Exaucè Imbo, also known as Ex the
Barber, first picked up his clippers at age 14 and never looked back. After
practising on his two brothers for six years, he’s now one of Glasgow’s top
barbers with his own barber shop (which he opened during the pandemic), a list
of celebrity clients and huge ambitions…
Tell us how you got started in hair
My dad used to have a guy come to the house and cut his hair. I was always intrigued by the way he was cutting so after watching some YouTube videos I started cutting hair on my brothers. I wasn’t the best at first, but I felt so comfortable and eager to learn with the clippers in my hands. I knew then that this was for me.
Lessons learned back then?
When I turned 16 I got a full-time job as an apprentice in a barber shop, which helped me a lot with certain techniques, especially scissor cuts on Caucasian hair. YouTube is good to get a rough idea of how to start and develop your own unique touch, but it’s important to get yourself in the barber shop environment so you have a better understanding of the craft and how to deal with clients.
Tell us how you got started in hair
My dad used to have a guy come to the house and cut his hair. I was always intrigued by the way he was cutting so after watching some YouTube videos I started cutting hair on my brothers. I wasn’t the best at first, but I felt so comfortable and eager to learn with the clippers in my hands. I knew then that this was for me.
Lessons learned back then?
When I turned 16 I got a full-time job as an apprentice in a barber shop, which helped me a lot with certain techniques, especially scissor cuts on Caucasian hair. YouTube is good to get a rough idea of how to start and develop your own unique touch, but it’s important to get yourself in the barber shop environment so you have a better understanding of the craft and how to deal with clients.
How did you achieve your success?
By being available for my clients and being consistently good with my services. This led to word-of-mouth recommendations, which built up my reputation and eventually landed me some high-profile clients (Ex looks after Rangers footballer Jermain Defoe and Celtic rival Odsonne Édouard, as well as Wes Nelson and Chris Biggs). Through this I get lot of free promotion for the business via press and social media content.
What do you love about barbering?
I love meeting new people, putting a smile on their face and adding a little joy to their lives with a fresh haircut. Even though this is a competitive industry, the support barbers and hairdressers have for each other is amazing – there is always respect and recognition for other people’s work and successes.
Any downsides?
The amount you have to work to keep up with your client base – it can get very tiring.
@exthebarber
By being available for my clients and being consistently good with my services. This led to word-of-mouth recommendations, which built up my reputation and eventually landed me some high-profile clients (Ex looks after Rangers footballer Jermain Defoe and Celtic rival Odsonne Édouard, as well as Wes Nelson and Chris Biggs). Through this I get lot of free promotion for the business via press and social media content.
What do you love about barbering?
I love meeting new people, putting a smile on their face and adding a little joy to their lives with a fresh haircut. Even though this is a competitive industry, the support barbers and hairdressers have for each other is amazing – there is always respect and recognition for other people’s work and successes.
Any downsides?
The amount you have to work to keep up with your client base – it can get very tiring.
@exthebarber
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#ThinkHairdressing
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