Barbering vs Hairdressing

For years, the barbering and hairdressing industries have been at loggerheads…

Many saw barbering as a cheap and cheerful trade, with barbers often quipping back that hairdressing was unnecessarily over over-elaborate.

A synergy between the two crafts, however, is now being celebrated like never before. A shift in attitude towards male grooming and latest trends have lead to a greater overall appreciation for the fundamentals of hair. Longer, textured styles required barbers to learn scissor skills that one might once have been more associated with hairdressing.

There are, of course, those that see progression as an erosion of tradition and ‘male hairdressing’ seems a dirty term. ‘Not real barbering’ you will often see on videos as barbers section the hair neatly, but most enjoy blurring techniques to create a style that the client wants.

As they say, ‘knowledge is power’ and we believe an overall understanding of hair is beneficial to both hairdressers and barbers. I started in a traditional Italian barbershop in New York before progressing through the ranks at Sassoon, and to this day use techniques from both disciplines.

Although the Sid Sottung Academy focusses on men’s hair we do not believe in labels and teach all techniques we think students need to succeed and be prepared for changing trends.

For Salon magazine readers we’re offering an exclusive 20% discount on all academy courses. The only restriction is it cannot be used in conjunction with other offers. Get in touch for your unique discount code.

For further details on the Sid Sottung Academy, please visit sidsottungacademy.com