TITANS OF TEXTURE

Embracing diverse hair texture means you don’t get the ‘fear’ and ensures that whatever the ethnicity or hair type of your customer, you’re ready. MB spoke with barbers that have mastered afro and every texture in between. They’ve left the challenges behind to find the opportunities in every head of hair.

According to the Office of National Statistics there are at least two million UK citizens with afro hair texture, a texture that can be a challenge for some barbers. So, MB checked in with three barbers that are super confident with afro and can tackle any hair type that steps through their doors. First up is our cover star Tariq Howes @tariqhowes of Avenue Male Grooming @avenuemalegrooming in Cardiff. Tariq took up a barber apprenticeship in a traditional barbershop straight out of school. While he learned mainly on Caucasian hair, the stream of friends with afro hair that he cut in his kitchen gave him the best grounding with the texture. After four years of working in a shop with a mostly asian/afro clientele, doing more pattern work and US style cutting Tariq was ready to create something of his own. Tariq says “Over the years I had heard both white and black friends say ‘oh you won’t be able to do my hair’. It meant I was determined to create a shop that offered skills to all different hair types. I wanted everyone that came to my shop to feel confident and comfortable that they would get a great cut. It’s 10 years since I opened and the shop is well established now and has five staff.” Tariq has won a host of awards including Young Feds with the Men’s Hair Federation (he says not so young now!) and HJ Afro Barber of the Year 2017. The solid work and the award wins have built his rep and although Avenue Male Grooming is tucked away on a residential estate in Cardiff it’s become a destination shop for Welsh footballers and countless customers. “The prices have pushed up over time but I wanted to stay true to our roots as a community shop, so we have a tier structure from a trainee barber at £12 to me at £25. Around 50% of my clients have afro hair and I would say 70% come in every week and the rest every two weeks or so,” explains Tariq. That level of loyalty from afro customers is in part born of distrust, as every black man has a hair horror story to tell when he’s put his personal style into the hands of someone not truly experienced with the hair type. The ‘right’ barber for the job has a job for life or at least as long as the client can get to them. Tariq’s technique strength in afro has also helped to secure editorial work with magazines like GQ. “I met with one of the true legends of men’s hair, Jody Taylor and over time I’ve become lucky enough to call him my friend. Initially he asked me to assist him in shoots and was kind enough to put my name forward for new work. I can’t thank him enough,” says Tariq. You can find shots from Tariq’s own photographic collection on pages 40-42. The collection is drawn on references from the TV show ‘Power’ and showcases skills with diverse texture. There are huge differences between hair and skin types but typically hair education has a curriculum that is dominated by the needs of Caucasian clients. “People with afro hair tend to have more sensitive skin, so that’s a massive factor to think about! They suffer from in-growing hairs slightly more than any other hair texture I’ve came across. The curl is so tight that the hair begins to curl before it emerges from the skin causing in-growing hair. You also need to think about the tools you use. I am careful using a blade and I don’t use foil shavers, only detailers, to prevent the skin from reacting. The hair work is very visual and when fading you need to work in both directions. I work down and then back up to get the best results,” explains Tariq.

Hair by Tariq Howes

Plugging the education gap in afro skills is high on the agenda for Anderson Boyce of Hairforce1 @hairforce1 in East London. Around 75% of his clients have afro texture. Anderson says “One of the main concerns when training barbers on afro hair is the ability to work effectively both with and against the hairs natural directional growth. There are points in an afro haircut when working against the grain will only get you so far, in terms of the end goal or clients desired look. So as far as weight reduction, flattening or changing the hairs state from very curly to straight is concerned, one needs to be up to speed with knowing when to work with and against the grain of the hair.” The most popular cuts with Anderson’s afro clientele is without doubt the skin fade, although it’s varied over time with the influence of the American market. The ‘low skin fade’ and ‘taper skin fade’ are still in high demand and popular styling trends in recent years included ‘waves’ and the ‘curl sponge’. The top tools that Anderson favours includes the Wahl Senior and 100 Year Anniversary Clipper plus the Andis Pro Li Detailer is his line-up tool of choice. For products there’s the ever present Dax Wax which has stood the test of time and the ‘Soft n Free’ brand is his go-to.

Hair Force One Team

Justin Carr @justincarr of That Feeling Barber Shop in Potters Bar doesn’t just have a devoted following in the industry, he’s also an Ambassador for styling and colour brand Osmo. If afro hair is a specialist skill, then colouring* afro hair is a rare skill. Here’s Justin’s wisdom on colouring this texture.

“Afro hair can be extremely stubborn especially when going in for a high lift. Going blonde can be very difficult, as the hair can be course and tough to actually bleach. I always find myself going in with a high volume unlike European hair where I would start low in volume and steadily progress up in volume. This is because afro hair tends to go a burnt orange/yellow colour and doesn’t like to go past this stage, so I go against the rule book and start with a 40 volume. I always stick to the same approach which is checking the elasticity and breakage of the hair BEFORE I begin the service. Then go in with a high volume. Don’t be scared, remember it’s completely different to European hair. Wrap the hair once the bleach and peroxide is on, then watch over it as it develops. The Osmo Blonde Elevation Premium Violet Bleach powder really helps lighten the hair to a base tone that makes it so much easier to add colour and knock out the yellow tint that, as stylists, we all dislike. For me Pastel colours look amazing on afro hair. Peaches and sky blues look great in Spring and Autumn. In Summer I go for bright colours such as greens, oranges, pinks, red and the platinum or white that everyone asks for, as people want to stand out for Summer. The contrast of the platinum against the differing complexions is just like walking art! The Osmo Colour Psycho range is my go to in the That Feeling ™ barbershop, because of the range and the way the colour holds in the hair after washes plus the colours are easy to mix if I want to make my own tone or brightness.”

*Always patch test your client for allergies ahead of the service and protect the skin where possible during processing. Always process according to manufacturers instructions.

Justin Carr