Your body is a temple, sure. But so is your head. Or, at least, it has them, so you may as well make the most of them by tapping the latest and greatest tonsorial trickery.

The temple fade is the most recent in a long line of modern barbering techniques to have taken up residence on heads. An ideal low-risk hair manoeuvre, it has a markedly less striking look than other better-established fade haircuts. Nevertheless, worn right, this subtle element can lend a contemporary touch to a wide variety of hairstyles.

All of which males the temple fade something well worth having jotted down in ole mental Rolodex next time it comes to paying your barber a visit. Here’s what you need to take with you.

What Is A Temple Fade?

You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out what temple fade might look like. The clue is in the name. “A temple fade is a very specific fade where only the temple area on both sides and the nape area at the back of the head are faded out to a grade below that on the sides,” explains Dan Glass, a senior barber at Murdock London. “This is usually down to a grade below a grade two.”

The subtlety of the temple fade means that it can be used to accompany a vast range of men’s haircuts. “From the choppy look to a slick-back or small pompadour – its is adaptable enough to use with any trim,” adds Joth Davies, owner of Savills barber shop.

Traditionally these classic cuts are worn with a short back and sides, so adding a temple fade into the mix can give any style a modern twist. Making it the perfect choice if you want to rock #throwback hair without looking like you’ve just stepped straight out of the Delorean.

How Did The Temple Fade Become Popular?

So when did this subtle styling detail get so big? Well, it didn’t really. For all it’s plus points, the temple fade is still a relatively little-known barbering flex, and often loses out to its more popular options, such as the drop fade, taper fade or low fade.