25 Mid Fade Curly Hair Cuts With More Contrast: Make Curls Pop

A classic mid fade with a curly top starts the fade around the temples and blends down from there. The contrast with the curls on top is clear but not extreme.

It’s the most versatile fade height for curly hair. It suits oval, diamond and slightly round faces.

The fade height changes how bold the cut looks. Here’s how low, mid and high fades compare on curly hair.

If you’ve never had a fade, start with a mid taper. You can always go higher at the next appointment.

A mid taper fade on curly hair shortens the sides gradually from the temples down, without going to skin. It keeps a soft, natural look.

It’s a good starting point if you want more shape than a low taper but less contrast than a full fade.

A mid drop fade starts at the temples and dips down behind the ear. The curve follows the shape of the head and frames dense curls neatly.

It’s popular with Black men and anyone with tight coils. The drop keeps the back looking full.

A mid skin fade takes the sides down to bare skin, starting around the temples. The curls on top really stand out against the clean sides.

Skin fades lose their crispness fast. Book touch-ups every one to two weeks.

A mid bald fade with tight curls shaves the sides completely from the temples down. Short, tight curls on top keep the shape neat and compact.

The short top and bald sides make this one of the lowest-effort curly cuts day to day. There’s almost nothing to style.

A low-to-mid taper starts low at the back and rises toward the temples. It blends gradually and looks natural on looser curls.

It suits men who want a bit more contrast at the front than at the back. The back grows out softly.

A high-mid fade sits between a mid and a high fade. It works well when you have plenty of curl volume on top to balance the shorter sides.

The higher the fade, the more the top curls need to carry the shape. Short curls with a high fade can look thin.

Skip It If You Have Fine or Sparse Curls

A higher fade shows more scalp around the top. Fine or thinning curls look fuller with a lower fade.

A curly high-top fade grows the hair tall on top and fades the sides. It’s a bold, retro shape that needs dense, tight coils to stand up.

Where the High-Top Fade Came From

According to Wikipedia, the hi-top fade was common among young Black American men from 1984 to 1993, with a smaller revival in the mid-1990s. It was closely tied to hip hop during its golden age, and became a symbol of rap culture in the late 1980s.

Today’s versions are usually a little shorter and softer than the original towering shapes. A mid fade keeps the sides clean without making the top look too tall.

A mid fade curly fro keeps a rounded fro on top with tapered sides. The fade makes the fro look shaped rather than wide.

Pick out the fro before your barber shapes it. That gives an even, round outline.

A mid fade with defined ringlets shows off springy, separated curls on top. The clean sides make the ringlets the focus.

Definition comes from product and technique, not the cut alone. Apply styling cream to soaking-wet hair so curls clump together.

A mid fade curly texture crop keeps short curls falling forward with a clean fade. It’s compact, modern and easy to style.

It needs only a little curl cream to define the top. Most mornings, water and your fingers are enough.

A mid fade with a curly fringe crop pushes curls forward over the forehead. The mid fade gives the fringe a clean frame.

It suits high foreheads and longer faces. Keep the fringe a little longer than you think, since curls shrink when dry.

Parted loose curls with a mid taper look classic and polished. The side part and longer, flowing curls feel refined, almost old-money.

The mid taper keeps the sides tidy so the curls don’t look shaggy. It works well for offices and formal events.

A mid fade curly blowout stretches the curls into a soft, rounded shape on top. The mid fade adds clear contrast underneath.

Heat is part of a blowout, so a heat protectant matters. Blow-dry on medium heat rather than high.

A mid fade with blonde curly highlights adds colour to the curl tips. The faded sides keep the colour on top as the focus.

Bleach is hard on curls. In a NaturallyCurly column on bleached curls, curl specialist Ouidad explains that “bleach strips the proteins out of your hair, causing your curls to collapse.”

A mid fade with sponge twists turns short coils into small, defined twists on top. The mid fade keeps the sides neat.

Making Sponge Twists at Home

A twist sponge does most of the work. Your hair needs to be at least an inch long on top.

A mid fade undercut with long curls in a bun keeps the top long while the sides stay short. Tied back, it looks clean; worn down, it shows off the curls.

The undercut needs regular touch-ups so it stays sharp under the bun.

Long curly hair with a mid taper keeps the length on top while tidying the sides. It stops long curls from looking heavy around the ears.

A mid fade curly hair design adds shaved lines or patterns on the sides. The mid fade gives plenty of space for the design to show.

Simple designs grow out cleanly. Complex ones blur within a week.

Getting a Detailed Design Without Planning Touch-Ups:

A detailed design looks great for a few days, then fuzzes over as the hair grows. Choose a simple design if you can’t visit your barber every week.

Mid fade curly hair with a beard creates a strong, connected look. The fade blends from the curls down into the beard.

A short curly crew cut with a mid fade keeps about an inch of curls on top. It’s neat, simple and easy to manage.

It’s a good option for men who want curls without daily styling. Wet hands and a quick scrunch are enough.

A mid fade on mixed-texture hair handles different curl patterns on the same head. The faded sides reduce the areas where textures clash.

Mixed hair often has tighter curls at the crown and looser ones at the front. A barber needs to cut each area to how it actually falls.

A teen mid fade curly hair cut looks sharp but still fits most schools. Two inches of curls with a mid fade is easy to look after.

A little curl cream and a scrunch is enough. Teens can be ready in a minute.

A boys’ mid fade curly hair cut keeps the curls on top and the sides cool and neat. A taper rather than a skin fade is gentler for kids.

Some kids hate the clippers. On a Berkeley Parents Network thread about a toddler terrified of clippers, parents found scissors-only cuts and stylists who only used clippers “if he’s on board” made haircuts much easier.

A gentle mid taper for toddler curls keeps baby curls on top and tidies the sides softly. A taper, not a skin fade, is kinder for young children.

Preparation helps a lot. The NHS occupational therapy team in Cwm Taf Morgannwg suggests letting your child “hold them first to feel the vibration” if clippers will be used, and using headphones to reduce noise.