Slipped with the trimmer on a zero fade and had to start over from scratch

Was doing a zero fade on a regular client in my chair in Brooklyn yesterday. Everything was going smooth until my hand jerked when I was taking the guard off and I buzzed a bald strip right through the side. Had to tell him what happened, then spent 20 minutes blending it into a 1 guard all over. He was cool about it but I felt awful. Has anyone else had to completely restart a cut because of one mistake?

2 comments

2 Comments

stone.evan15d ago

Man, I've done the exact same thing with a zero fade. The trick I picked up is to keep the guard on until you're totally clear of the blade area, like physically move your hand away before you even touch the release. That little jerk happens to all of us when we're tired or rushing. For the restart, you handled it right by going to a 1 all over and owning the mistake upfront, clients appreciate that way more than trying to hide a bald spot with comb tricks. If you keep a spare clipper with a different guard already set, you can swap fast without that fumble moment happening again.

joelsanchez15d ago

Yo that's a solid point about the spare clipper trick, but doesn't that get annoying having to stop mid cut to grab a different tool? lol I've thought about doing it but I feel like it would break my flow more than just fumbling with the guard swap. Also do you find the clients actually notice when you switch or are they just grateful you fixed it quick? I had one guy watch me like a hawk after a slip once and it threw me off for the whole rest of the cut.