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Taper Fade for Curly Hair: Curl Patterns and Guard Numbers

By The Lilacroix barbers · October 26, 2026 · 1,249 words

Curly hair and a taper fade are the easiest pairing in the shop, and also the one that goes wrong most often in other chairs. The curls need to be left alone and the edges need to be cut tight, and a barber who does the opposite leaves you with fuzzy sides and a flat top.

The direct answer: a taper fade on curly hair keeps the curls on top and on most of the sides, and blends only the sideburns and the neckline from skin or a 0 guard up to a 2 or 3. The guard at the top of the blend changes with your curl pattern, from a 3 on loose 3A curls to a 2 on tight 4C coils. It is $30 as a fade or $25 as a taper at Lilacroix Barbers in Laurelton, and $20 for kids.

Why curls and a taper work together

A taper fade is a fade that only touches the perimeter. Instead of wrapping the whole head, it takes the sideburns and the nape down short and blends them up an inch or two, leaving the sides and the top at their natural length. A regular fade shortens everything from the ear up to a line; a taper keeps the hair and cleans the edges.

That is exactly what curly hair needs. Curls look best with length, because the pattern only shows once the hair is long enough to coil. The taper lets you keep that length while the edges, where curly hair grows at odd angles and looks messy first, stay clean. The contrast between defined curls and a sharp edge is the whole look, and it is one of the cuts on our services page that works at every age.

Curl patterns 3A to 4C and how the taper changes

The looser the curl, the more the blend shows, so the taper needs more room. The tighter the coil, the more it hides, so the blend can be shorter and tighter.

• 3A and 3B, loose curls: every step between guards is visible. Ask for the blend to finish at a 3, and keep extra length on top so the curls have weight.
• 3C, tight curls: a 2 or a 3 at the top of the blend. The top gets shears only, because a clipper guard through 3C breaks the pattern.
• 4A, coils: a 2 at the top of the blend looks smooth. Sponge or finger coil the top.
• 4B and 4C, tight coils: the blend can finish at a 2 or even a 1.5 and still look seamless. Shrinkage makes the taper look lower once the hair dries, so let the barber place it a touch higher than the photo.

If you are 4A or tighter and want the full afro version, our guide to the afro taper fade covers shaping the top.

Low, mid, high and skin taper for curls, with guard numbers

Placement decides how much curl stays on the sides. Low keeps the most, high keeps the least, and skin takes the bottom to bare.

For most curly heads the low taper is the starting point, and the low taper guide goes deeper on it. The high taper suits dense coils and round faces. The skin taper looks sharpest for about ten days, so it suits men who come in every two weeks.

What to ask your barber

Say taper, say where it ends, say the guard at the top of the blend, and say shears on top. That last part is the one most men forget and the one that matters most.

1. Low, mid or high taper, and whether you want skin at the bottom.
2. The guard at the top of the blend: 2 for coils, 3 for looser curls.
3. Shears on the curls, not a guard, and how much length to take off the top, if any.
4. Natural or squared line up, and whether to leave the hairline where it is.
5. A 0 guard instead of a razor at the nape if you get razor bumps.

Bring a photo of someone with your curl pattern. A taper on 3A curls and on 4C coils are different cuts even when the request sounds the same.

Styling: hydration, definition, no heavy products

Styling a curly taper is three steps: wet the curls, put moisture in, and let them dry without touching them. The taper needs nothing.

On damp hair, work in a leave in conditioner or a curl cream, then a light gel if you want more definition. Scrunch or finger coil, and let it air dry or diffuse on low. A drop of oil on the taper keeps the short hair from looking ashy on dark skin. Heavy pomades and waxes weigh curls down and flake, so keep them for straight hair. Wash once or twice a week with a sulfate free shampoo and deep condition once a week.

Maintenance between visits and the mistakes to avoid

A curly taper looks sharp for two weeks and clean for three. Between visits, protect the curls at night and leave the edges to the barber.

A satin lined durag or pillowcase stops the pillow from frizzing the curls. Refresh in the morning with a spray bottle of water. A $16 line up at the two week mark keeps the hairline and the taper crisp until the next $30 fade or $25 taper.

Mistakes that ruin a curly taper

• A guard run through the curls on top, which flattens the pattern.
• Over washing, which dries the curls and makes the top frizz.
• Heavy product, which clumps curls and turns the taper white.
• Daily heat from a blow dryer, which loosens the pattern over time.
• Household clippers at the sideburn, which leave a notch for two weeks.
• Waiting five weeks, when the taper is gone and the barber starts over.

Kids with curls: $20 cuts that survive school

A low taper on a boy's curls is the school cut that lasts three weeks and needs no product. Kids cuts are $20 at Lilacroix Barbers, and we are patient with first haircuts.

For kids we keep the taper low, the top trimmed with shears so the curls stay soft, and the line up natural so a young hairline is never pushed back. A boy who does not like the clippers yet can start with shears only and a trimmer at the edges, and we go at his pace.

Get your curly taper at Lilacroix Barbers in Laurelton

Lilacroix Barbers is at 232-12 Merrick Blvd in Laurelton, Queens. Walk ins are welcome seven days a week, and you can call (718) 749-5800 to check the wait. Hours are Monday to Thursday 7:30 AM to 7 PM, Friday and Saturday 7 AM to 7 PM, and Sunday 7 AM to 5 PM.

The Q5, Q86 and Q87 stop at Merrick Boulevard and 233rd Street outside, along with the QM63 and QM65 express buses. The fade is $30, the taper $25, the line up $16 and kids $20; the full list is on our services page.

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