Without a doubt, men's grooming is a league of its own—a meticulous, particular league of its own. But with the rise in men's grooming in the industry and men who are interested in stepping up their hair game, you can't afford to be behind the curve.

Side-Fading in 5 Steps from Ivan ZootEnter Ivan Zoot: SHOP MODERN artist, MODERN SALON guest blogger, Pivot Point graduate and men's grooming speed-demon. Also, he's just a nice, funny guy.

At Premiere Orlando 2014, Zoot shared five shockingly straightforward tips to a good side-fade using underhand clipper cutting:

1. Find your fade point.

2. Cut the top.

3. Strike the fade line.

4. Blend at the top of the fade line.

5. Cut out the bottom (same as fade line).

 

Furthermore, Zoot had some solid, timeless tips for men's grooming:

-Contrast is relative to skin tone. Really short hair on a blonde, white kid is going to make him look bald. Really short hair on a kid with dark hair, though, is just going to look like a short cut.
Pro tip: Asking how much scalp exposure a client wants, or how much skin is visible through the hair, is a great consultation question!

-Use a dark comb on light hair for shear-over-comb cutting. Use a light comb for dark hair. Because of course.

-Stay 90 degrees from your cut so you can see profile and different angles. If you're a 3 (as on a clock), the mirror should be at 9. Use the mirror!!

-HEADS ARE CURVED. Use it to your advantage! Zoot comes in from the back around the side of the head for his side-fade clipper cutting.

-Don't forget about your resources. Try ShopModernSalon.com, Zoot's YouTube channel and zoothair.com.

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