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The Taper vs the Fade on Kids' Hair

By The Lilacroix barbers · October 27, 2026 · 1,887 words

Parents say taper fade the way they say haircut, as one word for whatever the barber does to the sides. But a taper and a fade are two different cuts, they grow out differently, and on a kid with coily hair the difference decides whether he looks fresh for two weeks or four. We cut both every day on Merrick Blvd, and the choice usually comes down to the school calendar and how often you can get him in.

The direct answer: for a boy who gets a cut every three or four weeks, ask for a taper. For a boy who comes in every two weeks and wants contrast, ask for a low or mid fade. A kids cut is $20 either way. What each cut is, how to choose, the guard numbers we use on 4C, 4A and 3C hair, and the words to say to the barber are below.

The short answer: taper for the long stretch, fade for the fresh look

A taper takes only the sideburns and the neckline short and leaves the sides one length. A fade takes the whole side short and blends it up. The taper lasts longer and is gentler on the skin. The fade is sharper and needs a chair every two weeks.

If you are not sure, start with the taper. It is the easier cut to live with, it leaves room to go to a fade next visit, and it is what we put on most first fades for boys under eight.

What a fade is, and what a taper is

A fade is a gradual change in length on the sides and back, from the length on top down to very short at the bottom, with no visible line between the lengths. The word describes the blend, not the height. A taper is the same idea applied to a much smaller area: just the sideburns and the back of the neck, where the hair naturally meets the skin.

So every taper is a small fade, and the names in a barbershop stack on top of that. A low fade starts just above the ear. A mid fade starts halfway up the side. A high fade starts near the temples. A skin fade, or bald fade, goes all the way to bare skin at the bottom. A taper fade, the phrase everyone searches for, usually means a low fade that is kept soft and close to the natural hairline, which on kids is the one we recommend most.

On coily hair the blend is done with clipper guards, and the barber works from the longest guard at the top of the fade down to the shortest at the bottom, flicking the clipper out at each line so there is no step. On straight hair the same cut shows every mistake. On 4C hair the curl hides a lot, which is one reason fades look so clean on Black kids and why a good one still takes skill.

The three main types, explained for kids

Taper, skin fade and mid fade cover almost every request. The rest are variations on where the line sits.

Taper fade

The sides stay at one length, a 2 or 3 guard for most boys, and only the sideburns and neckline blend down to a half guard. It is the school cut. It grows out so evenly that a boy who misses a week does not look like he missed a week. It is also the right cut for a kid with a sensitive scalp or any history of bumps on the nape, because nothing gets cut below the skin.

Skin fade

The bottom of the sides goes to bare skin and blends up to the top. It is the boldest look and it is what teenagers ask for. On kids we do it with the trimmer at its lowest setting instead of a razor, and we keep the neckline tapered. It looks sharp for about ten days to two weeks, and the grow out shows a shadow on the sides by the third week. Read our fade cut page for what we do on adults.

Mid fade and its low, high and burst cousins

The mid fade sits halfway up the side and is the middle ground: real contrast, moderate grow out. Move the line down and it is a low fade, up and it is a high fade. A burst fade curves the line around the ear instead of running it straight, and a drop fade dips it behind the ear. For boys, low and mid are the two we use most. High fades and bursts are for a kid with a mohawk or frohawk on top who is getting cut every two weeks anyway.

How to choose for your kid

Four things decide it: his hair texture, his head shape, how bold he wants it, and how often you can come back. The last one matters most.

By texture and density

Tight 4C coils shrink, so a 2 guard reads short and a 1 guard reads almost like skin. On 4C we taper with a 1 guard down to a half guard and fade with a 2 guard down to a half guard. Looser 4A and 3C curls do not shrink as much, so we go one guard higher at each step or the sides vanish. Thin or fine hair looks fuller with a taper, because a fade takes away the sides that were giving the head its shape.

By head and face shape

A round head looks good with a mid fade or a drop fade, which lengthens it. A longer face looks better with a low fade or taper that keeps weight on the sides. A kid with a prominent occipital bone at the back of the head looks cleaner with a drop fade that follows the curve rather than a straight line that cuts across it.

By how bold

A taper reads as neat. A low fade reads as fresh. A mid fade reads as a statement. A skin fade reads as the whole statement. Match it to the kid, not the picture on the phone.

By how often you can come back

Every two weeks: any fade works. Every three weeks: low fade or taper. Once a month: taper. This one is the honest filter, and it is the reason we start most boys with the taper. For the fade styles themselves, with photos of what each looks like on coily hair, see our post on boys fade haircuts.

The guard numbers we use on kids' coily hair

Guards are the numbered plastic combs that clip onto the clipper and set the length. The number is roughly the length in eighths of an inch, so a 2 guard leaves about a quarter inch and a 4 guard about half an inch. On coily hair every length looks shorter than the number says because the hair curls.

These are starting points. A barber reads the head in front of him and moves a guard up or down. What stays constant on kids is the bottom line: no razor, neckline tapered, and nothing cut below the skin on the nape. That is the rule that keeps the back of a boy's neck free of bumps, and it is the same rule behind the low taper we recommend for grown men in our post on the low taper fade for Black men.

What to say to the barber

Say the height, the guard on top, and the neckline. That is the whole phrasebook. If you do not know the guards, say how much hair you want left in fingers and we will translate.

• For a taper: a taper, keep the sides a 2, blend the sideburns and the neck, leave the top.
• For a low fade: a low fade, 2 on top of the fade down to a half, tapered neckline, leave the top natural.
• For a mid fade: a mid fade, 2 down to the trimmer, tapered neck, sponge length on top.
• For a skin fade: a skin fade with the trimmer, no razor, tapered neck, and tell us what goes on top.

Add two things if they apply: his school's rules on designs and parts, and whether he has ever had bumps on the back of his neck. The first keeps you out of the principal's office. The second changes how low we go at the nape. And if it is his first time in a chair, say so. We will go slow, let him hold the guard, and take the cut in stages. Everything on this page is on our services menu, and the kids cuts page explains how first haircuts go.

Prices, timing and keeping it up at home

A kids cut is $20 whether it is a taper or a fade. Teens who have moved to the adult menu pay $25 for a taper or haircut and $30 for a fade. A line up between visits is $16.

1. Taper: cut every 3 to 4 weeks, line up optional in between.
2. Low fade: cut every 2 to 3 weeks, line up at the two week mark if stretching it.
3. Mid or high fade: cut every 2 weeks.
4. Skin fade: cut every 10 days to 2 weeks.

At home the top needs more care than the sides. Wash once or twice a week, moisturize on damp hair, pick or brush in the morning, and cover it at night if he wears waves or sponge curls. The sides need nothing. When the sides start to look fuzzy at the hairline, that is the sign for a line up, and when the sides blend into the top, that is the sign for the next cut.

Taper or fade, bring him to Lilacroix Barbers in Laurelton

Tell us how often you can come back and we will pick the cut that fits. Lilacroix Barbers is at 232-12 Merrick Blvd in Laurelton, where the Q5, Q86 and Q87 stop at Merrick Boulevard and 233rd Street. We are open Monday to Thursday 7:30 AM to 7 PM, Friday and Saturday 7 AM to 7 PM, and Sunday 7 AM to 5 PM. Walk ins are welcome, or call (718) 749-5800 to check the wait. Kids cuts, tapers and fades are on our services page.

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