4 Ways To Improve Men’s Haircuts

4 Ways To Improve Men’s Haircuts

Men are known for being loyal clients, but it takes more than a great haircut to keep them coming back. Things like dedicating extra time on the outline, teaching him how to style his coarse hair and choosing not to neglect the blow-dry will not only make him loyal but will also make you more money. Want to know the specific ways you can step up your men’s services? Keep reading to check out four tips we grabbed while attending Sport Clips 25th Anniversary National Huddle!

1. Keep That Outline Clean

The outline may be a small detail in the overall cut, but it can make or break the finished result. Here’s how Paul Mitchell Art Director Jason Reyes (@iliketocuthair) ensures his outlines are super clean and strong:

• Don’t use a dull trimmer. It’s crucial to swap out your tools often because a fresh, sharp blade is the best way to create a straight line.

• Work upward against the grain. The razor will slightly pull the hair away from the head, producing a cut that is clean and closer to the skin. 

• Don’t go crazy tapering the outline or you’ll never see the line.

2. How NOT To Start A Fade

Fades are one of the most requested men’s styles but also one of the easiest to mess up—here’s what you DON’T want to do:

• Do not start by carving a straight guideline around the head using trimmers—you’ll just have to eliminate this hard line later.

• Do not then grab adjustable clippers and carve a second hard line because you now have two hard lines to eliminate. 

• Here’s what happens: When you start to fade up, you’ll end up fading higher and higher which will affect the desired result. “That temple taper now looks like a mullet,” notes Danny Amorim, GIBS Grooming Director of Education. “That low fade is a medium fade, and the medium fade becomes a high fade.”

• Instead, fade from the top down. It’ll give you more control over the height of the blend and you’ll avoid the above problems because you’re getting rid of the trouble area first.

Watch the video below to hear Danny’s full explanation!

3. Working With Coarse Hair

The biggest request for men with coarse hair? Just thin it out. But simply going in with texturizing shears and chopping away is a quick fix. Here’s what to do instead:

• “It’s important to understand where that coarse texture is going to help you with styling and where you want to take that coarse texture out so the hair sits flatter,” shares Casey Terramoccia (@caseys_cuts_nj), a Hattori Hanzo National Educator. 

• The sides are one area where the coarse texture needs to be removed, so use texturizing shears to soften them so they sit flatter.

• A balance of texture and softness will allow the hair up top to volumize better, so Casey says to go easy with the texturizing in this area.

• Teach him how to smooth out his hair with a blow-dryer so he knows how to tame his coarse texture at home. “No product is going to necessarily fix their texture for them, but if you teach them to smooth the hair out with a blow-dryer, it’s a big factor,” notes Casey. 

4. Don’t Neglect The Blow-Dry

If you’re not upselling or offering add-on services, you’re missing out on easy money. For Casey, upselling starts with a really good blow-dry. “It’s really important to style a men’s haircut the same way women get their hair blown out…We can’t overlook it in the men’s hair world.” Here’s why:

• For men requesting hairstyles like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, the blow-dry is key for making these styles look so good. And Casey lets his clients know that.

• “When you do that, style the hair and then put product in, you’ve sold that client on the appearance of the haircut because they now see the potential of it,” says Casey.

• The result? He’ll want to know which brush you used, what blow dryer he should get and what products he should buy, which opens three potential avenues for making an extra sale.

Are you striving to be an even better salon owner? Check out these four key things that can get you there!