beginner barber's guide to fading

If you're a beginner barber, even the thought of fading can be intimidating.  In this blog, I'm going to break down the basics of fading, and hopefully you'll have a better understanding and feel more comfortable taking on a fade.  

Before you continue reading, take a look at the video above, as it is a condensed step by step version of how to fade.  If you don't have a lot of time on your hands, this video is straightforward and to the point.  Feel free to come back and use this video as a reference if you ever get lost in the fading process.  You can also check out the full length version on the Barber Style Directory YouTube channel.

Now that you've watched the video above, let's dive into the basics.  First off, the tools/implements that I used in this video are:

• Wahl Detailer
• Wahl Legend
• T-outliner
• Oster Fast Feed
• Combs (wide tooth/fade comb)
• Andis Double Magnetic Guards

You can find all of these items on Amazon for a relatively fair price.

The key to becoming comfortable with a fade is breaking it down into smaller steps.  Completing one step at a time instead of panicking thinking about the entire cut at once makes it much easier.  In the video above, you see that I broke the fade down into 8 steps.  What I recommend you doing is have this video (or the full length video) playing while you go through the steps.  Feel free to pause, rewind, etc.  Eventually you will get it down packed to where you can perform the steps by memory.

A large part of learning to fade is getting the steps permanently engraved into your memory.  It honestly becomes second nature the more you do it.  No matter the hair type, the base steps to fading are the same.  Don't be intimidated if you're only used to cutting one specific texture of hair, and someone with a different texture asks you to fade them.  Just simply follow the same steps.  On another note, you will also gain muscle memory on how to hold your clippers at certain angles to erase guidelines or dark spots.  

The key is to let your clippers do most of the work.  There is no need to dig into someone's skin or press extremely hard on someone's head.  It's mainly about keeping the clippers flush with the head, but you will learn these techniques with experience.  If you check out our other videos on the Barber Style Directory's YouTube channel, you'll see a lot of these techniques implemented.

Now there are several ways and methods to fade, but this method that I'm sharing with you guys is simple and it produces the same results every time.  You can do each step around the entire head, or you can focus on one side of the head at a time.  I personally focus on one side of the head at a time, but it all boils down to personal preference.

The last tip that I have for you is to visualize the haircut in your mind.  It may sound weird to some, but picturing how you want the haircut to look in your mind will build your confidence in your ability to complete the haircut as well as give you a guide on where to start.

I hope you got something helpful out of this article and thanks for checking it out.  Feel free to check out our other blogs.  Thanks.