Burst Fade Haircut: What It Is & The Best Styles For 2024

A burst fade is a tapered buzz cut, shaped to follow the natural curve around the ear to the back of the head. Instead of squaring the edges off with straighter lines, as seen on a more traditional fade, with a burst fade the hair is generally left longer towards the central region at the back of the neck, providing a more rounded template to be styled out from.

10 Cool Burst Fade Haircuts For Men

This style of fade is highly adaptable, as seen across the burst fade haircuts below, creating the potential for a multitude of different styling options given its clean, adaptable appearance.

French Crop With Burst Fade

This burst fade has been approached with plenty of creative flair and can be replicated using a texturising paste or lighter matte clay. The sharp texture ruffled through from the top blends in nicely to the cropped fringe, while the burst fade around the ear keeps the overall shape clean and tight.

This is perfect for guys with finer hair but such a defined short haircut will need regular upkeep from a barber.

Textured Crop With Burst Skin Fade

@puffyjaww

This contemporary burst fade showcases the best of everything: straight lines cut in for some sharp definition, complemented by some meticulous creative shaping around the ear and faded into the facial hair.

It’s a great hairstyle for thicker hair as the cropped cut defines the shape and the hair itself doesn’t require much movement or flexibility at all to work into place.

Neat Afro With Burst Fade

@usher

This is a super clean example of a burst fade on Mr R&B himself, Usher, with the contrast between his natural afro texture and the squarer shaped profile what makes it.

The fade itself is kept relatively low around the ear and blends neatly into the sides and up to the lifted, thicker texture on top. The defined edges cut across the fringe and leading into the sides sign this look off with performance-ready precision.

Pompadour With Burst Fade

@mr.barber_

Straight, thick hair can sometimes prove difficult to work with but this pompadour sweeps up neatly into place courtesy of a slick, malleable styling product.

The burst fade itself is cut relatively high above the ear to create some disconnection between the hairline and the beard, while the top and back are kept slightly longer but styled within proportion to the overall lifted shape.

Short Afro With Burst Fade

@steellegbarber

This is a great burst fade on afro-textured hair that showcases plenty of natural curl and height. The super sharp line cutting across the front blends perfectly with the curved burst fade along the side and over the ears to create a tight foundation for the texture on top to take centre stage.

Fading down to the skin can sometimes feel a bit extreme, but on a hairstyle like this it provides creative shaping along the back and sides while still blending cleanly with the rest of the cut.

Mohawk With Burst Fade

@mmichaeljoseph

The burst fade here covers just the edges around the sides, leaving plenty of length on the top to create the choppy, lifted mohawk-esque shape that blends nicely into the thicker back section.

The heavy texture of this hair and minimal product requirement makes the volume on top appear less harsh and more ‘fluffed’ as opposed to ‘spiked’, leaving a cleaner overall finish with plenty of flair.

Curly Hair Burst Fade

@malojuic3

This is such a modern curly hair fade for guys that just want to let loose.

The disconnection from the top to the sides, along with the tight burst fade over the ear, allows the curls to show off their natural volume and shape – lifting from the front right over to the back of the neck.

Buzz Cut With Burst Fade

@thomascutit

This would be considered an extremely high burst fade as the curve follows around the ear and blends high up through the sides towards the top of the head, demanding attention.

Keeping the back cut and styled naturally and in proportion with the neat, flat top showcases the barber’s skilful clipper work while putting a greater emphasis on the more dramatic fade along the side.

Ivy League Haircut With Burst Fade

@tiphaine.le.barbier

This is a great example of how a burst fade haircut can work for guys with particularly fine hair that’s cut short. The fade itself follows a clean curve over the ear and blends nicely with the scissor-cut hair above and facial hair below.

Sweep the hair on top nearly into place and give a little lift to the fringe using a texturising paste or a water-based pomade if you’re looking for a slicker finish.

Slick Side Parting With Burst Fade

@javenessi

A slicker, static finish like this can be the ideal solution when it comes to styling thicker hair.

The burst fade here has been focused along the sides and over the ear, leaving the back to sit longer and heavier, giving the overall shape an almost mullet-like effect.

The sleek side parting can be combed in with a pomade-like styling product that will also help the hair at the back stay licked down.