Warning: I almost gave up on skin fades for a client with a cowlick

This guy came in last month with a really strong cowlick right at his crown, and every time I tried a skin fade, it would look messy as soon as he moved. I was ready to just tell him a different style would work better. Then I remembered a tip from an old barber video, to use thinning shears on the bulk above the cowlick before you even start with the clipper. I tried it, taking off just a little bit of weight with my Andis thinners before my usual guard steps. It made the hair around that spot lay down so much easier, and the fade blended way better. I spent an extra five minutes on that step, but it saved the whole cut. Now I do it for any tricky hair pattern. Has anyone found another good fix for cowlicks in tight fades?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadebailey7d ago

Totally get that struggle. I had a client with a double cowlick that made blending a nightmare. My fix was to change my starting point. Instead of starting the fade at his temple, I began it a full guard higher up, right below the bulk of the cowlick. This gave me way more hair to work with when blending over that stubborn spot. It felt wrong at first, but it let me soften the transition so the cowlick didn't kick up a hard line. Your thinning shear trick sounds like it does the same thing by taking out the fight before you even start.

haydenj907d ago

Honestly, is all that extra work even worth it? It's just hair, it's gonna move anyway. Spending five extra minutes with thinning shears and changing your whole method for one cowlick seems like overkill. Most people won't even notice a slightly messy spot after they leave the chair.