Tips to Thrive with Clippers Youve mastered the shears, but for some reason while grasping clippers, you may as well be holding a chainsaw. Sound familiar? Not to worry, we have the clipper cutter master in the house (or salon)! With Ivan Zoots top 10 tips to thrive with clippers, your male clients will now walk out of the salon with Hollywood-worthy trims! 1. Wear White—Clipper cut in a white shirt, smock or barber jacket. Standing with the client between you and the mirror, you become a perfect backdrop for assessing silhouette and contour. 2. Rock Out—Use a toe-to-heel clipper cutting technique when direct cutting with the clipper blade, or guide the comb against the head when tapering short. Move from the leading edge (toe) of the clipper blade to the back (heel). This arcing motion will create smooth transition tapering. 3. Cut Down—When tapering or fading with multiple blades or snap-on guards, start with the longest guard and work your way shorter. This will produce fewer steps and lines between sections. Start with the longest guard. Skip the next shortest and work lower with the second shortest. If you leave any weight between the two areas, the skipped guard easily blends it off. 4. Back Off—Cut clipper-over-comb with a 1/8-inch (#1) guard in place on the clipper. This will back you off from the comb by 1/8-inch, slowing your rate of cutting for control and softening the blend and the cut. 5. Panel Up—Use a panel cutting technique to subdivide the head for tapering. Taper a vertical panel from the perimeter to the crest line at the center back of the head. Taper a second overlapping panel using the first panel as a guide. Repeat the process around the head. 6. Contrast—Light hair, use dark combs; dark hair, use light combs. Use contrasting colored combs to more easily see guides and taper faster. 7. Angle Up—When cutting clipper-over-comb, keep your clipper comb at an angle. Keep the handle end of the clipper comb up and the nose down. Cut against gravity for smoother tapering. Avoid a horizontal comb position to prevent steps and marks in your taper. 8. Clean Up—Clean necks and sides upward against the natural growth direction. Place the still blade in contact with the client. If the growth direction is inverted, invert the tool and clean down. Avoid the “redneck”—scratching the client with the teeth of the inside, moving blade. 9. Get Slippery—Oil every clipper, every trimmer, every client, every time. Three drops of clipper oil, every haircut, is the key to long and happy clipper and trimmer life. 10. Field Trip—Hang around a barber shop and watch the old guys cut hair. The best clipper cutting education happens when you are standing one foot over the shoulder of a great clipper cutter. Eyes open. Mouth shut. Hands in your pockets.
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 00:11:44 +0000