A barber told me my fades looked "too stiff" and it stung for a week

This older guy, been cutting since the 80s, watched me finish a skin fade on a regular. He waited til the client left and just said "your lines are clean but it's stiff, no flow." I thought clean lines were everything, you know? So I started watching how he blended through the sides instead of sectioning so hard. Dropped my guard size by one number and started using more open lever work on the clipper. Took me about 3 weeks to really get it to look natural instead of like a helmet. Any of you guys get feedback that changed a basic move you thought you had down?

2 comments

2 Comments

parkerbrown1d ago

Three weeks to break a habit sounds about right once you finally realize a fade needs movement not just clean lines.

luna_wright1d ago

Laugh it off and say "thanks for the free lesson, I guess?" That 'helmet' look is exactly what I was doing too before someone finally told me I was cutting like I was trying to build a roof not a haircut. Took me a solid month of messing around with different guard sizes and watching how the hair actually falls before I stopped looking like a LEGO minifigure.