Unveiling 41 Distinctive High Top Fade Hairstyles: A Comprehensive Style Guide for Trendsetters
Introduction
The High Top Fade is a classic hairstyle that has transcended generations, finding its roots in the vibrant urban cultures of the 80s and 90s. Today, it remains a symbol of boldness and individuality, especially among black men. This iconic style not only showcases the versatility of Afro-textured hair but also offers a canvas for creativity, from crisp, clean lines to intricate designs incorporating braids, curls, and twists. This article explores ten unique variations of the High Top Fade, each tailored to different personal styles, occasions, and facial features, ensuring you find the perfect match for your aesthetic and lifestyle.
Classic High Top Fade: A Timeless Choice
The Classic High Top Fade is quintessential for those who appreciate a neat and polished look. Perfect for professional settings or formal events, this style suits oval and round face shapes and pairs well with darker eye colors, enhancing a strong and assertive appearance.
To achieve this sharp look, a skilled barber will use clippers to create a precise fade, while the top is trimmed evenly to stand out distinctly. Maintenance involves regular touch-ups every few weeks and a daily routine of moisturizing with products like Shea Moisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie to keep the hair healthy and vibrant.
Twisted High Top: Creative and Contemporary
For those who dare to stand out, the Twisted High Top incorporates strand twists to add texture and depth to the traditional high top. This style is a fantastic choice for casual outings and artistic events, best suited for heart-shaped faces and light brown to hazel eyes.
Creating this look involves twisting sections of the hair while applying a curl-defining cream to ensure the twists hold their shape. Regular washing with a gentle shampoo, such as Carol’s Daughter Wash Day Delight, and minimal manipulation will keep this style looking fresh and defined.
Braided High Top Fade: Edgy and Artistic
Braided High Top Fade merges the edginess of braids with the classic high top. This bold look is perfect for musicians, artists, or anyone attending a creative or social event. It’s especially flattering for angular faces and complements any eye color.
The style is crafted by braiding the hair on top into intricate patterns before fading the sides. To maintain, use a hydrating braid spray like African Pride Braid Sheen Spray and cover your hair at night with a silk cap to reduce frizz and breakage.
Curly High Top Fade: Soft Yet Striking
Embrace your natural curls with the Curly High Top Fade. Ideal for vibrant social gatherings or a night out, this style enhances the natural texture of your hair while keeping it manageable and stylish. It fits well with round and square faces and vibrant eye colors.
Maintaining this look requires the use of a curl-enhancing product like Cantu Coconut Curling Cream and regular conditioning to keep the curls bouncy and well-defined.
Low Fade with High Top: Subtle and Sleek
The Low Fade with High Top offers a more subtle transition between the short sides and the voluminous top. It’s a great look for both professional environments and casual settings, ideal for men with long face shapes and deep-set eyes.
Achieving this style involves a lower fade than usual while keeping the top prominently high. Use a light pomade, such as Baxter of California Clay Pomade, for daily styling and hold.
High Top with Box Braids: Cultural and Bold
High Top with Box Braids adds a cultural twist to the traditional high top, incorporating box braids into the longer sections of hair. This look is perfect for cultural events or fashion-forward settings, suited for all face shapes and any eye color.
Box braids require precision and patience, often needing several hours to complete. To maintain, regularly apply a scalp hydrator like Mizani Scalp Care Calming Lotion and wash the braids gently every few weeks.
High Top Dreads: Rugged and Raw
High Top Dreads bring a rugged and raw aesthetic to the high top fade, ideal for those who prefer a low-maintenance yet trendy style. This look suits adventurous or casual occasions and goes well with square and diamond face shapes and darker eye colors.
To form the dreads, hair is twisted and then left to mature, with regular palm rolling to keep them neat. Washing with a residue-free shampoo such as Knotty Boy Dreadlock Shampoo will ensure the dreads remain clean without unraveling.
High Top with Cornrows: Intricate and Stylish
The High Top with Cornrows features cornrows in intricate designs on the sides, blending seamlessly into the high top. This style is particularly eye-catching at social gatherings or fashion events, suitable for all face types and eye colors.
Cornrows require skilled hands to braid the hair close to the scalp. To keep this style neat, regularly apply edge control like Ebin New York 24 Hour Edge Tamer and wrap your hair at night with a silk scarf.
Soft Twist High Top: Gentle and Appealing
The Soft Twist High Top uses soft twists to add a gentle, appealing texture to the hair. This style is great for dates or casual meet-ups, complementing oblong faces and light-colored eyes.
Maintaining soft twists involves using a twist-defining cream, such as As I Am Twist Defining Cream, and regularly moisturizing the scalp and hair to prevent breakage and keep the twists defined.
High Top Fade with Design: Personalized Flair
Lastly, the High Top Fade with Design allows for personal expression through shaved designs on the faded parts. This style is perfect for personal celebrations or creative showcases, fitting any face shape and eye color.
To maintain the sharpness of the design, regular visits to the barber are essential, along with daily grooming using a light hold gel, such as Jack Black Gel Pomade, to keep the top structured.
High Top Fade with Color Pop: Vibrant and Bold
High Top Fade with Color Pop infuses vibrant colors into the high top for a bold and eye-catching look. This style is perfect for artistic events or casual gatherings, best suited for individuals with oval faces and any eye color.
To maintain the vibrancy of the color, use color-protecting shampoos and conditioners, such as Redken Color Extend Magnetics, and consider regular touch-ups at your salon to keep the color fresh and vivid.
Natural Curls High Top: Effortlessly Stylish
The Natural Curls High Top celebrates the beauty of natural curls piled high. Ideal for everyday wear or social outings, this look complements round and heart-shaped faces and enhances any eye color.
Keep the curls hydrated and defined with a daily dose of a curl activator cream like AG Hair’s Re Curl Activator and minimize frizz by sleeping on a satin pillowcase.
High Top Fade with Side Designs: Edgy Definition
High Top Fade with Side Designs adds geometric or abstract designs on the faded sides, giving it an edgy twist. It’s great for a standout appearance at music festivals or urban fashion events, fitting well with diamond and triangular face shapes.
Regular barber visits are necessary to keep the designs crisp, and daily styling with a firm-hold gel, such as Got2b Ultra Glued Invincible Styling Gel, will keep the high top perfectly sculpted.
Textured Top Fade: Dynamic and Modern
The Textured Top Fade leverages texture to give the high top a dynamic and modern look. Suitable for casual meet-ups or creative work environments, this style looks best on individuals with square faces and dark eye colors.
Maintaining this look involves using texturizing sprays like Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray and routine trims to keep the texture lively and manageable.
High Top Fade with Twisted Curls: Intricately Casual
High Top Fade with Twisted Curls combines twists and curls at the top, creating a casual yet intricate style. This versatile look is perfect for both day-to-day activities and special occasions, complementing oblong and round face shapes.
Use a twist-and-curl cream, such as Miss Jessie’s Curly Meringue, for styling, and maintain the curls’ health with deep conditioning treatments every two weeks.
Sleek High Top with Sharp Fade: Precision and Style
Sleek High Top with Sharp Fade features a sleekly styled top with a razor-sharp fade. Ideal for professional settings or elegant events, it matches well with rectangular and oval face shapes and lighter eye colors.
Achieve this polished look with a high-hold pomade, like American Crew Firm Hold Styling Gel, and keep the fade immaculate with regular barber visits.
Voluminous High Top with Silky Finish: Luxurious and Captivating
Voluminous High Top with Silky Finish emphasizes a luxurious, silky finish to a voluminous high top. Perfect for glamorous events or parties, this style is flattering for heart and square face shapes and all eye colors.
To achieve and maintain the silky finish, use a lightweight hair serum, such as Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum, and protect the style with a silk scarf at night.
High Top with Layered Braids: Complex and Stylish
High Top with Layered Braids layers different braid sizes for a complex and stylish look. Suitable for cultural events or fashion shows, this style enhances any face shape and eye color.
Care for the braids with a moisturizing braid spray like SheaMoisture’s Jojoba Oil & Ucuuba Butter Braid-Up Conditioning Gel to keep them neat and hydrated.
High Top Fade with Beaded Accents: Cultural Fusion
High Top Fade with Beaded Accents incorporates beads into the hair for a cultural fusion that stands out. This look is particularly eye-catching at cultural festivals or during travel adventures, suitable for all face shapes and enhancing vibrant eye colors.
To maintain the beaded look, handle the beads gently during washing and styling, using a mild cleanser like Mizani True Textures Cream Cleansing Conditioner to keep the hair clean without disturbing the beads.
Frosted Tips High Top Fade: Cool and Trendy
Frosted Tips High Top Fade brings a retro yet cool twist to the traditional high top by adding frosted tips. This look is perfect for casual outings or trendy social events, best suited for younger individuals with angular face shapes and striking eye colors.
Maintain the frosted tips with touch-ups every few weeks to keep the color fresh, and use a color-safe shampoo like Matrix Total Results So Silver to prevent brassiness.
High Top with Side Part: Classic Refined
High Top with Side Part introduces a classic side part to the high top, offering a refined and elegant look. Ideal for professional settings or sophisticated social gatherings, it complements oblong and square face shapes and matches well with all eye colors.
Keep the side part defined with regular trims and use a strong hold gel, such as Giovanni Eco Chic Hair Gel, to maintain the style’s sharpness throughout the day.
High Top Fade with Zigzag Design: Playful and Bold
High Top Fade with Zigzag Design features a playful zigzag pattern shaved into the fade, adding a bold and youthful element. This style is a hit at parties or creative showcases, suitable for individuals with round and heart-shaped faces.
To keep the zigzag design fresh and visible, schedule regular appointments with your barber and use a light pomade, like Suavecito Pomade, to enhance the texture of the high top.
High Top with Mini Dreads: Urban and Edgy
High Top with Mini Dreads combines the high top with mini dreadlocks for an urban and edgy look. This style is great for casual urban settings or music events, fitting well with diamond and oval face shapes and darker eye colors.
Maintain the mini dreads with a residue-free dreadlock shampoo like Dollylocks Nag Champa Organic Shampoo and regularly palm-roll them to keep them neat and tidy.
High Top Fade with Feathered Layers: Soft and Stylish
High Top Fade with Feathered Layers adds a soft, feathered texture to the high top, creating a stylish and approachable look. This versatile hairstyle is suitable for both formal events and casual days, complementing round and heart-shaped faces, and works well with light or vibrant eye colors.
To keep the layers soft and feathered, use a light texturizing spray, such as Bumble and Bumble’s Dryspun Finish, and ensure regular trims to maintain the shape and volume of the hair.
High Top with Horizontal Braids: Innovative and Distinctive
High Top with Horizontal Braids incorporates horizontal braids across the top, offering a distinctive and innovative twist. This striking style is perfect for fashion-forward events or as a statement look in creative professions. It suits individuals with square or oblong faces and can enhance any eye color.
Maintain the braids by using a hydrating hair mist like Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave-In Conditioner to keep the scalp nourished and the braids moisturized, ensuring they stay neat and tight.
Sculpted High Top Fade: Sleek and Artistic
Sculpted High Top Fade features meticulously sculpted curves and angles, making it a sleek and artistic choice for those in the creative or entertainment industries. Ideal for showcasing personality and style at public appearances, it fits well with all face shapes and particularly enhances dramatic eye colors.
For sculpting and maintaining the precise lines of this hairstyle, use a stronghold sculpting wax, such as TIGI Bed Head Manipulator, and visit your barber regularly to keep the edges crisp and the shape intact.
Conclusion
The High Top Fade is more than just a hairstyle; it’s a statement of identity and personal style. Whether you prefer a classic look or something more intricate like braids or twists, there’s a high top fade to match your personality and lifestyle. Explore these styles, discuss them in the comments, and perhaps share your own high top fade experiences. Let’s keep the conversation about this timeless style going!
I’m Nikita Mazlov, a web developer with a passion for men’s style. My interest in haircuts, tattoos, outfits, and grooming inspired me to create this platform. Here, I blend my technical skills with a love for masculine style, sharing unique ideas and the latest trends. From sharp haircuts to bold tattoos, I explore various styles to inspire your next look. Join me as we dive into men’s fashion and grooming, where every detail shapes your personal story.
