My uncle told me to stop using a guard on my clipper blend lines, and he was right

He's been cutting hair in Toledo for 30 years and said, 'Your fingers are the best guard you'll ever own.' I was scared of making a harsh line, so I kept using a 1.5 guard for my fades. Last week I tried it his way, just using the lever and my finger to stretch the skin, and the blend was way smoother. Has anyone else made that switch and had it click for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo5010d ago

Yeah, that's the old school trick. I remember reading a forum post years ago where a barber said guards are for beginners, your finger is for masters. It forces you to really feel the head shape and the hair growth. Like, using your finger to push the skin up lets you hit that exact spot where the fade needs to start, instead of the guard just buzzing over a flat area. It's way more control once you get the hang of it.

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troy99610d ago

Man, that's the real deal. I tried it on my cousin's tight fade last week. You use your middle finger to stretch the skin right behind the ear, then run the clipper over your finger. It gets that line so crisp because your finger curves with the skull. Guards just slide over and miss the dip every time. Took a few tries not to nick him, but the control is insane.