The "Forbidden 16 Guard" Haircut from TikTok Pairs Perfectly with a Low Taper Fade — No Cap!

On TikTok, beauty and fashion experts are at the beck and call of users 24/7. If you need an update to your look, or to try something completely new and different, a few search words and some short video clips later and you'll have all the inspiration and information you need to make it happen.

Trends and tutorials abound, giving people the power to change their look with just a few clicks and some luck.

Among those trends is a haircut generally for men's hair known as the "forbidden 16 guard" haircut. So, what exactly is it? Here's what we know about the forbidden haircut and how people are styling it.

What is the "forbidden 16 guard" haircut, and why is it forbidden?

First, you have to understand what a razor guard is. It's the little plastic piece that fits over a razor to determine how short or long it cuts hair. The 16 guard is particularly long, making the hair about 2 inches in length, according to ForteSeries.

Often, people suggest that the 16 guard is pointless, since hair at that length is usually cut by scissors. It's jokingly referred to as "forbidden," because stylists would often rather just rely on scissors, and some electric razors don't even come with guards that long.

Yet Gen Z and older Gen Alpha aspiring male fashionistas have embraced the length.

In one TikTok video, a flabbergasted hairstylist asked, "Why are all these kids asking me for this exact haircut?" He then supplied the answer, adding, "Because it's versatile and fits everyone!"

Which is true. The long-on-top, short-on-the-sides look tends to be flattering, slimming faces and chiseling jaws through an optical illusion.

And for true internet denizens, you might recognize another infamous style that pairs particularly well with the forbidden 16 guard: the low taper fade.

The low taper fade haircut became an internet phenomenon in the early 2020s when Twitch singer and songwriter Ericdoa jokingly sang about fellow streamer Ninja, "Imagine if Ninja got a low taper fade?"

And an internet legend was born.

The low taper fade is a haircut style where the hair is kept longer on top and rapidly tapers to a close shave near the nape of the neck, according to Mancave Barbershop.

Those seeking the forbidden 16 guard often receive a low taper fade to complement it, making the bearer of this 'do a double internet meme.

Like the low taper fade, the forbidden 16 guard is one of those unusual circumstances where it's a male haircut making the internet rounds rather than one for women.

And, unsurprisingly, as such, it has taken off. Everyone who's anyone is seeking the look. At least, if you're under the age of 20. For those of us in our 20s and 30s, we're still holding onto the side bangs and layers of the '90s and '00s.