That moment 3 years ago when I finally got the fade right on a tough customer

I was cutting a guy named Marcus at my old shop in Portland back in 2021. He had this weird cowlick on the right side that kept messing up my blend every time. After 45 minutes of adjusting, I finally clipper-over-combed it from the bottom up and it clicked. Has anyone else had a specific head shape that changed how you approach fades?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_torres441mo ago

Portland heads are a whole different challenge with all that rain making hair lay weird. That cowlick situation sounds like a nightmare, but once you figure out the clipper-over-comb trick for those tricky spots it changes everything. Every barber needs to master that move because heads don't come in standard shapes.

gracec161mo ago

I actually read somewhere that humidity is the real enemy of a good fade, not just rain, because the moisture makes the hair puff up in ways you don't expect until you're already halfway through the cut. @max_torres44 nailed it about that clipper-over-comb trick though, I've seen guys in Seattle swear by it for those wild cowlicks that pop up after a drizzle. Once you get that motion down it saves SO much time fixing spots that just won't behave otherwise.

linda1141mo ago

Watched a buddy in Portland fight a cowlick for 20 minutes, @gracec16 would've laughed.