The Fade Guide: Numbers & Fade Types
When a barber asks "what number?", the number is a clipper guard, and each guard is a length: a 1 leaves an eighth of an inch, a 2 a quarter inch, a 3 three-eighths, and so on up the ladder, the lengths come straight from the clipper maker's own chart. This page is the translation table between what you say and what the clippers do, plus every fade type in plain words.
The numbers, exactly
Per the published guard chart from Wahl, the clipper maker whose numbering everyone borrowed: a ½ guard leaves 1/16", a 1 leaves 1/8", a 1½ leaves 3/16", a 2 leaves 1/4", a 3 leaves 3/8", a 4 leaves 1/2", a 5 leaves 5/8", a 6 leaves 3/4", a 7 leaves 7/8", and an 8 leaves a full 1". "Skin" or "zero" means no guard at all. The table below is interactive, pick a number and see what you are really asking for.
The fade families
Taper: gradual shortening only at the neckline and sideburns; the conservative classic. Low fade: the transition stays low, above the ear; subtle, office-proof. Mid fade: the blend rises to the temple line; the most-asked-for fade in the valley. High fade: transition up near the crown line; maximum contrast, boldest look. Skin (bald) fade: any of the above taken to bare skin at the bottom. Drop fade: the line drops in an arc behind the ear, hugging the head's natural curve. Burst fade: a sunburst arc around the ear only, usually paired with longer necks, the mohawk and south-of-France cuts live here.
How to ask for what you want
The order that always works: number on the sides, fade type, what happens on top. "A two mid fade, scissor work on top, square neckline." If you do not know the words, point at the picture or describe the last cut you loved, translating is our job, not yours. And when in doubt, ask for the longer guard: we can always take more off, and nobody has ever un-cut a zero.
Try the numbers
A number 1 leaves about 1/8 inch, a tight, low-maintenance buzz length.
Guard lengths per the clipper maker's published chart (Wahl guide combs).
Common questions
What is the most common fade?
In this shop: a 2 on the sides with a mid fade, scissor or crop work on top. It flatters most heads, grows out gracefully, and photographs well, the sensible default if you are undecided.
What do barbers mean by a "weight line"?
The visible band where short meets long before it is blended away. Spotting and erasing weight lines is most of what separates a careful fade from a fast one.
Does my fade number change for thick or thin hair?
Yes, the same guard reads shorter on fine hair and bulkier on dense hair. Tell us the look you want in words or pictures; the exact guard is our problem.