Locs and Fades: Keeping the Sides Sharp While Locs Grow
Locs and a fade work well together because they run on two separate clocks. The locs on top grow slowly and are maintained every few weeks or months; the faded sides and back grow out within a fortnight and need a barber every two to three weeks to stay crisp. The key decisions are where the locs stop and the fade begins, how high the fade goes, and how the locs are kept out of the way while the sides are cut. Get those right, and the sides can be refreshed in a short visit without touching the locs at all.
Why the two need different care
Locs are long-term. They take months to mature and years to grow, and the care they need, washing, retwisting or interlocking at the roots, drying properly, is slow, deliberate work. A fade is the opposite: short, precise and quick to lose its edge. Hair grows at roughly a centimetre a month, so a skin fade that looks sharp on a Saturday has visibly softened by the following weekend.
That means the best arrangement for most people is to treat them as separate jobs. Your loc maintenance stays with whoever looks after your locs, or with you. The fade, line-up and neckline go to a barber on a shorter cycle. The two meet at the boundary, and that boundary is where most of the planning happens.
Deciding where the locs stop
Before anything is cut, it helps to know how your locs are parted and where the outermost row sits. The fade needs to begin below that row, with enough short hair left above the fade to transition cleanly into the locs. Cut too high and you risk exposing the roots of the bottom locs or, worse, cutting into them. Cut too low and the fade looks like an afterthought.
- Starting locs. If your locs are new, the boundary is easy to set now. Tell your barber you plan to keep the sides faded so the parting can be planned around it.
- Established locs. The boundary is already set by where your locs are. The barber works below it.
- Converting full locs to locs with a fade. This means removing locs on the sides and back, which is permanent. Think about it for a while, and see the barber for an assessment before deciding.
Choosing the fade height
| Style | Where the fade sits | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Taper | Only at the temples and neckline | Fuller locs, a softer look, workplaces that prefer something conservative |
| Low fade | Just above the ears | Most people; tidy without making a statement |
| Mid fade | Around the temple line | Locs worn up or tied back, a cleaner silhouette |
| High fade | Well up the head, close to the locs | High-top locs and bold styles; needs the most frequent refresh |
| Undercut | Short sides with a disconnected line | Locs worn down that should cover the sides when loose |
A useful test is to think about how you wear your locs most days. If they are usually tied up, the sides are on show and a mid or high fade looks deliberate. If you wear them down, a taper or low fade is mostly hidden and grows out more gracefully. Our guides to the low fade and the difference between a taper and a low fade go into the shapes in more detail.
What happens in the chair
- The assessment. Every visit at Highgate Cuts starts with the barber looking at your hair and what you need, then making recommendations. With locs, this includes checking where the bottom row sits and how you usually wear them.
- Securing the locs. The locs are gathered and tied up and away from the area being cut, so nothing is caught by the clippers. Bring a soft tie if you have one you prefer.
- Setting the guideline. The top of the fade is established first, just below the locs, so the rest of the fade can be blended down from it.
- Blending the fade. Clippers at decreasing lengths, working down to the neckline or to the skin, depending on the style.
- Edges. Temples, around the ears and the neckline. If you want a line-up at the front, this is where it happens.
- A final check with the locs down. Untying the locs to see how the fade looks when they fall is the step that catches any uneven line.
How often to refresh the fade
For a skin or high fade, every two weeks keeps it sharp. A low fade or taper can go three weeks, sometimes four. A line-up at the front softens faster than the fade itself; some people book a quick edge-up in between. The loc maintenance schedule is separate and usually much longer. If you are curious about the general timing, our piece on how often to get a haircut covers fades of all kinds.
Keeping the sides tidy at home
- Protect the edges at night. A satin or silk scarf or bonnet reduces friction on both the locs and the short hair at the sides.
- Moisturise the scalp on the faded areas. Short, closely cut hair leaves the scalp more exposed, and textured hair can be prone to dryness.
- Leave the line-up alone. Trying to sharpen it yourself is the fastest way to push the hairline back. Let the barber do it.
- Watch for bumps. Tightly coiled hair cut very close can curl back into the skin. If you get razor bumps on the neckline, a slightly longer finish at the bottom may help; our guide to razor bumps on Black skin explains why.
Tension and the hairline
One honest point about locs worn up: pulling them tightly into a bun or ponytail every day puts steady tension on the hairline and the edges where the locs begin. Over time, that tension can contribute to thinning around the temples, a condition known as traction alopecia. The NHS page on hair loss mentions it. Varying how you tie your locs and keeping ties loose are sensible habits. If you notice your hairline retreating or sore spots at the roots, see your GP or a dermatologist.
Mistakes to avoid
- Letting a high fade go four or five weeks, so it no longer reads as a fade.
- Taking the fade so high that the bottom row of locs looks exposed.
- Cutting your own line-up between visits.
- Tying the locs tightly in the same place every day.
- Not mentioning at the start how you usually wear your locs.
Where to start
If you already have locs and want the sides faded, the first visit is mostly about the assessment and agreeing the boundary. After that, refreshes are quick. Our Highgate barbers cut fades of every height and can talk through which suits how you wear your locs. If you would like more context on textured hair at the barber, see our guide to finding a barber for Afro hair.
Questions we get asked
Can I get a fade with long locs?
Yes. Length on top does not matter much; what matters is where the bottom row of locs sits and how high you want the fade to go.
Will the barber cut my locs?
Not unless you ask. The locs are tied up and out of the way while the sides are faded. Any change to the locs themselves is something to discuss at the start.
Do you retwist locs?
Email us and ask before booking. Our focus is the fade, line-up and edges; for our full list of services, see the barber menu or email us.
How long does a fade refresh take?
Ask when you book and we will tell you how long to allow. A refresh on an established style is shorter than a first visit.
Book with The Highgate House
Ready for a proper cut? Email us at [email protected] with the service and the day that suits you, and we will come back to you with times.
Visit The Highgate House · The barbers
The Highgate House, Archway Road, Highgate, London N6.
