How to Get a Pompadour Fade (With Expert Styling Tips)

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Contrast a modern fade with the bombastic volume of a pompadour

Co-authored by Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: December 2, 2025 References

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Pompadour Fades Explained

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Types

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What to Ask For

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What to Consider

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Expert Styling Tips

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Video

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Tips

A pompadour fade is a haircut that combines opposites: medium-length, voluminous hair swept back from the forehead on top, with the sides and back shaved down to a seamless, ultra-modern fade. The easiest way to get this eye-catching style yourself is to ask a barber for it. We explain how to do that, and we also cover the types of pompadour fades you can ask for and styling tips from traditional barber Igor Sadurskii and professional hair stylist Martin Nepton.

How to Get a Pompadour with Fade

Ask your barber to leave the hair on top of your head 4 in (10 cm) long and shave the hair on the sides and back of your scalp in a low, mid, high, skin, or burst fade. To style your pompadour, work volumizing mousse into damp roots, then blow-dry it in the opposite direction of where it naturally falls.

Section 1 of 5:

What is a pompadour fade haircut?

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A pompadour fade is a haircut with longer, swept-back hair on top and shaved sides. The pompadour of the 1950s is back, but with a modern twist. The sides and back are shaved with increasingly smaller guards to create a seamless transition from hair to skin. This is called a fade, and it's incredibly popular in 2025. So pairing it with long top layers swept back in a voluminous pompadour is a no-brainer!

Meet the wikiHow Experts

Igor Sadurskii is a traditional barber and educator, as well as an expert in classic and modern men's haircuts and traditional barbering. He's traveled all over the world to teach barbering and has given master classes in over 10 countries.

Martin Nepton is a professional hair stylist with over 11 years of experience. He specializes in helping clients express their queer identity through hair.

Section 2 of 5:

Types of Pompadour Fade Haircuts

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Low fade pompadour Sadurskii says a low fade is when the skin shows just around the ears or higher. For barbers, he recommends following the client's head shape and not ending the fade higher than the occipital bone on the back of the head.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Igor Sadurskii
Traditional Barber

Expert Interview} Pomps that look great with a low fade are:
- Slick-back pompadour
- Curly pompadour
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Mid-fade pompadour A mid-fade starts the transition from thicker to thinner hair in the middle of the scalp, between the temples and the ears. This is a popular fade style to pair with a pompadour. It offers a good balance between the harsh high fade and the subtler low fade. Pomps to rock with a mid fade include:
- Side part pompadour
- Textured pompadour
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High fade pompadour A high fade is when the fade starts around the temples. The result is a more obvious and harsher fade, and your thick pompadour will look stark and dramatic on top of it. Try one of these pomps to go with your high fade:
- Quiff pompadour
- Disconnected pompadour
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Skin fade pompadour A pompadour with a skin fade offers the most dramatic results of all the fade types. To give you a skin fade, your barber will need to shave the hair at the edge of the fade all the way off. Consider if you have any bumps or misshapen areas on the sides and back of your scalp before committing to this hairstyle. The skin fade will leave nothing to the imagination!^{[2]
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Research source} Take your skin fade to the next level with these popular pomps:
- Mohawk pompadour
- Volumized pompadour
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Burst fade pompadour A burst fade curves around the top and back of the ear and fades the hair away from it. This style is a bit more high-maintenance than some of the others because of the shape. But for some, the repeat visits to the barber are well worth it, especially since it adds another interesting element to already stylish pompadours, like this one:^{[3]
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Research source}
- Afro pompadour
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Drop fade pompadour A drop fade is a lower fade style that drops around the ears on the sides and follows the downward curve of the head in the back. This haircut gives you slightly more length closer to the top of your head and your pompadour. Pompadours that go with a drop fade include:
- Wavy pompadour
- Messy pompadour
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Taper fade pompadour If you like the look of a fade with your pompadour, but want something less dramatic and high-maintenance, ask your barber for a taper fade instead. A taper is similar to a fade, but it tends to be more gradual and leave the hair slightly longer.

Section 3 of 5:

How to Ask Your Barber for a Pompadour Fade

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Ask for a pompadour on top and a fade on the back and sides. Ensure your hair is at least 4 in (10 cm) long on top, so your barber can properly cut and style your pompadour.^{[4]
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Research source} As for the fade, decide how high or low you want your fade to be and if you want a special variation like a skin, drop, burst, or taper fade. Let your barber know, so they can cut the sides and back of your hair as short (or leave it as long) as you desire.
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Be specific with your language. Know how high or low you want your fade to be and communicate that with your barber. Avoid just saying, "I want a fade." They may take it shorter or leave it longer than you would have preferred.
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Bring a reference photo. Find a picture of the pompadour fade you want your barber to give you on Google, Pinterest, Instagram, or somewhere else on the internet. Download it to your phone gallery and show it to the barber when you're describing how you want your hair cut and styled.

Section 4 of 5:

What to Consider When Choosing a Pompadour Fade

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Hair thickness Medium is the ideal thickness for a pompadour. If you have thick or thin hair, though, fear not: you can still have a great-looking pompadour! A barber can trim your thick hair toward the back of your head and leave the hair in front longer, so it can lie back and not be quite as tall. This will also make your pompadour a little less dramatic.^{[5]
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Research source}
- Thin hair has a harder time holding its shape, but you can still achieve a modest pompadour by using copious amounts of firm-hold pomade and a comb to shape it.^{[6]
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  Research source}
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Hair type The pompadour can look good on any hair type, including straight, wavy, curly, and kinky. It all comes down to styling. Men with curly hair should enhance their curls with curl cream or mousse. Men with straight or wavy hair should use pomade to give their pompadour shape and lift. Finally, men with kinky, natural hair can use a hair pick to push and tease their hair into their desired pompadour style.
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Face shape The pompadour fade is super versatile and customizable depending on your face shape. This means it can look good on anyone! Here are some guidelines to think about when choosing a pompadour fade that suits your face shape:^{[7]
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Research source}
- Round: Ask for a high fade and a higher pompadour in the front to create the illusion of a longer, slimmer face.
- Square: Ask for a high fade and a soft, rounded pompadour to reduce the harsh planes of your cheeks and jaw.
- Diamond: Ask for a low fade and a long pompadour to create balance.
- Heart: Ask for a mid fade and a pompadour with some length on the sides to prevent the chin from looking too narrow.
- Oval: Ask for any pompadour fade haircut you want!

Section 5 of 5:

How to Style a Pompadour Fade

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Apply a nickel-sized amount of mousse to the roots of damp hair. It can be any type of mousse, but Nepton suggests volumizing mousse. Dispense a small amount onto your fingers, then work it into your roots after you get out of the shower.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Martin Nepton
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview}
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Blow-dry your hair in the opposite direction you want it to fall. For example, says Nepton, if you want more volume when you push your hair back (as in a pompadour), "you're gonna blow-dry it forward toward your face." If you want to minimize volume and build a shorter pompadour, blow-dry it in the same direction it falls.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Martin Nepton
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview}
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Brush your hair while blow-drying to build your desired shape. If you want your pompadour to look more rounded, Nepton recommends brushing your hair with a round brush while you blow-dry it. If you want it to look flatter, use a square brush.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Martin Nepton
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview}
- Nepton also suggests asking your barber to show you which brush to use and how to use it for your particular hairstyle.
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Spritz your hair with hairspray to lock the pompadour in place. Once your pompadour is dried and brushed into your desired shape, hit it with 2-3 spritzes of hairspray. This will cause the hair to stiffen and lock into place, so you don't get any flyaways.

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Tips

Trim your pompadour fade every 2-3 weeks to keep it looking neat and sharp.^{[11]
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Research source}

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Create a custom pompadour fade by downloading photos of multiple pompadour and fade haircuts and pointing out which elements you want your barber to give you.

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