What distinguishes a skin (bald) fade from other tapered cuts?
- The hair is left at a #2 guard length around the hairline
- The top is cut flat and level, like the bristles of a stiff brush
- The neckline is squared off with a hard line at the nape
- The hair blends all the way down to bare skin at the bottom
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D. The hair blends all the way down to bare skin at the bottom
In a skin fade the shortest area is taken to the skin and the length builds gradually upward with no visible line. A squared nape with a hard line is a blocked neckline, which is the opposite of a faded finish.
Reference: Barbering theory: men's haircutting (fades)
In a high fade, where is the shortest section carried to before it blends into the longer hair?
- Just above the ears and along the natural nape hairline
- Up near the temples and the upper sides of the head
- Only along the sideburns and the edge of the neck
- Halfway between the ear and the occipital bone
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B. Up near the temples and the upper sides of the head
A high fade takes the short area up toward the temples and parietal ridge before the blend begins. Stopping just above the ears and nape is a low fade.
Reference: Barbering theory: men's haircutting (fades)
In clipper-over-comb cutting, what determines how long the hair is left?
- The speed at which the clipper motor is running
- The position of the client's head in the headrest
- The distance and angle at which the comb is held from the head
- The number of times the clipper passes over the comb
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C. The distance and angle at which the comb is held from the head
The comb lifts the hair and acts as the guide; the clipper cuts whatever projects past its teeth, so the comb's distance and angle set the length. Extra passes do not shorten hair that the comb is holding.
Reference: Barbering theory: men's haircutting (clipper-over-comb)