The Unfading Haircut Fad(E)

Just for once hair this out. It’s Au revoir! to the ol' bangs, spikes, buzzcuts and pixies as the new range of fade cuts pave their way into the scene. A fade haircut is a style where the hair gradually decreases in length from the top of the head down the sides and back, often blending into the skin, giving a sharper look. The fade-cut frenzy has swept

across heartthrobs like Hrithik Roshan, Virat Kohli, Ranbir Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, and Hardik Pandya. Hollywood hotties like David Beckham, Miley Cyrus, and Zayn Malik aren’t the ones to miss the ‘cut’. The fade cut isn’t flying solo; it’s rolling with a pack of over 12 sub haircuts, making hairstylists snip and snap their mental calculators to avoid a ‘barbaric’ experience.

Cut To Chase

The fade haircut originated in the US military during the 1940s and 1950s, valued for its practicality and ease of maintenance in the field. With the military’s stringent grooming standards, fade cuts proved to be the ideal sleek, clean, and low-maintenance choice for servicemen. Fade cuts are distinguished by long hair in the front and its decreasing lengths down the sides and back which gradually transitions or tapers until it almost blends in with your skin. The best part about fade cuts is they can be tailored with the innovation in texturing and personalising detailing. The hairstyle allows for unending experimentation according to the head shape and face characteristics of a person and highlights facial features. Jitendra Arvind Bagthariya, hairstylist at B&B Unisex Saloon says, “Since the hair fades from the sides, it strongly highlights the jawline and facial features. The haircut also brings freshness and shine to the face and gives a stylish look.”

A Celeb Favourite!

Celebrities across Bollywood and Hollywood are going gaga over the fade-cut. In Bollywood, Shubham Gill and singer AP Dhillon have flaunted their skin fade cuts. Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli have raised temperatures with their mid-fade and high-fade cuts. Superstars Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff rocked fade cuts in War. Hrithik’s ‘razor sharp style’ became so famous that men made a beeline to the neighbourhood saloons asking for ‘Hrithik-wala haircut.’

In the peak of May summer, Ranbir Kapoor set temperatures soaring with celebrity hairstylist Aalim Hakim’s version of the sleek, slender low-fade cut. But why should only men have all the fun? Singers Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato have each rocked fade cuts with their pixie bobs, proving that women can rock the same hairstyles as men. David Beckham and Zayn Malik have become the unofficial ‘pioneers’ of skin fade and mid fade cuts, so much so that every desi barber shop in India has their faces plastered to lure men into getting the hot fade haircut.

Raaj Gupta, a celebrity hairstylist who works for Shah Rukh Khan speaks on the growing trend of celebrities flocking for the fade cut. “Celebrities opt for the fade haircut because it is in fashion. It is easier to maintain, provides room for experimentation, and gives a unique modern look highlighting the sharp features.” Raaj adds that the most famous fade cuts that celebrities opt for are the short and side fades, mid-fade, and taper fades along with mullets. He says that fade haircuts are versatile and create the illusion of a perfect head shape. “Slight fade cuts complement pixie cuts and asymmetrical bob cuts for women. It gives them a sense of empowerment and helps them accept their natural self,” adds Raaj.

The New Fad

The fade cut comes in various styles, including the skin fade, mid fade, high fade, and low fade. The skin fade blends the hair seamlessly into the skin, while the mid fade starts tapering halfway down the head. The high fade begins near the top, creating a striking contrast, and the low fade offers a subtle, gradual taper closer to the ears. The mullet fade blends a retro mullet with a modern fade, featuring longer hair at the back and shorter sides. The mohawk fade has a central strip of longer hair with sharply faded sides, creating a bold look. The pixie fade combines a traditional pixie cut with a fade, blending short sides and back into a longer, textured top. The fade cut craze is here to stay due to its versatility, low maintenance, and ability to enhance facial features. It offers a modern, clean look that blends for all occasions.

Make The ‘Cut’

• Ranbir Kapoor sported the fade haircut in May 2024

• Shahid Kapoor had an uber-cool side fade cut in Shaandaar

• Hritik Roshan sent men flocking to saloons after his ‘razor-sharp sides’ in War

• Virat Kohli, the king of fade cuts has sported a mid-fade cut, mid-high fade, taper fade and mullet

• Hardik Pandya has toyed with the Mohawk fade, skin fade cut, side fade pompadour, and various high fade with spiked hair

• Zayn Malik has experimented with skin fade, mid fade cut and taper fade cut

• Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato sport the pixie fade and mullet hairstyles

Celebrities opt for the fade haircut because it is in fashion, is easier to maintain, provides room for experimentation and gives a modern look highlighting sharp features.” — Raaj Gupta, Celebrity Hairstylist

The best part about a fade haircut is its low maintenance. Since the hair fades from the sides, it strongly highlights the jawline and facial features.” — Jitendra Arvind Bagthariya, Hairstylist, B&B Unisex Saloon