How long does it take to become a barber?

How long does it take to become a Barber? That’s got to be one of the most frequently asked questions of anyone who’s interested in learning how to become a Barber.

On average, becoming a Barber to the point of proficiency can take less than 12 months.

I’ll give you some real-life examples.

My journey into Barbering wasn’t a “normal” one. If you want the quick version, I went from never having barbered before to teaching myself the basics from YouTube videos, opening my own shop in Manchester nine months later, and then three months later, starting to teach others.

So, I went from never barbering before, to owning a Barbershop and a Barbering school within 12 months.

Now, I’m not normal. I get after it with everything I’ve got when I want something. I’ll drop everything else and go all-in on that thing. Fortunately for me, it was Barbering that I went all-in in.

But, since I’m not normal, how about some stories of others I’ve taught from scratch and how long it takes them to become a Barber.

Let’s dive in.

We have Remy Crux. Remy came to us wanting a quick career change. And quickly he got it.

After 2 weeks of starting with us, Remy went full-time self-employed in a Barbershop in Didsbury, Manchester. A very affluent area.

How did he become a Barber so quickly?

He showed up. Listened. Practiced heavily.

Then we have Alex Jones, who came to us in early 2024 having never cut hair before. Alex also asked us, “How long does it take to become a Barber?” and Alex did something amazing.

Not only did he go on to work in a few Barbershops full-time, he opened his own shop in Wales within 12 months of stepping into our Barber school.

What about Olli Willett?

Olli came to us after being treated like dog shyt at London School of Barbering, having dropped £5,000, only to be shouted out by the owner when he was doing it wrong, to have to cut “LIVE models” who are just homeless people and drunks wandering in for free/cheap haircuts.

Olli almost gave up on beginning his career in Barbering and almost had to wave goodbye to his £5k…

But then he came to me.

Yes, he had to relearn a lot of what he was taught from London School of Barbering because he didn’t even know what simple terminology meant. But, after a few sessions with us, Olli radiated with confidence, became a full-time Barber in just a few months, and he recently told me he’s going travelling around New Zealand as a Barber.

When I get asked, how long does it take to become a Barber, it’s always pretty difficult for me to answer because I have so many stories of my students who’ve gone on to become Barbers in a matter of weeks.

The trouble I have is thinking of which story to tell.

But, if you want the real, god's-honest truth on how long it takes to become a Barber I’ll tell you…

It’s as long as you make it.

For all the success stories I have from teaching people how to become a Barber, there are also people who do nothing with it.

They never practice.

Miss classes.

Make excuses.

And don’t bother to pursue it.

So, they never end up Barbering at all.

It comes down to you.

How much do you want to be a Barber?

Do you want to be a Barber just a little bit?

Or do you want to be a Barber because it’s something you’ve always wanted to do and now feels like the right time?

Because you’re not getting any younger.

If not now, then when?

How long it takes to become a Barber can take you years, IF you let it.

I’ve heard horror stories of people who spent two years at Barber school, only to end their course with no confidence in Barbering. They wasted two years of their lives and gave up.

I’ve heard people who’ve spent months at a Barber school just sitting there and watching slide presentations, not even using a pair of clippers for a whole three months.

Then, I’ve got stories where I’ve helped people become full-time Barbers in weeks.

You decide how long it takes to become a Barber, but you can also speed up the process by finding the right people and places to learn from.

If you’re like me, you only want to learn from someone who’s done exactly what it is that you want to do, right?

For example, if you want to be a premier league footballer, who do you want to learn from to give you the best chance of getting there:

Christiano Ronaldo or your Uncle Jim, the local school footy coach?

It’s blindingly obvious.

So why do people still go learn how to become a Barber from the has-beens Barry and Jane from the local college instead of learning from those at the peak of their game and who’ve already accomplished everything you ever want?

I don’t know, either.

But what I do know is this:

You’re the one who’s in control of how your future looks. Not me. Not your partner. Not your parents. Not your kids.

YOU!

I can help you become a high-calibre Barber in a matter of weeks, if you’ve got half a brain cell, you show up, and you practice a little bit between sessions.

If you can’t? Then you should probably go college for 2-3 years and sit with the mouth breathers and see what you can come up with.

Your future is made in the present.

What choices you make today depend on how your life will look 2-5-10-20 years from now.

As for the question, “How long does it take to become a Barber?” 

My answer: As long or as quick as you want it.

On that note, I’ve got a Free “How to Skin Fade” training video for you here that will have you doing better skin fades in 19 minutes than any college course can in 2 years.

I put my munny on it.

Click here to download it.

Nathshapes