New to Van Clarke? Subscribe to our newsletter for 15% off your first order. Start your haircare journey today.
In this series of blogs, we look at why people struggle with their hair and the common mistakes hairdressers and barbers make.
“I like the thickness but It’s always really bushy when it’s cut. It bulges too quickly
at the sides and looks messy soon after the haircut.” - George
Now you’re thinking, what’s he been drinking? Barbershops are full of men!
But let me explain. Most barbers nowadays are only trained in very short hair, less than an inch long all over or with clippers. So for sure, if you need a clippered Number-One to reveal that witty tattoo at the back of your head, then barbers are certainly for you. But for men who want to wear their hair a little, or even a lot longer, they need someone skilled in layering, and that is becoming very difficult to find.
Many men have been drawn to the new generation of reimagined barbershops. Lured by a free beer and a game of pool while having your haircut, it’s easy to think that this is where you go if you’re a bloke.
George too, was going to one of the small new chains of achingly hip and trendy barbers, and so like many men he struggled with his hair. But because this was always George’s experience, even with many different barbers, he came to the conclusion that he just had difficult and bad hair.
But George has fantastic hair. Thick. Strong and supple. Just a lifetime of terrible haircuts.
So this is what we didStage 1 – I sculpted a balanced shape using our signature Diamond Dry Cut™. This is the only method that allows precise balancing of the hair shape in a natural organic way. Stage 1 gave a 1000% improvement but I like to refine more.
Stage 2 - With George’s very thick hair I also wanted to remove more weight especially at the sides, so the haircut would lay more effortlessly and hold in shape for even longer. Here I point-cut into the layers at a steep angle and various depths around the head depending on thickness.
Stage 3 - The final stage of the haircut was further weight balancing in just a few critical zones using traditional thinning scissors again at a steep angle and not too deep.
Now the different lengths and weight densities of the hair across the head were balanced. This meant easy-care hair that stayed looking good even past its sell by date. Let’s face it, who wants to faff around and struggle with their hair unnecessarily. A great haircut is essential in giving you the confidence to forget about your hair.
And if you think George looks ten pounds lighter, sharper and more alive in the ‘after’ pictures, that’s the haircut not Photoshop.
If you have any texture in your hair and want a shape that works, you have to have precisely connected layers. This is what our unique Diamond Dry Cut™ method gives.
With the haircut now corrected it can simply be dried with a towel and hands.
“What a brilliant orator into the complexities of one’s hair, I never knew there was so much to consider with a haircut. Fortunately, Michael’s words are backed up by substance and I am currently writing this with the best haircut of my life.
He truly is a ‘cut’ (sorry) above the rest.” - George Wilson
For George’s hair we used LifeSaver Prewash Treatment to rehydrate, then Cashmere Protein UV protective Shampoo and Conditioner. A little Thicker Quicker to give grip and hold to the floppy front, then finally a little Ten Second Transformation to feed and smooth the hair giving a little shine and texture too.
Michael Van Clarke
The word ‘healthspan’ has been absorbed into our daily lexicon. It pops up as often as lifespan now as the movement to maximise health progresses. Healthspan is the length of time a person is healthy, not just alive, and was coined by gerontologists in a 1987 Science article. A period of life in which you are healthy and free from chronic disease or disability.
