Why are male stylists successful in the beauty industry?

International GA.MA Ambassador David Guerin is one of the most sought-after hairdressers in the world, who has elevated machine haircutting to the level of an art. His educational DVDs are sold all over the world. Once you see these methods of working, you will immediately want to challenge your creativity! Before the master class in Kyiv, in an interview with Your Hair, David spoke about his teaching activities, charity, individual approach to each client and shared the secrets of success

David, you are a recognized barber stylist. Why do you think male stylists and hairdressers are so successful and popular in the beauty industry?

This is because the energy of male stylists is colossal. The beauty industry is aimed primarily at women. But when a client comes to a barber salon, he would rather listen to a male barber than to a woman. And this happens everywhere all over the world. In no case do I want to hurt or offend girls - I have met many very experienced and authoritative female masters.

Is it difficult to work specifically with men? What is the difference between working with a male client and a female client?

Oh, the difference is huge! (Laughs.) Men generally do not accept change, but prefer to remain the same. Watch your boyfriend or husband: he wears the same things and hasn’t changed his hairstyle for a long time. You can ask him to change his style, but he still resists it.

Women get bored with monotony, and they periodically expect changes - in clothes, hairstyles, makeup. It is enough to compare how a woman looked a year ago and now. Most likely, these will be two different images. But there is no point in comparing the real image of a man and a year ago - they will be the same.

How then can you understand what a woman wants?

It is impossible to understand this. Because the woman herself does not know what she wants. The method that successful hairdressers use is to carefully observe the client - how she looks, what she is wearing, how she cuts her hair. I usually ask the client what she likes - length, color, shape. And I compare all this with her image and my idea of what is right for her.

Many women show me photos of looks they like. But I understand that due to their face shape, hair type, or overall style, they may not be suited to these particular haircuts. In any case, this approach helps to better understand the client’s tastes and choose the best individual approach to creating a style.

You are an expert leader in the professional field of machine haircuts. How do you find and develop your haircut techniques?

Firstly, a hair clipper is nothing more than a tool in the hands of a master. Like any other tool, it allows you to create images, draw the desired lines and cut the desired shapes. And all this happens easier and faster than if I used, for example, scissors. This is my personal choice of tool. Just like if you go to a dentist who uses certain instruments for specific tasks: you would never think of telling him which instrument he should use at that moment. And this skill allows you to achieve the best results.

I was doomed to become a barber - from early childhood, from the age of 4, I grew up in the salon of my father, a barber. He preferred to work with a hair clipper rather than with scissors. And I adopted this passion, learned to use the tool and achieve a variety of results.

People tend to want to work faster, not harder. Although, unfortunately, there are still many artists in this industry who use more complex techniques. Actually, that’s why I decided to teach the craftsmen my technique - to make their work easier. I show how to achieve the desired result in a simple way, reducing the time and costs of working with a client and increasing your income. One way or another, this is a business, and an hour and a half haircut is more expensive than a half hour. We need to work smarter, not harder.

Who was your first model?

It was so long ago! (Laughs.) I worked with a huge number of people! Although I can remember an incident from my childhood. I was 5 years old and I helped my father in his barbershop. Then they brought three little boys who cried, resisted and absolutely did not even want to sit in a chair, especially when they saw the typewriter in the hands of their father. I knew them - we played together on the playground. Dad called me, put me on a stool near the barber’s chair and gave me a tool in my hands, allowing me to cut these guys’ hair. My friends knew me, trusted me, and therefore calmed down and did not resist. Moreover, it was a kind of game - they were interested in being models, and I was interested in being a hairdresser. Since then, the guys were brought to me every three weeks for a haircut.

Tell us about your training events. Where, how often and for whom do you conduct master classes?

Recently I have been representing the company GA.MA and conducting training events for those who are interested in this brand. Today I will introduce masters from Ukraine to the capabilities of this technique. Such seminars help promote the brand on the market and allow you to get to know it better and get to know it better, thereby bringing the product to the end consumer - the master of the salon or barbershop.

I've been teaching people since 1984 and love the process. After all, only by adopting each other’s experience do we become more professional. My listeners are, as a rule, experienced masters who have been practicing for many years; they themselves could teach me a lot. But I understand that it is my responsibility to share my knowledge and help listeners achieve better results to advance in their careers. And I get great pleasure from realizing this. Even if all my listener remembers from the entire show is “that crazy guy on stage” who inspired him, I consider my mission accomplished.

What exactly attracted you to the GA.MA brand, with which you have been collaborating for the last two years?

I met this brand 15 years ago when I performed on the same stage with their art director Alberto Gitano. After some time, I was already free from obligations to the previous partner brand and received an offer from GA.MA, after which I helped in the development of a new line of tools specifically for barbers. So I became a co-author of the GA.MA BARBER SERIES line of machines, and my participation extended to both design and training of craftsmen to work with these products. I was attracted by the opportunity to represent a special line of tools and be involved in its development from start to finish. It was important for the brand to use my name and the trust of the craftsmen in me. And we worked together.

Tell us more about the GA.MA BARBER SERIES line.

This is a line of tools specifically designed for barbers. Its peculiarity is that it is suitable for both men and women. Of course, as a rule, these are short haircuts. And our GA.MA BARBER SERIES tools help you achieve the desired result.

In addition, they are designed in such a way that they will be useful and convenient for both beginners and experienced craftsmen. This versatility is the hallmark of the GA.MA BARBER SERIES.

I was amazed by your Instagram profile! How does such a busy person find time for fundamental training in the gym? Tell us about your achievements in sports.

I have been training regularly in the gym for a long time, and every day I start with a workout at 5 am. I have to keep myself in shape not only for the sake of the stage! (Laughs.)

Sport helps me reach new heights in my career. After an early workout, I'm energized, energized, and ready to go. Wherever I am, whatever country I come to, I come to the gym where I meet like-minded people. And I perceive them as family.

Tell us about your hobbies - we saw your fishing and hiking in the photo. What else does the international stylist enjoy?

I love fishing and hunting. My family shares my passions. I also ride my bike every day - as bikers say, I live on two wheels.

This is not your first visit to Ukraine. What is interesting about our masters? Do you have feedback from Ukrainian students?

I really love the work of Ukrainian stylists – their persistence and style of work. This is my fifth time in Ukraine. And I am delighted with the opportunity to conduct training here! After all, my listeners are very attentive, absorb all the information like a sponge, and want to learn. After some time, I meet them and people tell me how I helped them. This is our goal!

Do you manage to relax and visit some sights during your visits to Ukraine?

I don’t go on excursion tours around the country - it’s not close to me. I prefer to get to know a country through its people. On my last visit to Ukraine, I had some free time, and my friends took me to one of the orphanages. We spent the whole day there. I cut children's hair, looked into their faces, they told me stories about themselves. In general, I believe that charity should definitely become a part of everyone’s life.

A year earlier, during my visit to Ukraine, I met with volunteers. They work with migrants from the east of Ukraine, help them adapt, and help them find work. We spent the whole day with the refugees, also giving them haircuts and trying to support them. These people told me about the war. Actually, this is the way to get to know the country that I consider the most correct for myself.

A few words to the readers.

The most important thing for a hairdresser or stylist is to believe in yourself. You are better than you think you are! I wish you to believe in your strength and ability to make the client’s wishes come true. Many hairdressers do not believe in themselves and only listen to what the client dictates. The stylist is a professional who does his job day after day, year after year. The client receives a haircut once a month. And the stylist does 5 haircuts every day. Therefore, the stylist’s experience and skills give him the right to make a decision. As soon as the hairdresser realizes and understands this, all his passion is embodied in vivid images. Self-confidence will become the basis for confidence and successful creative work.