The temple fade is the lowest-commitment fade on the menu. It cleans up the temples and the arc behind your ears and leaves everything else alone. That makes it the easiest cut to ask for — and the easiest to fumble if you sit down, mumble “fade,” and hope for the best.
Here is exactly what to say, which guard numbers matter, and what a good barber will ask you before the clippers ever touch your head.
What Should You Actually Say in the Chair?
Keep it to one sentence with three pieces of information: the cut, how tight it goes, and what happens to the rest of your hair.
- The classic: “Temple fade to skin, line me up, don't touch the length on top.”
- The softer version: “Temple fade down to a one, keep it subtle, just clean up the edges.”
- With a beard: “Temple fade to skin, and connect it down into my beard.”
The words “temple fade” do most of the work. Some barbers call the same cut a blowout or a Brooklyn fade — same idea, different city. If you say temple fade and point to the spot just above and in front of your ear, no barber will misunderstand you.
Which Guard Numbers Should You Mention?
A temple fade only covers a small zone, so you really only need to call two numbers.
- The tightest point: skin, a zero, or a one. Skin gives you the crispest contrast and the boldest lineup. A one keeps a shadow of hair, which looks softer and grows out more forgivingly.
- Where it blends to: usually a two or three where the fade meets the rest of your sides. If you wear your sides longer than that, just say “blend it into my natural length.”
Not sure what the numbers mean in millimetres? Read our guard number explainer before you book. And if you'd rather skip the vocabulary test entirely, that's fine — describing what you want in plain words works too. That's literally the job.
Should You Bring a Reference Photo?
Yes — one good photo beats five minutes of describing. But pick it properly.
- Show the side profile. The temple fade lives at the side of the head. A front-facing selfie hides the exact thing you're asking for.
- Match your hair texture. A temple fade on tight coils sits differently than on straight hair. Find a photo of someone whose hair behaves like yours.
- Use a fresh-cut photo. A fade that's two weeks grown out will set the wrong expectation for day one.
One photo, maybe two angles. Anything more and you're showing your barber a mood board, not a haircut.
What Will the Barber Ask You Back?
A proper consultation runs both ways. At Studio K, expect Arron to confirm a few things before starting:
- “How high do you want it behind the ear?” A temple fade can hug the ear tightly or sweep further back toward the crown.
- “Skin at the tightest point, or leave a shadow?” This decides how bold the contrast reads.
- “Square or natural on the lineup?” A sharp square corner looks striking but demands more upkeep as it grows.
- “Are we touching the top?” Many temple fade clients keep their length, curls, or twists untouched — say so clearly.
- “Beard on or off the table?” Blending the fade into your beard finishes the whole look.
Answer those five and you'll walk out with exactly what you pictured. Ready to put it into practice? Book the chair and just bring the photo.