?

The fade is a trendy haircut and style because it can work well for various kinds of hair textures and lengths.
It is also flexible and clean while still giving your hair an edgy and unique appearance depending on your preferences.

Why do men get fades?

Men tend to get fades frequently since they can work well for all kinds of textures, lengths and requirements.

In particular, you can have a range of options to choose from to give uniformity to your thick hair and a fuller and complete appearance if you have thin hair.

Can white people have It?

White people can have a high-top fade as long as they do not try to appropriate black people’s hair textures and styles, especially since many high-top fade styles are specifically for black people.

If you are white, you should also try to opt for simpler styles that can suit your hair length and texture.
Make sure you confirm with the people around you and your barber.

Conclusion

That was everything you needed to know about high-top fade haircuts, what they are, how to get them, how to style them as well as the kinds of options you can choose from.

Depending on your hair texture and requirements you can now make your choice and pay a visit to your barber.