A natural tapered cut is a natural haircut that gradually gets shorter as it goes down the back of the neck and behind the ears. Tapered short black haircuts are incredibly chic and hassle-free when it comes to upkeep. Plus, you’ll get excited once you learn how crazy versatile this natural hairstyle is!
With your lengthy hair on top, locs and knots are just two things you can do to your mane, and your cleanly tapered sides can serve as a canvas for a cool-girl shaved design.
Tapered ‘fros come in different colors and forms – pixie, bobs, faux hawks, with or without bangs, crochet, twist-outs, or natural hair – as proven by The Taper Queen, Karess Sydnor‘s feed showing her award-winning creations!
Products and the right tools are key to rocking edgy black short haircuts. Moisturizing and hold products seal your strands and let you style them easily.
Before your next hair appointment, check out these photos of the boldest natural tapered cut and style ideas.
#1: Women’s Curly Frohawk with Tapered Sides
Go for a women’s curly frohawk with tapered sides when ready for a sharp cut with limitless design options. Perfect for women living a more free-spirited life, ladies can embrace their natural curls with volume at the front and center. Achieve this fun short haircut for black women by asking your barber to freestyle different designs on the sides and back.
#2 Messy Tapered 4c Hair with Blonde Color
Embrace your curls with this sassy tapered frohawk, highlighted with a daring honey blonde hair color that pops! Ideal for 4c hair, the tight coils at the top provide texture and volume, while the sides are sleek, giving a bold contrast. Perfect for the gal on the go, it’s low-maintenance but high-impact. The blonde tips add flair, but remember, they’ll need TLC to stay vibrant. Rock this look and show off your fierce side!
#3 Tapered Cut with Curly Bangs
Loose curly bangs soften the look of this short taper, adding a youthful, playful twist. The top has volume but stays lightweight, making it great for fine to medium hair types. Works well for oval or long faces that benefit from fringe. The curls around the forehead may need daily refreshing to avoid frizz, but the overall cut keeps things low-fuss on the sides and back.
#4 Textured Fade with Copper Tint
Vibrant and rich, the copper tint brings out dimension in the short textured curls. The faded sides are clean and close, giving contrast without feeling harsh. Ideal for medium-density coils with a tight pattern. It adds warmth to the face and works beautifully with neutral or golden undertones. The only downside? Copper shades fade fast, so color-safe products are a must.
#5 Side-Parted Sculpted Taper
A deep side part and sculpted curls give this tapered cut a sleek, intentional look. Best for tightly coiled textures that hold structure well. The short length around the sides enhances facial features and draws attention upward. Especially flattering on heart and oval face shapes. It’s a great wash-and-go cut, though some light edge work helps maintain that crisp finish.
#6 Golden Highlights Frohawk
Bold and sculptural, this frohawk is all about height and contrast. The golden highlights pop against the darker base and shaved sides, making the curls feel even more dynamic. Great for tighter curl patterns (3C–4A) and those who want to showcase volume. While eye-catching, it’s a bit high-maintenance—color care and curl definition routines are key to keep it looking fresh.
#7 Classic Taper with Defined Curls
Defined curls on top with a soft, rounded silhouette make this classic taper feel polished and wearable. Slight golden ends add a sun-kissed touch that brightens the look. Best for medium-density curls and oval or diamond face shapes. The cropped sides enhance curl volume up top while keeping styling simple. You’ll need curl cream and maybe a little finger-coiling to get this level of definition.
#8 Elegant Taper with Glasses
Clean, simple, and effortlessly chic, this tapered style frames the face perfectly—especially for those who wear glasses. The short sides highlight cheekbones while the coiled top adds just enough volume. Best suited for low to medium-density curls. If your hair tends to frizz, a bit of gel or mousse will help define and control the curl pattern. Easy to maintain and flattering at any age.
#9 Twist-Out Taper Style
This twist-out taper brings a defined, stretched curl pattern up top with close-cropped sides for structure. Great for 3C–4A hair types that want definition without shrinkage. The volume on top adds balance to heart-shaped and narrow faces. The twist-out takes a little more styling time but offers long-lasting curl shape and a more polished finish than wash-and-go styles.
#10 Ash Brown Modern Taper
Cool ash brown tones give this tapered cut a fashion-forward edge while maintaining natural texture. The tight coils are evenly shaped and sit close to the head, offering minimal bulk and maximum polish. Ideal for medium to high-density curls and cooler skin tones. Ash colors can go flat without shine-enhancing products, so use a light oil or serum to keep things radiant.
#11 Soft Auburn Fade
A rich auburn hue paired with tightly coiled curls adds warmth and definition to this voluminous tapered style. The gradual fade on the sides gives clean structure without harsh lines. Ideal for medium to high-density curls, this look enhances natural height and elongates rounder face shapes. The color is gorgeous but does require upkeep to prevent brassiness and dryness from lightening.
#12 Urban Edge Taper
Short, coiled curls with a close taper on the sides give this cut a modern, urban edge. It’s perfect for those with dense 4B–4C hair looking for low upkeep and a sharp finish. The tight taper along the sides and nape keeps things neat while letting natural texture shine. This style works well for oval and heart-shaped faces but may look more angular on very square faces.
#13: Natural Coils Tapered with Shaved Lines
Short styles for natural hair, like tapered natural coils with shaved lines, are the best. Being partly fashionista, partly rock queen, such unique hairstyles will surely get you noticed!
#14: Unique Natural Tapered Cut on Pixie
A receding taper cut from jam-packed curls will forever be a combination to admire. This also proves that tapered natural hairstyles on African-American ladies make a neat and head-turning finish!
#15: Tapered Undercut for Black Women’s Natural Hair
The curls on top with the tapered undercut are the maximum coolness you can achieve. With such beautiful short haircuts, black women can show off their confidence. Chic short styles and masculinity in a lady look so good!
#16: Cute Tapered TWA For a Round Face
Go for clean edges of this short teeny weeny afro (TWA), creating a stunning tapered TWA haircut to flatter the wide features of a round face. This natural tapered cut with the color job gives nice depth, too. With these short hair cuts for black women, feel free to add a shaved line to one side for extra flair.
#17 Beautiful Tapered Cut For Natural Long Hair
Darling, check out this beautiful tapered cut—so perfect for showing off those luscious long curls. It’s all about embracing your natural texture, with a shape that’s easy to manage and style. Highlights accentuate each coil, adding dimension that just glows. This cut is fantastic for volume without the fuss, keeping you free to enjoy those bouncy curls day in, day out. Remember, a little curl-defining cream goes a long way to keep this look sharp and stunning!
#18: Taper and Twist Out for Ladies’ Coils
Keep those tight twist-outs with the hidden taper haircut, and add some hair accessories! With volume, body, and attitude—natural black hair has never been this good!
#19: Casual Tapered Cut For Thin Hair
The short taper fade gives a certain dimension to the whole style. This helps thin-haired girls appear to have fuller hair. Such black short hairstyles work well with oval or heart face shapes.
#20: Tapered Sides Perfect for Growing Out Curls
Don’t be shy—give your natural hair a tapered cut because short natural hairstyles deserve all the rave they receive today. For black women, short haircuts are ideal for easier maintenance. Bring out the natural texture by using a boar bristle brush.
#21: Big Chop with a Taper Fade
This tapered haircut makes a modern look for a woman who is empowered. I think this natural tapered hairstyle is a 21st-century look. I see a lot of women doing the same cut because it feels beautiful, and we don’t feel like we need to have long hair anymore. I have never had such black short hair like this, and I couldn’t love it more.
To recreate this natural hairstyle, use products that will not give it such a curly definition because it will make it stuck in the head. You can use a very simple leave-in and a lot of fort comb, and you’re ready. This particular short hair for black women doesn’t need a specific face shape to match.
#22: Low-Maintenance Short and Natural Tapered Cut
This short and natural tapered haircut is perfect for a lady who wants to spend less time styling their hair due to a hectic professional or social lifestyle and women looking for something edgy and easy to maintain. The best thing about such short black hairstyles is the length on top, which allows you to have different styling options for different hair types like finger coils, twist out, Bantu knots, rod sets, blowouts, and a regular wash-and-go.
Short natural haircuts for black women like this can be customized by working with the shape of the head and face. It’s a great option for transitioning women or those who want a shorter, more manageable length but are still looking for styling options. You can allow your short black hair to fall free over your face or push back for a frohawk look.
#23: Edgy Faux Hawk and Natural Tapered Hairstyle
This natural tapered haircut is jazzed up with a dark color. It’s an editorial-style mohawk that’s able to be worn day to day. Some positives of a pixie cut on tapered hair are that it’s so simple to style and that you use less product. Having short hair is much easier to manage when doing a wash-and-go style. Whether on 2a or 4c curls, short cuts for black women are super simple!
#24 TaperMuse Haircut
Airy curls with a tapered undercut create a soft yet structured silhouette here. The top features defined yet lightweight curls that taper back gently while the sides are closely faded for contrast. It flatters diamond and heart-shaped faces and is especially great for 3B–3C hair types with medium density. The front curls fall forward slightly, offering a touch of fringe without crowding the face. Easy to style with a diffuser and curl-enhancing cream, though humidity may require a touch of anti-frizz spray.
#25 NubianFade Haircut
Bold and expressive, this tapered cut features dense coily strands styled upward for volume and definition. The sharp fade along the sides creates a sculptural shape that’s ideal for showcasing high-density 4B–4C textures. It’s dramatic yet wearable, working especially well on oval and long face shapes. The curls are left in their natural form—no twist-out—highlighting texture contrast and edge. Just know, this style requires hydration-focused products to keep coils soft without shrinkage.
