Hot take: using a guard comb vs freehand fading isnt even close

Tried doing a freehand fade on a client last week and it looked like a roadmap, switched to a #2 guard and blended it perfect in 5 minutes. Has anyone else had a client ask for freehand and then regret letting them talk you into it?

3 comments

3 Comments

brian_ramirez23d ago

Yeah "it looked like a roadmap" is the PERFECT way to put it. I've been there too many times thinking I could pull off a clean freehand fade and ending up with lines that look like a topographical map. Taking your time with a guard comb is just smarter for most skin types, especially if the hair is coarse or the head has weird angles. Freehand works for some guys with super fine hair or if you've been doing it for years, but for a regular client looking for a crisp fade, guards win every time.

hayden70923d ago

My buddy tried to freehand a fade on himself once and ended up calling me in a panic asking if I knew how to fix a "mountain range" on the back of his head. I told him to just wear a hat and come over so I could fix it with guards. It took me like 20 minutes to blend out all those uneven lines he carved in there. He never tried that again, just sticks to his old corded clippers and the guard sizes now. Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way that freehand is not for beginners.

torres.sage14d ago

My uncle taught me to freehand everything back in 2019, so I was stubborn about using guards for years. Then I had a client last month with this bumpy skull shape and I tried to do my usual freehand fade and it came out looking like a maze. Had to switch to guards halfway through and it saved the whole cut. Now I'm a believer, guards are just way more forgiving for weird head shapes.