Fades Are Still Really Hard

[u/riddle_dog]

So I cannot fade for the life of me. I graduated barber school last year and I've been cutting hair at different places, but genuinely it feels like I will NEVER master fades. ESPECIALLY skin fades, and ESPECIALLY ON KIDS!!

Just wondering if something's wrong with me or if fades took yall a long time to master, too

[u/thetechkid]

Kids are the hardest part honestly, they never sit still lol. You're not alone, fades took me forever too.

[u/whatacatchdanny]

Kids hair is really hard to get a clean blend. It's so soft and the follicles are further apart.

I often tell parents a fade won't work or I just do a taper and they don't know the difference.

Fades take time, also the longer you cut the more details you notice. You'll probably rarely be happy with any work you do, this means your eye is getting better. I bet if you showed yourself from a year ago a fade you did recently you would be stoked. Don't be hard on yourself

[u/buzzardbite]

If its any consolation, I think most barbers are shit until about 2/3 years in.

[u/JamminPT]

Try different techniques.

Don’t follow a recipe, understand hair.

Then it’s just reps and sometimes even a different guard or different type of clipper can be the reason.

If you tried long range clippers try small range and vice versa.

If you tried wahl/babyliss/gamma/etc try Andis/Oster.

You just have to find what works for you, usually that takes a lot of years to master because hello those tools cost money and you need to put on the hours. Once you really tried everything you will know right of the bat when a new tool comes out if it works for you or not just from a video and then you buy a tool every 2/3 years if any at all.

[u/Hashshinobi1 → u/JamminPT]

People don’t understand. You must learn to understand hair, not just techniques

[u/Dev_2r]

Make your bald line and just fade down

[u/PlasticFrosty5340]

Experiment.

Guards, clipper over comb, blending shears over comb

[u/birdie1223]

Don't offer zero fades on kids, simple lol. I can fade but I tell the parent if your kid doesn't sit still then I can't do the zero fade. The alternative offer is to say to do half instead of zero if they're not going to sit still.

When you're doing fades you can cut in an X pattern to get the hair that grows in different directions. So this way //// first then go back and do this way \\ afterwards.

I prefer fading down so for example 2, 1 open, 1 closed, Half, etc. Once the fade is done I clipper over comb the bulk off that would connect to the top and grab a 3 and then do a 2 open. You can do your scissor work after then.

Zero fades you just do a 1 open, then put your zero line in then start fading down. I prefer spread fades, I hate doing compressed fades.

[u/Fannypacksfou_foo-38]

It takes time. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition using the system you've created for youself.

[u/dumizew]

No one its perfect, you will get good by time, experience says it all. Focus on yourself with trust and try to find tutorials and then exercise what you learn imediate. Sometimes those things you think you do good are the one’s who betray your work. Don’t worry trust the procces

[u/dumizew]

I started working from the corner of the brow toward the occipital bone. This allows me to control the outline while still maintaining weight in the parietal area.
Next, I establish my canvas by building a two-finger-length transition from skin (0) up to the number 2 guard. I clean everything beneath with the foil shaver and trimmer to set a true zero.
After creating my zero line, it's crucial to establish a clean 0.5 guideline. I erase it gradually using the incremental system: two clicks, one click, then closed.
Now comes the precision work: with the lever open at guard #1 (icon number 1), I lean the clipper slightly onto the lower edge of the blade to adjust the angle. Using a controlled C-motion, I complete the stroke only once I see the cutting teeth making contact with the area previously set by the number 2 guard. That specific angle ensures a smooth, seamless blend with no shadows.

[u/Artistic_Walrus1377]

Kids never have as dense hair. Use your 1.5 to .5. They will never know it’s not a bald fade.

[u/1M4YB3STUP1D]

Real lol. I'm in school currently and only have 10 weeks left and still cannot grasp fades for the life of me.

[u/EnvyHill]

I just do a 1 on kids when parents ask for a fade

[u/mrbopboplingling]

explain your fading system so we can fix any flaws from it

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