One of the ways I try and keep abreast of the current trends is look at the various clues around.

Some times it is a little celebrity info from the TV, Victoria Beckham is wearing this particular look, or an event like the Oscar’s you can see celebrities wearing their hair is a different way.

Keeping in with you local hairdressing rep or agent, can also be a source for where they think the current trends will go. I tend to book a 30 minute appointment out for their monthly visit, this takes care of most of my ordering of stock for the month so it makes good time management sense, and it also gives me a chance to sit down with them so they can show their current offers.

I have dealt with most of the big companies over the years, but always remained loyal to Wella, because of there commitment to the trade, without fail, they produce an offer or incentive to help keep me motivated and up-to-date with what is going on throughout the country.

Look what is happening in the glossy’s, again this is another source of information, and it is when you put all this information together, the clues start to add up, you begin to get a clearer picture of where the hairdressing current trends are going.

Sometimes they do seem to heading in one direction, but a different look will take over, so go with the flow.

Clients will make suggestions to you, and not actually say they want it like a certain celebrity, but this is what they are trying to say without sounding too obvious.

So look for the clues and put them together to keep current with your hairdressing trends.

Enjoy your hairdressing.

John Mcloughlin.

I sometimes get asked to visit colleges in the area and give my opinions in various aspect of hairdressing.

I was recently invited to one of the college in the North West and sat in on a meeting with, heads of department, tutors, college lecturers, hairdressing staff and other business owners from the area.  When the meeting was finished I popped in to a few classes to see old friends and other staff members from the college.

While talking to some of the staff I was noticed one of the hairdressing students who was cutting someone’s hair, this student I was informed, was just finishing her NVQ level III, I noticed that her fingers when holding a section were very straight, in fact they were too straight.

The effect it was having on the haircut was to lose the natural head shape and make the haircut look hexagonal or like a 50 pence piece.

One of the methods I teach, is to visualise the haircut on the client and take into account their head shape, not just the face shape talked about on most college courses, but the actual head shape of the client.  This will give you a better guide to how long to leave the hair on top, back and sides of your haircut, and give you the over all shape needed to create the particular haircut.

I try to get learners to envisage a common house hold light bulb as the main shape of a haircut, and use the roundness of the bulb shape, to help shape your haircut.  If you do this it will also have the effect of rounding your fingers when taking your sections while cutting the hair.

So my tip for you is to round your fingers very slightly when cutting to improve the over all effect of your haircut.

For more hints and tips, check out: http://www.hairdresser-training.com/tips/

John Mc Loughlin

www.hairdresser-training.com