Clipper Guy’s Top 5 Tips for Cutting Curly Kids

by Ivan Zoot/The Clipper Guy on Monday, August 2, 2010

Ivan Zoot is the director of education and customer engagement for the Andis Company and the founder of Zoot! Hair professional hair care products. Ivan identifies, recruits, trains and manages Andis’ team of professional beauty industry educators. Ivan continues to be a featured presenter at industry shows and events, sharing his unique blend of information, education and enthusiasm for clipper cutting and the entire professional beauty industry. Ivan’s background includes experiences ranging from salon ownership to achieving 3 Guinness World Haircutting records.

Curly kids grow up to be curly adults. You can cut them for a good long time if you start cutting their hair early, when they are younger.

Here are my top five tips for cultivating a clientele of curly kids.

1.Ask for them. Curly parents likely have curly kids. Make it known to parents that you are open to and enthusiastic about cutting younger clients.

2.Consult at kid level—For the smallest of clients, the consultation will likely be a conversation with a parent. Be prepared to offer suggestions and options that are well suited to a parent managing a child’s day-to-day hair issues. For teens, be prepared with age-appropriate images, popular celebrity-inspired looks and real-life coaching suggestions for home care.

3.Work quickly—Attention spans can be short. Work efficiently. Focus on fringes and fronts first as this is what is seen. If cooperation deteriorates before the back is finished it becomes less of an issue.

4.Use a clipper—Safety first. Clipper texture is great for curly hair (a whole different conversation), but avoiding super-sharp tools when kid cutting is a safe way to work.

5.Suggest products—Managing kid curls is not child’s play. Many of the same issues and solutions that challenge bigger clients will appear as kid concerns. The home care products that provide relief and great looking hair will be appreciated by these clients and their parents. Happy haired curly kids will keep coming back for many years. Down the road they are likely to generate curly offspring as their parents did. Keep the family tradition rolling (spiraling).

Cutting curly kids should be fun for all involved. Please share your success stories and challenges here. As a community we can share ideas and help each other out.

Happy cutting.

1. by stevev363

   On August 13, 2010 at 9:31 am

   Hi Ivan! thanks for the excellent blog, your consistency in delivering really good advice has been very helpful. we have a kid’s room in our salon(a matter of style in oak park, several years back you came in and gave us a class!) and people that have curly kid’s come to me by referal, products are always a topic parents want to discuss. When I help them to find a product I always take the hands-on approach since they are usually the one putting the product on their child’s hair, I have them feel the products in their hand’s and explain why this is the best type to use and have them apply it to their child’s hair with an explanation of how to apply it. It’s very empowering to give them control and assurance so they are confident when they do this at home. Most parents are so pleased that this becomes the gateway to my working on them which also get’s me refferals. keep up the good work!

2. by AhavaFelicidad

   On August 16, 2010 at 10:57 pm

   Wow, I love this. I love working with children and I cut all types of curly hair. The most challenging is the kinky and kinky curly mix in getting just the right shape. For my kids, we play games. We sometimes start off with the alphabet games, one in particular that I learned from my 9 year old curly haired daughter. It’s so simple. One of you starts with the letter A and says three words that begin with that letter and take turns throughout the entire alphabet. I choose the minimum number of letters based on their age, usually five letter minimum for those entering the 4th or 5th grade. They don’t have time cringe or move too much and are so into the game and making sure not to repeat your words that everything has a smooth flow. Also, we break at 45 min. to 1 hr intervals to stretch and gives them the freedom to move - not feeling confined to the chair (which by the way is whatever they decided it is- and when it goes up-it must take them somewhere…rollercoaster, airplane to the islands, rocket ship) whatever they imagine-it is. I have much more and I post those experiences on my blog. As a mother, hair healer and educator assisting the children who are our future curly adults is an essential part of my hair healing practice. It’s true that they will keep coming back and bring their legacy to your chair. Thanks for the blog! It inspired my response.
   Blessings
   Ahava

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