Temple Fade Haircut: The Subtle Temp Fade That Cleans Up the Frame

A temple fade — usually shortened to temp fade, and called a Brooklyn fade in some shops — is the most restrained entry in the fade family. Rather than fading the entire perimeter of the head, it blends down the temple area and the front sideburn on each side. In its strictest form, everything behind that — the back of the head, the lower sides, the top — stays at whatever length it was; many barbers also clean up the neckline in the same way (more on that below). The effect is a clean, defined frame around the face without any dramatic reduction in overall hair length. It is one of the most popular techniques for textured, Afro, and curly hair precisely because it adds refinement without taking away volume or natural shape.

Exactly what the temple fade does

Imagine your natural hairline at the temple — the point where the forehead hair ends and the sideburn begins. A temple fade takes that section, usually 2–4 cm wide, and graduates it from very short (bare skin or a #0.5 shadow) at the lowest point up to the existing hairline length. The blending zone extends a short distance above the natural temple line, giving the hairline a soft, graduated edge rather than an abrupt one.

The key is that it stops there. A barber doing a temple fade does not continue the fade around the back of the head. The shape of the hair behind the ears and at the nape remains completely natural. This is why the temp fade is sometimes called a "hairline fade" or "front fade" in some barbershops — it is all about the front frame.

Temples only, or temples and neckline?

Barbers use "temp fade" in two slightly different ways. The strict version fades only the temples and sideburns. The equally common version also fades the nape at the back, so the cut is short at the temples and the neckline but full everywhere in between — this is what many shops mean by a "Brooklyn fade" or "temple taper". Neither is wrong, which is why it pays to say exactly which you want (see the script below).

Temple fade vs. full fade: key differences

Understanding the difference matters because they require completely different maintenance schedules and produce very different visual results. See the full fade haircut guide to compare all fade types side by side.

Guard numbers for a temple fade

Because the faded area is only a few centimetres tall, a temp fade uses a short run of lengths. A typical sequence from the bottom of the sideburn upward:

On a full Afro or longer curls the fade stops at the natural hairline rather than climbing into the bulk of the hair. See the clipper guard sizes chart for every guard in inches and millimetres.

Temple fade vs. taper vs. line-up

These three get mixed up constantly. A line-up (or shape-up) just sharpens the edges of the hairline with a trimmer — no graduation at all; see our line-up guide. A taper gradually shortens the hair at the sideburns and the neckline, usually finishing at a short guard rather than skin. A temple fade puts a genuine fade — often down to skin — at the temples, and in its two-zone form at the neckline too. In practice, a temp fade is a taper with more contrast, and it is very often finished with a line-up across the forehead.

Why the temple fade is the default for Afro and textured hair

For people with type 3 curly, type 4 coily, or Afro-textured hair, a full fade often means removing a significant amount of hair volume that took weeks or months to grow. The temple fade is the answer to wanting clean edges without sacrificing that volume. It frames the face at the most visible point — the temples — without touching the crown, the sides, or the nape.

On an Afro in particular, the temp fade creates a clean border between the fade and the natural hair shape, making the overall silhouette look intentional and defined. The fade emphasises the roundness of a full Afro rather than working against it. The same principle applies to two-strand twists, locs, or any natural style where length and volume are priorities. See our guide to hair types for more on styling and caring for natural texture.

Styles that work with a temple fade

Because the temple fade changes so little of the overall length, it is incredibly versatile. It can be added to almost any existing hairstyle as a refinement:

• Afro — the go-to combination. The faded temples give the Afro a finished front edge without reducing its size.
• Textured crop or French crop — a short top with a temp fade gives an urbane, low-maintenance look. Read the French crop guide for product and length advice.
• Comb-over or side part — the temp fade under a side-parted style makes the front of the part look cleaner and more deliberate. See the comb-over guide.
• Longer natural styles — medium-length locs, coils, or curls all benefit from a clean temple line without needing a dramatic cut.
• Edgar cut — the blunt-edged top of an Edgar with a temple fade below the front hairline is a popular street-style combination. See the Edgar cut guide.

How to ask your barber for a temple fade

1. Say "temple fade" or "temp fade" and point to the temple area on each side of your head to confirm scope — barbers sometimes interpret it differently.
2. Specify the depth: "bare skin at the lowest point" for maximum contrast, or "shadow fade to a #0.5" for something softer.
3. Tell them whether you want a hard line-up along the front hairline or a natural blended edge.
4. Say whether you want the neckline faded too, or the back and lower sides left completely untouched — this is where most temp-fade misunderstandings happen.
5. If you need the whole head tidied up as well as the temples, say so separately and be clear about how much length to take off the top.

For the full vocabulary of how to communicate with your barber, our guide to asking your barber covers everything you need. Unsure what guard sizes mean? Check the clipper guard sizes chart.