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4 Common Men's Haircutting Mistakes
Amanda Olusanya travels the world teaching the principles of cutting men's hair. hHre are things she says she sees over and over.
August 28, 2018
Amanda Olusanya
2 min to read
Amanda Olusanya has made her mark in men's hair, teaching nationally for Aveda and Andis, owning the award winning salon, Allen Ray Salon, since 2009, created a successful YouTube channel on How To's for Men's Hair, and motivating young stylists with her online program Principles to Profits. Here she shares four common mistakes she sees in men's haircutting:
I travel all over the country teaching men’s hair and there are the same things that I see over and over. Here are four tips for finding your rhythm in cutting men’s hair. Please remember, it takes a conscious mind to change behavior and autopilot is a dangerous place to be!
Longer left side. Most people are right handed and when they get to the left side, the connection is usually comprimised. It’s easier to see on the right side when right handed so make sure you overcompensate adjusting to the guide on the left. Go through your work to make sure all the connections are made.
Weight is left too heavy. The number one complaint of men is that their hair grows out “poofy”. When there is too much weight, the common mistake is to remove it with texture. If it’s too heavy, it’s a sign that it’s just not short enough in that area. Go back through to create a shape that reduces weight, texture is not a solution in this case.
Not having a large enough vocabulary. Creating a large vocabulary to be able to articulate what you’re trying to say is important and will separate you from average stylists. Some common words that I use with men vs. women are shape, strength, masculine, dominant, longevity, and adjust.
Refining your work. When I watch people cutting with clippers, I often have to remind them of when to use the whole blade or when to use just a small area of the clipper. Knowing when to remove weight and when to refine without changing the shape takes some practice. When refining, use less of the blade, often just a corner which will give you a softer result.
Repetition creates confidence. If you’re not feeling confident, find a trusty model and keep doing their hair. Find your rhythm by slowing down, paying attention and refining as you go. Most people get ahead of themselves and quickly remove the weight and spend far too long blending. Slow down and you’ll speed up eventually!
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