Mid Fade: The Temple-Line Fade and Why It Is Most Requested

The three reference points barbers use to place a mid fade

Barbers place a mid fade using three landmarks: the temple recession, the top of the ear and the line of the eyebrow. Heads vary, so no single measurement works for everyone, but these points keep both sides even and keep the height looking deliberate.

• The temple: the soft dip where the front hairline turns down toward the sideburn. A mid fade usually starts right about here.
• The top of the ear: the fade line sits a few centimetres above it, clearly higher than a low fade and well below the crown.
• The eyebrow line: tracing straight back from the outer end of the eyebrow gives a quick check that the line is level from side to side.
• Behind the ear, the line carries horizontally around the back, usually meeting at or just below the occipital bone.

Why most people end up asking for a mid fade

A mid fade is the most requested height because it looks obviously faded from every angle while still leaving hair over the upper sides to cover lumps and flat spots. It is the compromise between the quiet low fade and the bold high fade.

It also photographs well. The blend sits right in the frame of a phone camera at eye level, so it is the height most people have in their reference pictures when they sit down. Our journal piece on choosing between low, mid or high fades walks through the decision if you are torn.

Mid fades with textured crops

A textured crop and a mid fade are a natural match because the fade removes bulk exactly where a crop tends to puff out. We point-cut the top to 3 to 6 cm, leave a short fringe, and blend the fade line into that texture so there is no shelf where the two meet.

The result is a shape that looks good with just a pinch of clay or powder, and it survives a toque in February better than a slicked style. For the top itself, see our textured crop page.

Mid fades on curly and coily hair

On curly hair a mid fade frames the curls and stops the head from looking wide. Curls stack outward at the sides, so taking the fade to the temple line keeps the silhouette narrow while the top stays round and full.

We cut the blend a little tighter on curly hair because coils lift off the scalp and exaggerate any shadow line. We also leave the curl pattern intact on top and shape with scissors rather than thinning it out. The curly fade page has more on shaping the top.

How often a mid fade needs cutting

A mid fade needs a cut every two to three weeks to stay crisp. The skin section is taller than on a low fade, so regrowth shows sooner, but there is less of it than on a high fade.

A useful routine is a full cut every three weeks with the lineup still fairly sharp, or every two weeks if you have dark, dense hair where stubble shows against the scalp quickly. People with lighter or finer hair can often stretch toward four.

1. Week 1: crisp line, clear contrast between skin and top.
2. Week 2: the bottom reads like a shadow finish; still neat from a distance.
3. Week 3: the blend begins to lose its gradient and the neckline fuzzes. Rebook here.
4. Week 4 and on: the fade reads as short sides with no distinct line.

What to expect in the chair

We start with a consultation, look at how your temples recede and whether your ears sit level, then mark the guideline with a trimmer. The blend is built up in stages, refined with lever and flicking work, and detailed before the lineup is taken clean with a razor.

Every Haircut Only includes a hot towel, a wash and a head massage. Book through our skin fades service or check a barber's recent work in the portfolio.