These 7 Tips Will Help Hairdressers Improve Their Men’s Grooming

7 Tips For Hairdressers Who Want To Improve Their Men’s Grooming Skills

Becoming a skilled men’s groomer can only mean more money for you…so we turned to BTC’s barber bro and founder of Victory Barber & Brand™ Matty Conrad (@mattyconrad) for his tips on how hairdressers can up their men’s grooming game in the salon. Check out what we learned from his class at the International Salon & Spa Expo!

1. Three Ways To Fade

• Top-Down
  • Fading from the top of the head down creates a nice blend, but this technique makes it difficult to balance the cut and create fade variations. 
  • Use this technique for fine-haired men—it erases visible lines as you work.

• Bottom-Up
  • Fading from the bottom-up allows control of buildup while creating a balanced cut.
  • Use this technique for thick or ethnic hair to create a better finish.

• Middle-Out, aka Matty’s Go-To Technique
  • Technically this creates more of a taper than a fade, but Matty prefers to work from the middle of the head and then out because it creates a roadmap for him.
  • First, set the weight line and the shape at about the middle of where you want.
  • Then, blend up and down. You get the best of both fading techniques while establishing an easy-to-follow guide.

2. Understanding His Head Shape Is Vital

Men’s cuts should stay square-shaped to compliment a man’s square bone structure. To do that, Matty says two things are vital: the horseshoe and his head shape. “All my classic haircuts are simple,” says Matty. “They’re separated by a horseshoe—top and bottom. The top starts around the recession and goes nice and flat under the crown.” 

• Narrow head: Take the horseshoe just a tiny bit lower to bring the weight line down and widen the cut slightly.

• Full head: Take the horseshoe a tiny bit higher to create a tighter, more narrow cut. 

Watch Matty explain it in the video below!

 

A post shared by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Jan 29, 2018 at 1:44pm PST

3. Keep A Flat Brush Nearby

• Tired of walking back and forth to make sure a cut is even? Matty recommends turning your client to the side and start with your back to the mirror. Once you reach the other side, the mirror can act as a visual aid to match both sides.

• When you finish the cut, don’t just look at his head. Check it out in the mirror too because you can spot flaws from a distance that you didn’t see up close.

5. Working By The Ears With Confidence

• “The way you handle a man’s ears conveys confidence,” Matty says. So when cutting around the ear, be confident.

• Do not over-bend the skin away. Hold the ear down, fold it over the anchor point—the highest point on the side of the head—and trim with your trimmer on its side in a nice, rounded shape to the center.

6. Shape The Beard

• When cleaning up his beard, outline the jaw to give it more strength. “The longest part of the beard should be right at the chin, which is the longest part of the face,” notes Matty. “It should amplify that.” 

• Too much hair under the beard (at the roundness of the neck) will make him look chubbier—make sure no part of the beard is hanging lower than the front line of his beard. 

• Too often, barbers will go under the jaw line and carve anything out. Matty advises against that unless the plan is to give him a chin strap. Instead, make sure the line that you choose when his head is in its natural resting position hugs just slightly below his natural beard line.

7. Create A Memorable Experience

• “If all we’re doing is learning how to cut a better hair cut, and learn how to cut a perfect hair cut, we’re missing out on 50 percent of why people are there,” shares Matty. So give your male clients a reason to come back!

• One idea? If you can, use a straight razor to trim his neck, using a rich shaving cream and a hot towel for a luxurious, barbershop vibe.

• If you can’t use a straight razor, use a trimmer—but still incorporate a hot towel and use aftershave to maintain that luxurious vibe.