Cut & Style · Sub-chapter 10
How to get a taper that suits your texture and shape.
The taper is one of the most structurally precise cuts in hair — and one of the most misunderstood. Confused with fades, undercuts, and close crops. Here's the distinction, and everything that follows from it.
121 how-to's · Updated 1 May 2026 · Avg. 4 min per piece · Edited by Nelly · Beauty & Style Director
Editor's note
A taper cut gradually decreases the length of the hair from the top downward to the natural hairline — following the natural shape of the head rather than cutting against it. The taper is the most anatomically respectful of the short cut options: it works with the head's shape rather than imposing a new geometry on it. Below: every variation, natural hair specifics, and the maintenance reality.
Taper types
- Low taper — ends above the ear, very clean, very subtle
- Mid taper — ends at the ear, the most common version
- High taper — ends well above the ear, more graphic
- Tapered TWA — uniform short length with a clean taper, very polished
- Tapered locs — locs on top, taper at the sides
All taper how-tos
- Tapered natural hair: the complete guide for Type 4
- Taper vs fade — which suits your face shape better
- Tapered TWA: how to maintain it at home
- Low taper vs high taper — what changes in the result
- Taper for fine straight hair — the case for it