3…2…1…Fade!

Inspiration and tips to create this fashion-forward look

Whether you go for a very subtle fade, an extreme fade, or you include hair art as part of the look – fades are extremely trendy and they are a wearable look for all gents. Whether your gent client is a businessman, a sportsman, or an artist – there will be a fashionable fade to suit him, his personality and his lifestyle.

Creating the perfect fade is an art and practice makes perfect, so if you need to practice, invite clients and friends to come in for a free fade, at a quiet time of the day. Hopefully this will increase your skills, and if they love the fade they will pay for it next time.

The idea is to create defined zones within the hair – from longer on the top, to very short and shaven on the sides, and then to blend them together so that there are no visible hard lines – apart from the ones you create as part of the hair art!

When fading consider:

• Hygiene first and foremost: your clippers are in contact with the client’s skin so your blades must be properly disinfected before each client with a professional disinfectant.

• Tools: you need a clipper that is sharp, reliable, and allows you to cut versatile lengths.

• Balance: a balanced fade is very important as if the fade is done too high or low, it will look unbalanced and won’t show your client’s style off.

• Product: to finish your fade, the longer hair on the top of the head may need to be enhanced with a products such as gel or wax, to give the hair definition.

When you have some time available there are excellent videos on You Tube that show you step by step how to fade. Here is an example – watch and enjoy!