The 30 Best Tapered Haircuts for Natural Curls

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Those with natural hair have so many gorgeous styling options. For starters, theres an endless slew of protective styles to choose from, countless ways to style and volumize your curls, and hundreds of way to wear shorter lengths. Not to mention, theres more than a handful of undercuts, mohawk-inspired styles, sleek looks, as well. However, one of our favorite way to style natural hair is with a tapered haircut.

Tapered haircuts are characterized by length that varies from one length to the other. So, that means everything from low fade buzz cuts, asymmetrical bobs, long curly layers, etc. The great thing about tapered haircuts is that they can be customized to your hair type, curl pattern, length, and face shape to find a personalized style that suits you best.

To help inspire your next trip to the salon, we tapped two professional hairstylists who share the 30 best tapered haircuts for people with natural hair and more than a handful of styling tips. From Amandla Stenbergs tapered box braids and Angela Bassetts layered curls to Danai Guriras buzzcut designs and Zendayas modern pixie, keep scrolling for the best looks.

Meet the Expert

Alicia Bailey is a hairstylist and the director of education at hair care brand Design Essentials.

Andrea Dent is a hairstylist with Mahogany Natural Hair Salon and Spa, with locations in West Palm Beach and Lake Worth, Florida.01 of 30

Comb-Over Fro-Hawk

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Make an impact à la Rihanna with this fun haircut. "I love to see women wearing a fro-hawk," says Bailey. "The fro-hawk is a bold style that can be worn in many ways. Since the hair is usually faded, tapered, or close on the sides, the drama is usually in the top or along the middle of the head."

Soft Cut

@gabunion

A deep side part is a great way to highlight your faded sides. You can leave the rest of your hair any length you want, but to see that side part you worked so hard for, you should keep your cut at an inch or two.

Tapered Box Braids

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Give your protective style a little more flair by adding subtle tapered length for a blink-and-youll-miss-it moment.

Voluminous Bob with Bangs

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Amp up the volume for your curls for a voluminous look that looks tapered and stylish. Just use a curl-defining product on your strands to ensure a coiffed and controlled look à la Solange.

Tapered Afro

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Low-key naturals at stage two in their hair journey can join the tapered haircut team by keeping hair shorter at the back of the head. This creates a choppy, medium-sized afro that still maintains definition. To make the cut stand out, fluff up the front of your hair and pull a few strands to create wispy curls.

Curly Coiffure

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Keep your curls at the top of your head and leave the the rest tapered into shorter length for a look that draws attention to your crown. If you love the look but dont want to commit to this type of tapered style, simply throw you rhair up into a high puff for a similar effect.

Peekaboo Cut

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Delight onlookers with a hidden undercut design. The box braids on top can be swooped up into a high bun to show off your shaved sides to create a visually stunning way to draw attention to your style. Simply pull your hair up to reveal your tapered cut.

Ask your stylist to add detail to your undercut via a shock of color or a design made in braids or twists (think Senegalese twists dyed in a range of purple hues). These unexpected details can freshen up casually styled hair.

Asymmetrical Curls

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An asymmetrical cut will always stay in style, and you can make the look your own with your natural texture.

Auburn Waves

@nappyfrancophones

Naturalistas who want to enjoy short hairs benefits without chopping it off can elevate their look with a teeny weeny afro. The secret to this look? Keep hair short enough to be out of the way and long enough to show off your texture.

A handy boar bristle brush can lay down baby hairs or create soft waves, while a monthly (or weekly) auburn rinse adds a touch of color. The gold standard is the Mason Pearson Handy Mixture Bristle Hair Brush ($175).

Asymmetrical Buzzcut

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Mimimic that punky style by shaving off one side of your hair . On the other side, you can do anything from letting your curls run free to implementing box braids as a protective style.

High Fade

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A high fade lets you get the flat-top look without the height maintenance—all it takes is a little buzz to the sides of your head. The contrast between the different lengths of hair creates a dashing gender-neutral style.

Bold Fro-Hawk

@bydaniellerenee

If daring is your middle name, youll love the idea of a colorful frohawk. Ask your stylist to buzz off the sides, create a shape—like a shaved lightning bolt—and hit the bleach bottle for added oomph. Of course, you can go for any color, but this vibrant shade packs plenty of personality and complements neutral wardrobes. The real draw here is the fun shape, which doesnt take itself too seriously.

Long, Tapered Curl

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Everyone with curls know that every bend can act as a trompe lœil layer, but you can make it official and even more impactful with adding real layers for more shape.

Buzz Cut with Designs

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Keep your style short and conversation with a buzzcut that integrates design into the style. These can vary in sizes, shapes, and messaging—the world, ahem your scalp, is your oyster.

Ginger Snap

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Regardless of what type of tapered haircut you choose, tie in a ginger hue for an alternative vibe.

Icy Trail

@jastanae

If you wish to say goodbye to long natural hair and hello to a vibrant fashion color, this clean fade is right for you. Request a close shave so the deep side can steal the show, then add the icy, gunmetal blue, and you’re ready to go.

Tapered Pixie

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You can pair a pixie cut length with tapered sides for a wispy style thats equally cute and easy to maintain (besides regular touchups with your clippers or with your stylist). Bonus points for sweeping the top up into a soft mohawk.

Artsy Colors

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"Tapered cuts are blank canvases that allow clients to be creative and express their style in an almost art-like way," says Dent. "They can choose a cut design that reflects their personality or mood with clean lines, swirls and even art shaved in. They also have the option of styling it with curls, twists, faux locs, and coils, too." Or, in this case, with dye.

Curly Fro-Hawk

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For an edgy look thats timeless, swoop up the sides of your hair and styling them into a curly, faux, fro-hawk. For even more impact, stretch out your curls to give them more volume.

Classic Pompadour

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A modern take on the pompadour, this look is all about volume. With this style, you can mimic a tapered cut (by pinning hair to the side) or keep the hair trimmed down, or buzzed everywhere except for the top.

Simple Salt & Pepper

@tiamowry

There’s beauty in simplicity, and this fact holds true in the natural hair world. Elaborate designs, dye jobs, and length aren’t necessary if you don’t want them to be. You can rock a chic peppery short do and show off your unique features.

Short Pompadour

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The ever-classic pompadour never fails to elevate someones style, as seen here on model Maria Borges.

Asymmetrical Side

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Dont feel afraid to get inventive with your haircut. Case in point: this asymmetrical cut with soft edges along both sides that create a stunning geometric look.

Conventional Cut

@arielvscupcake_

Not looking to get too close to your hairdresser’s clippers? No problem. This long, layered pixie tapered haircut may be right up your alley. It’s a conventional, timeless style that looks great with curly textures and highlights the face beautifully. Moreover, this cut is an excellent choice for naturals who have fine hair and desire more volume.

Pixie with Bangs

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Give your pixie cut a boyish-glam flair by adding sweeping bangs into the mix. Use a shine spray to top off the look.

Frizzy Fro

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Embrace the humidity and subsequent frizz. Your curls will look even more powerful and surround your face in a halo-like fashion.

Accessorized With a Hat

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Opting for a tapered haircut doesn’t mean you can’t dress up your natural curls You can play around with colors and accessories more often than expected. A wide-brimmed hat is one stylish way you can complement your tapered style.

Curly Fade

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We love Cynthia Erivos subtle, curly fade haircut. It gives her overall look texture and dimension while being laid-back but extremely glam.

Grown Out Tapered Cut

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Sure, cutting a tapered cut is a good look, but the style (unlike other haircuts) looks great when grown out too. You can utilize techniques like finger coils and twist-outs to define your hair when your curls get longer.

Dip-Dye Fro

@arispella

Youve probably seen your fill of fro-hawks, but this dip-dyed tapered haircut is anything but repetitive. Shave your sides and create a large "Z" pattern for a fun view. When youre ready to go out, toss your hair up front and pin or tie it in place to show off your lightened curly ends.

"When wearing a wash-and-go with the fro-hawk, activate your curls with your favorite styling product and allow the hair to dry," advises Bailey. "When the hair is completely dry, use a pick to lift the roots ensuring the curls are not disturbed. Add a little holding spray to the root area while diffusing the hair and lifting simultaneously to create volume."

Don’t forget to fluff for extra volume when wearing an afro or fro-hawk. For even more oomph, use an alcohol-free mousse to lift and volumize roots (and it works especially well for fine hair).

FAQHow can I maintain a natural tapered cut?

One of the most important things to know about tapered cuts is that they grow out quickly. You should try to schedule a barber appointment every 2 to 3 weeks to keep your cut looking fresh.

How can I fake a tapered cut?

If you love the tapered sides look but are a bit afraid to commit, you can create a faux hawk look by parting your hair in 2 or 3 vertical sections. Slick up the sides to create a ponytail and fluff each ponytail out to look uniform.

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xtra volume when wearing an afro or fro-hawk. For even more oomph, use an alcohol-free mousse to lift and volumize roots (and it works especially well for fine hair).

FAQHow can I maintain a natural tapered cut?

One of the most important things to know about tapered cuts is that they grow out quickly. You should try to schedule a barber appointment every 2 to 3 weeks to keep your cut looking fresh.

How can I fake a tapered cut?