I finally figured out why my fade was always uneven

Honestly, I've been cutting hair for about 4 years now at a shop in Phoenix. Last week I overheard this barber at the shop next door telling a young guy to stop rushing his guidelines and actually take 2 minutes to map them out. That hit me because I always just eyeballed it and hoped for the best. So I tried it the next day on a regular client who comes in every 3 weeks. Took my time with the clipper over comb and made sure each section matched before moving up. The finish was cleaner than anything I've done in months. Has anyone else changed one simple thing in their routine and seen a big result?

3 comments

3 Comments

wren_carr28d ago

Three years doing this and I have NEVER mapped out my guidelines properly. I just start buzzing and hope for the best too, man. That hit me like a ton of bricks because every single fade I've done has been an exercise in praying the guard lines blend out. You're telling me two extra minutes of just drawing the lines changes everything? Next client I get is getting the full treatment, guidelines and all. I bet my top section is always jacked up because of this exact thing.

miam1128d ago

Dude, SERIOUSLY. Reminds me of the time I tried to cut my own bangs in high school and just went for it with no plan. Ended up looking like a startled sheep for three months. But yeah, guidelines are like that measuring tape you swear you don't need until your shelf is crooked. You spend all that time trying to fix a bad blend when you could have just drawn some stupid lines first. Totally changing my whole system now too.

hannah_williams19d ago

Watched my buddy skip guidelines once and his fade looked like a map of the Nile river.