Are you interested in learning how long should a fade haircut take?
Is your barber rushing out to get more clients or he is too slow?
If these questions have crossed your mind you are in the right place! Fade haircuts are the most fashionable and stylish haircuts and there are millions of people that love them.
In this article, we will discuss the factors that affect how long a fade haircut will take, the steps of the haircut so that you get an idea of what a barber should do and much more!
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
What Is Actually A Fade Haircut?
Before we start talking about the steps and the duration of the fade haircut let’s make sure we are all on the same page.
In general, a faded haircut is a haircut in which hair length gradually transitions from long to short on the sides and the back of the hair.
For example, if you have on the top of your sides 10mm long hair, on the mid of your sides 8mm long hair and lower part of your sides 6mm long hair, this can be regarded as a faded haircut.
Read Also: The Number 1 Fade Haircut Ultimate Tutorial
However, what most people mean by saying ”I want a fade haircut” is a haircut in which the length of the hair gradually goes from long to short but also involves cutting the side hair as much as possible up to a certain point.
The level of the fade can be high, medium or low. This has to do with how high the shortest part of the hair goes up to the head before becoming longer and longer.
High fades involve shaving hair high on your sides, medium fades extend till the mid of your side hair and lower fades go around your ears and low on your neck.
This technique should erase visible lines between the different guards.
Read Also: How To Keep A Fade Haircut Fresh
If after the haircut you have visible lines on your head, the haircut is not good and needs fixing. Always keep this in mind. The difference in hair length is obviously noticeable but there should not be any lines.
Factors That Affect How Long A Fade Haircut Will Take
The required time for a fade haircut to be done depends on a variety of factors. We have to understand this stuff before we answer the question precisely.
Let’s start.
The Hair Type
Thinner hair is much easier to cut compared to thick and coarser hair. The effort of cutting thicker hair is higher and needs more precision and time. Therefore, the barber cuts hair at a slower pace so that he does not make mistakes. One wrong move can destroy a haircut if you are inexperienced.
The Hair Clippers Itself
There are good and bad hair clippers. Can we agree on that?
There are also clippers that do better on specific tasks but lack performance on other tasks. If the barber does not have excellent hair clippers, he will need more time and effort to achieve the desired result.
Buying high-quality hair clippers should be a must for every barber in my opinion.
If Washing Is Included
That’s self-explanatory. If you have washed your hair prior to visiting the barber he will do the haircut faster. If detailed washing with massage is done, the time required for the haircut increases. (3-5 minutes)
If The Hair On Top Need Trimming As Well
This one plays a very important role. If the client does not want any cutting to his hair on the top, this can save the barber a whole lot of time.
On the other hand, if he wants something special, a design, a line or anything like that on top of the actual shortening of the hair this adds up a lot.
Cutting the hair on top is a real headache if the client wants something really unique and special if you are in a rush.
Fade Type
The fade types as we have briefly mentioned are high, medium and low.
In theory, the low fade is easier and faster because they only have to shave a small area compared to medium and high fades.
I am not personally very sure that the fade type actually plays a role since in every fade type you have to fade all the way up but in theory yes. It can play a role.
How Deep The Fade Will Be (If a shaver is used)
This one actually is less debatable. If the barber shaves deeper either by applying more strength or by going against the grain over and over or by using an electric shaver or a razor, it will definitely take him more time to complete the haircut.
Most of the time, good barbers use electric shavers around the ears and low on the neck to make the fade even better. You know from completely shaven, to stubble, to guard 1 and then guard 2 before connecting the top of the sides with the longer hair on top.
Your Barbers Experience And Preferences
This is also huge. If a barber is new and is scared of making a mistake, a fade haircut might take him a little longer than usual. That’s normal. Isn’t it?
Also, let’s be real. Some barbers focus on making money and doing their job fast to have more clients while others take their time and maybe do their job better.
I think in the long term, the second option will make you more money.
No matter what my opinion is, experience and personal preferences play a very significant role in how long a haircut will take.
How Long Should A Fade Haircut Take?
In short, an experienced barber should be able to do a fade haircut in about 30-45 minutes. Sometimes, the haircut will be done in 30 minutes and other times in 45 because it depends on a variety of factors. Cutting hair is an art, therefore, a quality haircut will take some time.
Before you get crazy and argue that barbers will lose money if it takes them so long for a haircut, think about it. When you pay attention to details, people take notice. When your work is of high quality, people take notice. When you show them that you care about them, people take notice.
Happy customers that get compliments when you cut their hair will undeniably come back to you. Yeah, even if your price is a bit higher. They will come back. Because haircuts nowadays are that important for people. This is the truth.
People do not pay for the clippers and the scissors. People pay for the pleasant environment, for the great ending result, for the compliments they get afterwards, for the massage you do when you wash their hair. People pay for your services, not for the removal of their hair!
Do you get it?
It is not just about shortening your hair because it grew too much. Your hair says much about you, about the effort you are putting into yourself, how people see you, what you communicate, boosts your confidence and much more.
To sum things up, good fade haircuts take some time. Don’t expect to get a quality haircut in 15-20 minutes.
Having said that, lemme tell you the steps of a good fade haircut so that you understand why it takes over half an hour to be done.
Fade Haircut Brief Tutorial To Understand The Steps That Take The Most Time
Let’s get straight into it.
What do we need for a fade haircut?
The basics:
- Hair clippers (Probably more than one)
- Electric Shaver (Optional but helps the haircut be better and last longer)
- Scissors
- A Hair Brush
Step 1
Washing the hair or spraying it down to be able to cut easier. If the hair is sprayed, the process will be fast but if they wash people’s hair it will take some time. (3-5 minutes)
Step 2
Understanding exactly what haircut the customer is asking for.
Step 3
Starting the fade without placing a guard on the clippers. The first step is to create an outline up to the point the customer wants the fade (high, medium, low fade). Then, cut anything below that line.
Step 4
Erasing the lines.
To do that, they use the next guard for instance, guard 1 if they firstly cut without a guard. They use this guard for about 1-2 fingers above the shaven area. Then, they either apply a guard 0,5 if possible or hold this guard very softly precisely along the line so that they erase it without cutting much hair above the line.
Step 5
Then, they move on higher. They get an even longer guard for example, guard number 2 and they smoothly connect the area cut with the number 1 guard and the area where hair is cut with the number 2 guard with the same technique.
Step 6
When this is done on both sides and the back of the hair as well, they move to the top. For this area, they may use scissors if their hair is long. It takes quite a bit to also cut the top hair properly.
Step 7
After that, it is time for the details. Here they may use the line-up or edger trimmer to make the haircut look sharper on the forehead.
Step 8
The final step is to fade the top of their beards if they have got one because it won’t look ok if they have shaven their side hair but their beard is very long on the sideburns. It should gradually get longer and longer as it goes from top to bottom.
Step 9
They review the whole thing and see if everything is fine. If not, they fix some more details.
Step 10
Barbers remove the barber cape and they shave their client’s necks.
Step 11
Optionally they wash customers’ hair and they apply a styling product.
Read Also: Do Hair Waxes And Gels Actually Expire?
And that’s it! That’s the process. Some barbers also blow people’s hair dry. Attention to detail is crucial for success. All of these things cannot be done perfectly in 15-20 minutes. Can they?
Lemme know if you have a different opinion.
Do Fades Look Good On Anyone?
Even if this sounds weird, fade haircuts look good on most people!
This is why they suit nearly all face shapes and make their faces look more angular because with this haircut they don’t have much hair on the sides. Perfect for men with round or square faces. Fade haircuts improve their style a lot!
Fade haircuts, gentlemen, also make you look younger. Who doesn’t want to look young and handsome? I bet not many of you. Hopefully!
Finally, fade haircuts help you show your face and your eyes better. The fact that they make your face look more angular is very important.
Read Also: How To Get Karim Benzema Haircut
The only disadvantage I think fade haircuts have is that they require often maintenance. Otherwise, in 10-14 days they are gone.
Conclusion
Fade haircuts from experienced barbers take 30-45 minutes to get done properly. This includes everything that the haircut needs from start to finish. Many factors play a role but the fact is that a barber is an artist. A good haircut will take a reasonable amount of time to get done.
If a barber is not experienced enough he will either make a bad fade haircut with visible lines, maybe not sharp and symmetrical enough or he will take his time. (45 minutes to 1 hour)
It is ok for him to be late if he is doing his job right. What is not ok, is to end a haircut before he gets it right because the next client is waiting. That’s unacceptable for me.
So, if you are a barber and it takes you more than 30 minutes to get a fade haircut done, keep in mind that it is normal!
If you are a client, don’t rush your barber! And if your barber is rushing to make more money temporarily don’t visit him again!
Read Also: Captain America Haircut
Plain and simple. We talk truth on this website.
And that’s it for today’s article. I really hope you liked it and found it helpful.
If you have any comments or questions feel free to write them in the comment section below and we will be more than happy to help.
Until next time,
Stay safe gentlemen,
Tasos
Tasos Moulios is the founder of Beardlong. He loves trying different beard and hair styles and blogs about them. The tips he shares come from his own experience and love for what he does.