High Top Fade: The Classic Hip-Hop Flat Top, Sculpted and Maintained

Where the high top came from

The high top grew out of Black barbershop culture in the United States in the 1980s and became the defining look of the era's hip-hop, worn by artists and actors from Big Daddy Kane and Kid 'n Play to Will Smith on television. Versions ranged from a short, neat box to towering tops that were deliberately uneven or slanted.

Today it is worn both as a throwback and as a modern cut, usually shorter than the classic tower and paired with a sharper skin fade.

Why it only works on dense, coily hair

The high top holds its shape because tightly coiled hair supports itself; each coil interlocks with its neighbours to form a solid mass that can be cut like foam. Straight and wavy hair falls over under its own weight, so it cannot stand in a block. The closest look for those textures is a flat top, which is shorter and often needs product.

Density matters as much as texture. If the hair is thin at the crown or the front, the top will not look solid when cut flat; you will see scalp through the sides of the block. We check this during the consultation by picking the hair out and looking at it from above.

How a high top is sculpted

Sculpting a high top is mostly about the flat plane on top and the right angles where the top meets the sides. It is done on dry, fully picked-out hair.

1. Pick the hair straight up from the roots so every coil stands at full height.
2. Agree the height, then set the flat top using clipper-over-comb with the comb held level; a flat-top comb with a spirit level helps.
3. Cut the four walls of the block straight down so the front, back and sides are vertical.
4. Fade the sides and back from skin or a very short guard up to the base of the block.
5. Sharpen the corners with the clipper blade, then line up the forehead and temples with a razor.
6. Pick again, check the top from above and the silhouette from each side, and trim any rise.

Classic, short and modern variations

Heights and shapes vary more than people expect, and the right one depends on face length and how much maintenance you want.

Keeping the top flat between visits

A high top loses its sharp edges quickly. Hair at the crown grows faster than the edges for many people, and sleeping flattens one side, so within a couple of weeks the block starts to round off. Book a reshape every two to three weeks; the bald fade will usually be ready before the top is.

At home, pick the top out each morning and pat it into shape with your palms. Moisturise with a light cream or oil so the coils do not dry out and break. At night, a satin scarf or bonnet helps. Avoid tight durags on a tall high top: they compress the shape. More on product choice is in our guide to haircuts for coily hair.

• Do not try to level the top yourself; one wrong pass takes a notch out that needs weeks to grow back.
• Book the fade on the skin fades service page as a Haircut Only.
• Bring a photo: heights and angles vary a lot between high tops.