Finally nailed a fade transition after 8 months of messing up

I've been cutting hair for a little over a year now, and my fades always had that harsh line you couldn't blend out. Last Tuesday I had a regular come in, and I decided to slow way down on the clipper-over-comb part. I used a 1.5 guard open instead of jumping guards, and it just clicked. The blend from skin up through the mid fade was smooth with no visible steps. Felt good enough that I actually took a photo of the back for my Instagram. Anybody else have a technique click after months of fighting with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

viola_lopez301mo ago

The whole "holding the clipper at different angles" thing hits so hard lol. That's one of those details you swear you're doing the same every time until you actually check yourself. It's wild how the brain just autopilots through a cut and convinces you everything's consistent when it's really not. Definitely gonna start recording a few cuts from different angles to catch any weird habits before they get baked in for another 6 months. Little mechanical stuff like grip pressure or wrist tilt can totally screw a blend without you realizing it's even happening.

aaronsullivan1mo ago

3 days ago I finally figured out why my left handed fades were always crap. Turns out I was holding the clipper at 45 degrees on one side and like 80 on the other for 6 straight months. Felt like a total moron when I watched a video of myself cutting and saw the difference. Now my left sides actually match the right ones and I don't have to hide behind the "it's a textured look" excuse anymore.

phoenix_lewis1mo ago

@aaronsullivan I spent a whole summer wondering why my coffee always tasted burnt before realizing I was pouring water from a different height each morning. Same thing with my guitar playing, took me two years to see I was holding the pick at a weird angle on the high strings. Funny how the little stuff hides in plain sight like that.