Josh DeMarco (@hairdemarco) puts the finishing touches on his client. 
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Josh DeMarco (@hairdemarco) puts the finishing touches on his client.

Josh DeMarco (@hairdemarco), a top hairdresser in Philadelpia, Pennsylvania, is known for his amazing cutting and styling skills - designing strong finishes for both his male and female clients.

MODERN invited him in for a session on a male client, asking him to share his tips on some of biggest challenges in the grooming world. 

Here he shares, and give his tips on combating some of the greatest struggles in men's grooming:

THAT NASTY COWLICK: Cowlicks are the number one thing people do wrong. The best way to handle this before even cutting the hair is to look at the profile of the head. The hair breaks naturally at the round. Comb the hair over the rounds and section out where the hair breaks, where it wants to fall. Keep this area graduated. The crown area is the most difficult. Make sure to NOT cut too short in this area, otherwise the hair will spring up. If you have gone too short, you can fix anything with product to buy time.

PROPER PRODUCT APPLICATION: At the end of the day we are selling product to make the hair look better. We have to teach our clients how to apply product properly. When using pomades or gels, make sure to emulsify. For men, start in the back and push in, focusing on the root area. Make sure to get product toward the front along the top of the head. Push and work it in. (DeMarco prefers using Agadir Men.)

CREATING JAW DEFINITION WITH FACIAL HAIR: You can hide a weak jaw with a good beard shaping. Put comb on the cheekbone to define where to taper. If the client has a wider jaw, cut in or taper to create an illusion. Make sure the hair wraps underneath, but DeMarco cautions to make sure to not cut up too tightly under the jaw.

FAVORITE TOOLS: We asked DeMarco which tools he always has handy. Always in his kit: Wahl Clippers, scissors Mizutani scissors and his new favorite tool: Dyson Supersonic hair dryer ("This thing is freaking incredible. Genius. Shout out to Dyson.")

Check out this video to see how he uses his tools and products (and get some more insider scoop.) It is worth it to watch this if you want see - in action - DeMarco dealing with cowlicks, product placement and facial hair trimming. He is an amazing educator:

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