THE SKIN FADE

A SKINFADE IS A HAIRCUT THAT STARTS AT SKIN/BALD HAIR ON THE SIDES FADES' UP TO A LONGER LENGTH AT THE ROUND OF THE HEAD.

IN ORDER TO FADE THE BACK AND SIDES, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO FIRST REMOVE THE WEIGHT WITH A CANVAS GRADE. START WITH A NUMBER 3 GUARD AND USE A GLIDING MOTION TO REMOVE THE INITIAL WEIGHT. WORK IN COLUMNS AROUND THE HEAD. AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH COLUMN, ENGAGE THE TEETH OF THE GRADE BELOW THE BOTTOM HAIRLINE THEN ROTATE THE ANGLE COMING UP SQUARE OFF THE TEMPORAL BONE. AROUND THE BACK, GLIDE SQUARE OFF THE LAMBOID BONE. REPEAT THIS PROCESS WITH A 2.5 GRADE AND A 2 GRADE.

STEP 2: PLACEMENT LINE

USE YOUR TRIMMER HERE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE PLACEMENT OF THE LINE WILL DETERMINE THE HEIGHT OF THE STARTING POINT OF THE FADE. YOU CAN CREATE A LOW, MEDIUM OR HIGH FADE DEPENDING ON THE CLIENT'S PREFERENCE. STARTING AT THE FRONT HAIRLINE, PLACE THE TRIMMER LINE HORIZONTALLY AND MOVE TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE HEAD MAKING SURE TO STOP AT HALF WAY ONCE YOU REACH THE NAPE. USE THE CORNER OF THE CLIPPER TO CREATE A CURVED LINE BETWEEN THE SIDES AND BACK OF THE HEAD. REPEAT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE, MEETING IN THE MIDDLE AT THE BACK FOR AN EVEN AND BALANCED LINE.THE AREA ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE TRIMMER AND THE 2 GRADE IS WHERE YOU WILL NOW FOCUS ON CREATING THE FADE IN THE UPCOMING STEPS. REMEMBER TO PLACE YOUR LINE ONLY ON OR UNDERNEATH THE OCCIPITAL BONE. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR THE REMAINING STEPS OF THE FADE.

STEP 3: FOIL SHAVER (OPTIONAL)

USE YOUR FOIL SHAVER HERE. ENGAGE THE HEAD OF THE FOIL BENEATH THE PLACEMENT OF THE LINE. USING A FLICKING MOTION, WHICH HELPS CATCH ALL THE HAIR. ROTATE THE ANGLE TO SQUARE WHEN WORKING UP EACH COLUMN SO THE FOIL GRADE BLENDS INTO THE TRIMMER GRADE. WORK IN COLUMNS AROUND THE HEAD,KEEPING THE CLIPPERS PARALLEL TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE LINE.

STEP 4: 0.5 PLACEMENT LINE

TAKE YOUR THE GUARD OFF YOUR CLIPPER AND OPEN THE LEVER TO CREAT A 0.5 GRADE. INSERT ANOTHER PLACEMENT LINE ABOUT HALF AN INCH (OR A SMALL COMB'S WIDTH) ABOVE YOUR ORIGINAL TRIMMER PLACEMENT LINE. PLACE THE 0.5 LINE HORIZONTALLY AND MOVE TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE HEAD MAKING SURE TO STOP AT HALF WAY ONCE YOU REACH THE NAPE. USE THE CORNER OF THE CLIPPER TO CREATE A CURVED LINE BETWEEN THE SIDES AND BACK OF THE HEAD. REPEAT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE, MEETING IN THE MIDDLE AT THE BACK FOR AN EVEN AND BALANCED LINE.THE AREA ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE TRIMMER LINE AND THE 0.5 GRADE IS WHERE YOU WILL NOW FOCUS ON CREATING THE FADE IN THE UPCOMING STEPS. REMEMBER TO PLACE YOUR LINE ONLY ON OR UNDERNEATH THE OCCIPITAL BONE. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR THE REMAINING STEPS OF THE FADE.

STEP 5: 0.25/0 GRADE

REMOVE YOUR CLIPPER GUARD AND OPEN THE LEVER HALFWAY TO A 0.25 GRADE. BEGIN TO FADE THE TRIMMER LINE INTO THE 0.5 GRADE . ENGAGE THE CORNER OF YOUR TEETH OF THE GRADE BENEATH THE PLACEMENT OF THE LINE. USING A RUBBING C MOTION, WHICH HELPS CATCH ALL THE HAIR, RESULTING IN A SMOOTH FADE. ONCE THE LINE HAS BEEN 50% FADED OUT, REPEAT THE PROCESS WITH YOUR 0 GRADE BY CLOSING THE CLIPPER LEVER FULLY. WORK IN COLUMNS AROUND THE HEAD,KEEPING THE CLIPPERS PARALLEL TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE LINE.

ATTACH THE 1 GRADE, ADJUSTING THE LEVER SO IT IS OPEN CREATING A 1.5. BEGIN TO FADE THE NUMBER 0.5 LINE INTO THE GRADE 2 . ENGAGE THE TEETH OF THE GRADE BENEATH THE PLACEMENT OF THE LINE. USING A RUBBING C MOTION, WHICH HELPS CATCH ALL THE HAIR, RESULTING IN A SMOOTH FADE. THE BIGGER

YOU 'C' MOTION, THE MORE 'STRETCHED' THE FADE WILL APPEAR. ROTATE THE ANGLE TO SQUARE WHEN WORKING UP EACH COLUMN SO THE 1.5 GRADE BLENDS INTO THE 2 GRADE. WORK IN COLUMNS AROUND THE HEAD,KEEPING THE CLIPPERS PARALLEL TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE LINE.

REPEAT THIS STEP WITH THE 1 GUARD CLOSED.

ATTACH THE 0.5 FILLER GRADE, ADJUSTING THE LEVER SO IT IS OPEN CREATING A 0.75. BEGIN TO FADE THE NUMBER 0.5 LINE INTO THE GRADE 2 . ENGAGE THE TEETH OF THE GRADE BENEATH THE PLACEMENT OF THE LINE. USING A RUBBING C MOTION, WHICH HELPS CATCH ALL THE HAIR, RESULTING IN A SMOOTH FADE. THE BIGGER YOU 'C' MOTION, THE MORE 'STRETCHED' THE FADE WILL APPEAR. ROTATE THE ANGLE TO SQUARE WHEN WORKING UP EACH COLUMN SO THE 0.5 GRADE BLENDS INTO THE 2 GRADE. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO USE THE CORNER OF YOUR CLIPPER HERE. WORK IN COLUMNS AROUND THE HEAD,KEEPING THE CLIPPERS PARALLEL TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE LINE.

REPEAT THIS STEP WITH THE 0.5 FILLER GRADE CLOSED USING THE CORNER OF YOUR CLIPPER.

STEP 8: LAYER THE TOP

ENSURE THE HAIR IS WET EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE TOP. STAND BEHIND THE CLIENT AND CREATE THE PROFILE LINE. THEN MOVE TO THE SIDE AND CUT IN THE PROFILE LINE AS LEARNED PREVIOUSLY. FOLLOW THIS PROFILE LINE GUIDE AROUND THE HEAD CUTTING A ROUND OR SQUARE LAYER. START AT THE FRONT HAIRLINE AND MOVE TOWARDS THE BACK (APEX). AFTER CUTTING THE TOP, MOVE THE PROFILE LINE THROUGH TO THE CROWN AND SECTION INTO PIZZA SLICES TO CUT THE BACK.

DON'T FORGET TO CROSS CHECK THE TOP BEFORE YOU MOVE ON!

STEP 9: CLIPPER OVER COMB

CLIPPER OVER COMB WITH THE 1 GAURD ON THE CLIPPER IN COLUMNS, PICKING UP THE HAIR IN THE 'BLEND' AREA SQAURE AND SWIPING TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WITH THE CLIPPER. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO TILT THE COMB OUT 45 DEGREES TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T CUT ANY CHUNKS OUT OF THE HAIR. YOU CAN ALSO VERTICALLY SWIPE TO REFINE YOUR BLEND AREA. REPEAT THIS PROCESS WITH THE GUARD OFF AND THE LEVER OPEN (0.5)

SCISSOR OVER COMB IN COLUMNS, FLOWING UP SQUARE ON THE HEAD. WORK IN COLUMNS, ALWAYS MOVING AGAINST THE HAIR GROWTH. THE COMB MUST MOVE SLOWLY WITH THE SCISSORS MOVING FAST IN ORDER TO CREATE A SMOOTH AND GRADUAL BLEND.

USE THE DETAILERS AND THE SELECTED COMB TO REFINE AND SHAPE THE OUTLINES. START AT THE FRONT HAIRLINES AND THEN WORK AROUND THE EAR. CONTINUE BEHIND THE EAR AND THEN INTO THE HAIRLINE AT THE BACK OF THE HEAD TO CREATE YOUR NECK SHAPE.

STEP 12: BLOWDRY

BLOW ALL THE EXCESS HAIR OFF THE CLIENT AND THEN PROCEED TO BLOWDRY THEIR HAIR USING EITHER YOUR HANDS, A ROUND OR VENT BRUSH DEPENDING ON THEIR DESIRED STYLE. MAKE SURE THE HAIR IS COMPLETELY DRY EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE HEAD BEFORE YOU PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP.

SEPARATE THE TOP OF THE HEAD INTO 3 COLUMNS TO ENSURE THAT YOU DO NOT OVER TEXTURISE THE SAME AREA. YOU CAN TEXTURISE FROM THE FRONT TO BACK OR BACK TO FRONT DEPENDING ON THE LENGTH OF THE HAIR. FOCUS ON REMOVING THE WEIGHT AS CLOSE TO THE ROOT AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT CHANGING YOUR CREATED LENGTH. WHEN THE HAIR IS SHORTER, PICK UP THE HAIR WITH THE COMB INSTEAD OF YOUR FINGERS. ONCE COMPLETE, CLEAN YOUR CLIENT, SHAVE THEIR NECK AND APPLY SOME STYLING PRODUCT