From classic cuts to longer styles, men’s hair and hair trends have undergone a transformation in recent years.
Now with gender fluid cuts on the rise and the inevitable increase in influence from social media and celebrities, stylists are looking to evolve too. It’s not uncommon to find a barber who initially started out as a hairdresser or a hairdresser-in-training, however there is an increase in hairdressers looking to improve and enhance their barbering skills for their male and short hair clients. In fact, in a recent poll on 50% of hairdressers said they were considering additional barbering training, whether through a training provider or partnering with a local barbershop. George Smith, founder of Lucky Smithy, explains that men’s hair is now more complex than ever: “The more skills you have up your sleeve to enhance the cut the better the finish will be. Whether this means being able to braid afro hair or conduct an intricate fade; having a good level of skill with clippers is crucial to your growth in and out of the salon.”
Often it seems that hairdressers lack confidence in barbering skills. “Coming from a hairdressing background myself, I have found that hairdressers can lack confidence in using longer shears and clippers,” says Alex Burt, owner of Teddy Edwards Barbers. Natasha Hodges, owner of Natasha Hodges Hair, Tunbridge Wells is testament to this and recently attended a training course at her local barbershop, MaxOliver, to help her team who were struggling with a lack of confidence when it comes to cutting men’s hair: “They often became flustered and would pass the clients to other team members. Ollie [co-owner of MaxOliver] educated the girls on various techniques and provided insightful consultations to boost their confidence,” she shares, adding: “It was refreshing to have a barber’s perspective, especially since male grooming is becoming increasingly popular in the salon.”
For Ollie, his hairdressing background helped him see where hairdressers may have been restricted in their clipper education. “I was never taught in my salon, there was always a fear of going too short. When fading came into fashion around 2014, hairdressers didn’t have the skills they needed. Every hairdresser needs to know the basics of clippering or they’re going to be disadvantaged in that area.” Ollie goes on to explain that hairdressers have solely focused on clean sections, precision cutting and styling for many years whilst barbering has been about cutting short and being efficient. “I think it is equally important for both barbers and hairdressers to improve on the areas they find difficult – ultimately it comes with practice.” Alex agrees, explaining: “Before the barbering boom when barbers started using hairdressing ‘section work’, it was a very free flowing and intuitive way of cutting. I work with salons to get this way of thinking across."
