The Leaf Hair Blog
How to achieve amazing results with men's curly hair
In our tutorial, available now on Leaf Academy, Charlie Gray renowned men's hairdresser and founder of Hair in Motion education creates a fashion-forward men's haircut on textured and curly hair. Below is some of his advice on how to achieve amazing results with Men's Curly Hair. Working with interior and exterior shapes. It is important to remember that cutting from the Interior removes weight and cutting from the exterior removes length. Working with the exterior shape Whenever you get a client with textured or curly hair to discuss with them how much their hair bounces back after the hair is cut or when the hair is wet. When working on the exterior shape it is often better to work fluidly with something like a razor. In this tutorial, Charlie uses the Leaf Razor, a favourite among barbers and men's hairdressers. The razor is a great tool for removing weight and excess length but not disrupting the curl pattern or texture. A tip from Charlie: be aware that you may not need to take off the exact same amount from both sides. It is quite common that depending on the growth pattern or a previous haircut the two sides will not be completely symmetrical. Working on the interior shape The interior shape requires a much more strategic approach which is why for this haircut the box sections were clipped up and reserved for later. Some of the best ways to remove weight and add movement and texture to the interior shape a to use methods such as elevation, sectioning and layering. For this cut, Charlie made it a focus to follow the natural, rounded shape of the head keeping with the loose and undone style and making sure the interior section married into the exterior shape.One of the most important things you can do is make sure you refer back and take guides from the external shape to prevent too much separation. Head on over to https://www.leaf-academy.com/ now to check out the tutorial.
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How to produce men’s creative, salon-friendly cuts with added personalisation
In our tutorial available now on Leaf Academy Charlie Gray, w men's hair specialist and barber and founder of 'Hair in Motion' education creates this fantastic men's cut using salon standard methods, techniques and tools. Below are Charlie’s key focuses on how to achieve amazing work every time The Discussion before / the consultation In the tutorial, Charlie mentioned how he had a discussion with his client prior to the haircut discussing problem areas, things the client wanted to change and things the client wanted to keep. From this, Charlie could strategise a plan to give the client exactly what they wanted without the need for excess strife. For example, the client pointed out that the weight at the crown was causing him the issue and therefore Charlie knew that was an area he wanted to remove more weight from. Salon-friendly tools and techniques All methods mentioned in the video are industry and salon standards. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to create really interesting and groundbreaking styles with commercial knowledge. All that was used to achieve this look was a scissor, Charlie used the Leaf x Hair in Motion Cobalt, the Leaf razor, clippers and of course a comb. All of which are available /should be available to you as a hairdresser/barber. Using your tools to achieve the personalised look Charlie used a Scissor over comb technique on the side panels, this is much more personal to the client as you can better control the shortness at which the hair is taken off and it also creates a more textural appearance to the hair. Charlie also works visually using the Leaf razor away to remove excess length from specific areas, rather than working in a perfect strategy, Charlie assessed the client's hair and made a judgement on which areas needed the most taken off. Working with the razor also added additional texture to the cut and removed the hair with a softness which would not have been possible with a standard scissor cut. Understanding The Importance of working visually as well as strategically There are definite ways Charlie worked strategically in areas of this cut, for example using a vertical centre profile from the head in a rounded shape to preserve the focal point i.e. the fringe and working in diagonal back sections on the side panels to create a clear path for the clippers to follow. However, it is important to understand the importance of marrying the strategic and the visual. For example when working with the clippers, starting with a higher guard and working down as necessary to remove the risk of taking too much hair off. Charlie also assessed the shape of the hair and the cut before he started making it super personal to the clients and their preference, growth pattern and hair shape. Finishing touches It's all in the details. Personalisation really comes through in the small details which makes a style completely unique. For example, in this cut Charlie took special care to preserve features such as the rat-tail braid adding some really cool personality to the final look As well as knowing when to stop and how much to style the hair there is an art in knowing especially with this hair type and texture when to stop and let it dry naturally.
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Mastering Hairdressing Consultations
Why are hairdressing consultations so important? Before we delve into how to deliver the perfect hairdressing consultation, it is important to know why they are so integral to every appointment. Well, to start with, although you can work magic on hair, you are unfortunately not telepathic. Every client has individual needs, so a hairdressing consultation is how you are going to pinpoint those needs before you action them. This will not only ensure you can work efficiently, but will guarantee you exceed your client’s expectations with those finer details. On top of this, we all know a hairdresser is so much more than an expert with scissors. As a hairdresser, you need to be able to form connections on a personal level with your clients. A consultation will make your client feel at ease, and will allow you to build rapport and trust. How to deliver the perfect hairdressing consultation Now that you know why consultations are so important, we’ve put together the key steps that you should follow with every hairdressing consultation. Greet your client If you have an appointment booked with a new client, remember that first impressions count. In fact, experts say it takes just 3 seconds for a person to decide whether they like you. So, make sure that you put on a big smile, attend to your client quickly and welcome them with a nice greeting. You might want to break the ice by complimenting them on something, or asking how their day has been. Even if you have a regular client, it is always crucial to greet them with your usual positivity. You never know when someone is having a bad day, so taking your time to make them feel welcome could be just what they need. Talk them through the consultation process This step is equally as important for returning clients as it is for new clients. Talking through the process, even if it is brief, will let your client know how you like to work and will most importantly put them at ease. This is also a good opportunity to get them excited about their appointment and fill them with positivity. Ask questions Asking questions will likely be one of the longest yet most valuable parts of the consultation. You can really take your time here as it will be crucial to make sure you ask all the right questions. The aim is to build a bigger picture than just the appointment at hand. If this is your first appointment with a client, then start by getting some background about your client’s hair. This might be what kind of services they have had recently, and what products they use on their hair regularly. If they are a regular client, make sure to read your notes before they arrive so you can already recall their hair history. You might also want to ask if they have had anything done to it since their last appointment. Then, get into the appointment details. This is where your expertise are really going to shine through, which will really impress the client. A client might have booked a balayage, but to you, you are creating a bespoke piece of art on their hair, so you’ll want to really delve deep into what they want. Asking if they have pictures is a great way to fully understand what they want. We have some great examples of questions to ask in our free downloadable guide to hairdressing consultations Create a plan of action Now comes the technical part of the consultation: the plan of action. You’ll want to map out the steps you are going to take to achieve their desired results, and what products you will need to use to do so. You can talk through this with the client, as it will reassure them and will help them understand what you are doing at each point in the appointment. You can take any feedback they might have and ask them if they have any questions. Confirm the plan of action Once you have finished talking them through the plan, it’s time to get confirmation. It’s crucial to have 100% confidence between you and your client before you even begin to eliminate the chance of mix-ups. It can be easy to forget to run your co-workers through the plan of action as you’ll likely be raring to go, but taking the time to talk to anyone else involved in the process is always necessary, even if they play a small part in the end result. You really want to take away any confusion from all parties to ensure smooth execution, after all, you probably have a busy schedule to stick to. Get started with the appointment Lastly, even once you get started with the hair service, you will still want to weave in elements of the consultation throughout the entire appointment. You can do this by talking your client through what you are doing as you work, and re-confirming parts of their service. As mentioned, you’ll also want to spend your appointment building rapport with the client. Take an interest in getting to know them, and also talk about yourself. By having that connection, along with an excellent service, your client will be bound to return.
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Leaf Scissors Partners with Charles Gray
Leaf scissors and Charles Gray have joined forces to offer an exclusive deal to both of their consumer bases. The pair have a longstanding relationship and are now taking it to next level. The bundle, which is available on the Leaf Scissors website, will allow stylists the opportunity to get a full access circle membership to Charles Gray’s education platform – Hair in Motion – as well as the bestselling Leaf ‘Black Edition’ scissor at a hugely discounted rate. This bundle will also be available on a monthly subscription service. Each hairdresser can attest to the importance of education within a constantly changing industry, so we commend the Leaf and Hair in Motion Teams for making both the tools and education packages accessible to every hairdresser no matter their position or level of experience Hair in motion boasts a selection World class cutting tutorials, digital lectures and diagrams of each cut. Access to more than 35 online training videos and Live education seminars as well as education on the power of consultation, social media success, photography tips, setting and reaching your goals, and the importance of diet and nutrition as a high-performing hairstylist, and podcasts from industry leaders. As well as new content uploaded constantly in addition to the existing 35+ teaching hours. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR LEAF X HAIR IN MOTION BUNDLE
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Sarah's quick tips to a flawless balayage
Sarah (SLK hair) is a bleach and blonde specialist with years of experience in the industry who can teach you everything you need to know about safe bleaching, balayage and creating the most popular trends for your clients in salon. The Full tutorial is available for FREE on Leaf Academy What is Balayage? "Balayage can mean very different things. But for me personally, it's about lightening the hair in areas where the sun would hit it. Creating a natural colour" 1. Shampoo Using shampoo next to the root during a balayage creates a perfectly diffused line as the shampoo helps dilute the bleach and stops you from working too close to the root. (When using shampoo ensure you're using a stiff brush to better push the product up into the backcomb). 2. Backcombing When creating a balayage you want the separation between the darker colour and the bleach to be as soft as possible. Backcombing the hair at the root will eliminate the risk of any streakiness or harsh lines. The Backcombing also ensures the sections are light and there isn't too much thickness which may cause some striping. 3. Blending The aim for a balayage is for it to look as sun-kissed and natural as possible, most of this e is achieved through your method of blending. Make sure you're not applying the bleach directly next to the shampoo so you allow yourself plenty of room for blending. Blending up into the product using your hands will be the best way to ensure a seamless blend. 4. Sectioning Never use a straight line when taking a section. Ensure you are taking a large weave from every main section. When sectioning it doesn't matter if the zig-zags aren't perfect as long as you are not sectioning in a straight line, this will ensure your bleach won't turn out stripy of the highlights too severe. 5. Personalisation When working around the face ensure you discuss with your client how they wear their parting on a day to day or how they prefer to style their hair at home and adjust accordingly so it suits them individually. Also, be aware of where the hair will be naturally highlighted, and remember that the aim of a balayage is to lighten only where the sun would naturally hit the hair. To Watch The Full FREE Tutorial on Leaf Academy Click Here!
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Mental Health Downloadable
We’ve chosen to put this document together for anyone who may be struggling themselves or those who wish to help their friends, family or colleagues who are struggling. The story Mental health is hugely important to everyone at leaf and is a passion for us as a company to open the dialogue around mental health and hopefully assist people with coming to terms with managing their own mental health or providing resources to seek external help. Meet Tane Hi, I’m Tane. I am very passionate about mental health and helping people become aware of the impact that our mental health has on us mfind ways to look after and improve their mental health. I have taken a Level 2 Certificate in Counselling skills and a Level 3 Certificate in Counselling studies, and now I am taking the Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, where I am training to be a qualified counsellor. What you will gain? A range of reasons and methods for recognising signs of mental health struggles Offering assistance and solutions for when you may feel these ways. Links and contact information for external resources where you can seek help or advice
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Tips for salons and freelancers to become more sustainable
We have to do more as an industry to become more sustainable and that's a huge passion for us at Leaf. So we have put together this series of tips to help make. your business more sustainable and can even save you or make you money. 1. WATER WASTAGE Turning the taps off when you don’t need to leave them running and think about how much time you take washing a clients hair. If you can reduce your washing time by even one minute per client it will make a huge difference in the long run of becoming more sustainable. Use eco heads - this aesthetic and amazing showerhead is made from 100% recycled materials and awards you with double the water pressure whilst saving 65% of water. The anti-bacterial stones also help remove chlorine and reduces negative ions giving you cleaner and softer water. 2. COLOUR WASTAGE Mix up little and often as opposed to mixing large quantities just to throw away unused product at the end of a service. Use innovative programmes such as VISH which weighs the colour that you're using and stores the information per client so you know exactly how much to mix up for the next service. 3. ENERGY CONSUMPTION Check who your suppliers are and review your contract. Many energy suppliers are offering more and more renewable energy alternatives. So do some research and see what green energy is available for you. Negotiating a better deal in the meantime will also save you money, and swapping to a green deal in turn will help the environment. 4. GREEN SALON COLLECTIVE We are proud to be partnered with with Green Salon Collective. A UK based company that recycles all types of salon waste even down to using hair to soak up oil spills. It is so easy to sign up and they collect all your waste for you so you don’t have to do a singe thing. Signing up to such a scheme can be used as a great marketing opportunity for your business to let all clients and potential clients know that you are an eco-friendly business. This can be a huge selling point especially with the massive increase in interest for sustainable businesses and alternatives. 5. USE LEAF SCISSORS We're proud of what we’ve achieved, being the first sustainable scissor production brand in the world. We’ve planted over 60’000 Trees by ensuring that we plant at least 10 trees for every product sold in conjunction with our partners the eden reforestation project. We work with our partners, for example our scissor sharpening service to ensure that every time a scissor is sharpened we plant a tree. All of our products come in fully recycled and recyclable packaging. For more information and assistance on becoming more sustainable get in contact with a member of our team through email or any of our socials @leafscissors.
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Pros and Cons of Self Employment and Salon Work
Pros and Cons of Self-employment and salon work In the UK 60% of hairdressers are self employed with a massive shift towards self employment in the hairdressing industry we have put together this list of pros and cons for both sides so you can make an informed decision about what option would be best for you. PROS OF SELF EMPLOYMENT Freedom, control of your own career - freedom and flexibility to work how you want, when you want, where you want. People are craving this freedom and flexibility more than ever before. Allows you to explore different ways of working, allows you to be more creative and allows you to explore different parts of the world as you aren’t tied down to one location. No brand affiliation - If you’re working in a salon you may be restricted to working with one product brand and although you may love it you may want to explore or recommend other products to your clients and being self employed allows you to do this. Uncapped earning potential - Salons take a portion of earning in order to pay for rent, bills and products / sponsorships. CONS OF SELF EMPLOYMENT Miss out on being part of a team / having that team environment - find ways to connect with other stylists Loose chance of career development that comes with working in a salon - a lot of workplaces have career and education pathways available to their employees. Requires a lot more self motivation to do these things on your own. Admin that comes with managing your own books - do your own accounts and marketing as well as managing your own clients. PROS OF EMPLOYMENT Ability to earn a set salary and commission every month - financial security A salon will take care of a lot of the administrative tasks - don’t have to worry about reports, tax or accounts. Really clear career paths and development plans - a business will pay for your education / to do any extra qualifications and courses. A salon is driven to move you forward. If you’re in a salon you’re surrounded by people and have the option to lean on team members if and when you need to CONS OF EMPLOYMENT Less flexibility - set structure around locations and the hours that you work and also less opportunity to be creative Data of the clients legally belongs to the salon not to you as the stylist Revenue that you earn is split between you and the salon - feeling of balance is not their in the stylist mind, salons may have to take a bigger portion of the revenue to contribute to the running of the salon and this may not always add up in the stylists mind. Theres value in both these ways of working its very much a personal preference. Salons need to be mindful of the shift to self employment and create more opportunities for co-working where a stylist may do a few days in the salon and spend the rest of their time as freelance.
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5 Hair Salon Recruitment Tips to Hire Experienced Stylists
Hair salon recruitment is a huge issue for businesses in the UK right now as there is a shortage of hair stylists. Whilst demand for hairdressers is high, there are simply not enough stylists ready to be hired. Therefore, finding the right quality and calibre of stylists in your area has never been more difficult. Every hair stylist that you employ in your salon is a direct reflection of your business’ standard, so finding the right people to bring to your team is vital to making you stand out, and will ensure your salon’s success. How to recruit experienced hair stylists With that in mind, here’s how to recruit experienced hair stylists who are the perfect fit for your hair salon. Consider where and how you advertise When looking for stylists or candidates with hairdressing backgrounds, it is worth looking on specialist job boards like Hairdressing Journal and EG Recruit, or alternatively, utilise specialist recruiters in the industry. Job boards such as Indeed are especially valuable for finding support staff, assistants, apprentices and receptionists, however, you can also use this service for your more experience-demanding roles. That being said, you can also use your own resources to advertise vacancies. By displaying job roles on your website, you will be sure to attract people who are already interested in working for your particular salon. These people are more likely to be passionate about your brand. Additionally, make use of your salon window or email newsletters. 2. Use social media to your advantage When it comes to using social media for recruitment, both paid ads and organic posts are going to be important. With paid social ads, you can spend as little as £50 to advertise a post on social media, allowing you to target a wider range of potential candidates in your local area. Paid social advertising is especially effective, as you can choose audiences who you know will be interested in applying, meaning your budget for recruitment will be spent efficiently. For example, target people with an interest in hairdressing or products you use or are affiliated with. You also have the ability to post directly to your social media profiles, and the best part about this is that it’s completely free. This could simply be a captivating post that talks about a role you’re hiring for. Our top tip is to encourage your followers to tag or share with someone who they think might be interested. 3. Recruit internally using a referral scheme Hair stylists are renowned for their social skills; they’ll have done a lot of networking in previous roles and also talk to numerous people on a day-to-day basis. Therefore, it’s always worth asking your existing team if they can recommend anyone for the role. This is an excellent way to recruit as your employees know the work environment well and will be able to assess if someone would be suitable. This can simply be a conversation with your staff, or you can add an incentive for them to find a new team member using a referral scheme. For example, if a staff member recommends someone for the role, then they will receive a monetary reward once that person has been hired and passed the probation period. This method can really propel your recruitment process. Overall, internal recruitment means you’re more likely to bring in like-minded people that your team can get on with, and will fit in well with the business and team as a whole. 4. Focus on your interview and trade test process It is integral to ensure you give your interview process the care and the attention it deserves. Don’t try to squeeze in an interview in between clients, book time out of your diary to ensure you are making the right decision. After all, you’ll want to utilise all the time you can get to really get to know the person you’re potentially hiring. Use the interview to gain insight into what the candidate is like as a person. Ask open questions to get them talking. Try to stray away from generic interview questions and ask things that truly matter to you. It is also important to use this time to tell them about the salon and answer any questions that they may have. For the trade test, you have to be mindful that there is a shortage of stylists and there are groups in the UK not doing trade tests anymore. On the other hand, there have been instances of salons asking for 10 models. If you do not feel that a trade test is necessary, you might want to request a portfolio instead. With that in mind, here are our recommendations for executing successful trade tests: Job Role Trade Test Recommendation Hair Stylist (Cuts only) 1 model consisting of a haircut with graduation 1 long layered haircut with styling 1 Gent’s Scissor over comb Hair Colourist 1 Global tint application (must show an even application of permanent colour from roots to ends) 1 Half head highlights / Balayage 1 creative colour Hair Stylist & Colourist 1 Global application with graduation haircut 1 Half head highlights with long layered cut 1 Gent’s Scissor over comb 5. Make an offer fast On the one hand, it is important to carefully consider which candidate is right for the job. Though you can rush a decision and get someone hired quickly, you may have to pay the price later when you realise they are not right for the role. On the other hand, time is precious during recruitment. Your candidates will surely be applying to numerous roles, so if you feel you have the right person it is crucial to get back to them quickly. In fact, salons that offer the job first are normally the businesses that get the person on board. When it comes to responding to unsuccessful candidates, it is always worth giving them some constructive feedback. This will help them with their job search, however, they will be more likely to remember your salon and apply for roles in the future. Ask to keep candidates' details if you feel they might be suitable in the future. Use LEAF Academy for more industry insights We understand that the hair industry is fast-paced and constantly changing, which is why the LEAF Academy is your go-to way to keep up to date. Here, you’ll find industry insights including how to be more sustainable, hair salon business advice and even expert cutting tutorials.
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