Cardigan barber Kyle Rowland named as one of the best in the UK

But for Kyle Rowland, those first exploits with the scissors as a teenager when he cut his friends’ hair for a laugh, have resulted in him being ranked as one of the top five barbers in the whole of the UK.

Kyle will be travelling to the Telford International Centre to take part in the WAHL British Barber of the Year Finals, having beaten his way through hundreds of contestants to be named amongst Britain's top five.

“To get there is incredible,” he said during a break from ‘Fade Barbershop’, which he owns and runs on Priory Street in Cardigan town centre.

“And to get to the final for the third time is even more special. Because what makes the competition so difficult is the fact that it’s not just about cutting someone’s hair but photographing the end result as well.

“You can be the best cutter in the world but if you can’t take a good photo of the model, then you don’t stand a chance.

“As a result, lots of different things have to be taken into consideration. Everything in the photo has to be in proportion with the shape of the person’s face, the shape of their head but also their personality.”

Fade Barbershop on Priory Street, Cardigan. (Image: Google)

And speaking with Kyle, it soon becomes obvious that this is the reason for his huge success.

“Every time someone asks me for a haircut, my job is to suggest a cut that’s going to suit them in all these different ways, so that they don’t walk out of the shop looking like an idiot.

“And this is what’s so good about building up a customer’s trust. I suggest ideas to them, those ideas work, the customer comes back for a repeat appointment and they learn to trust whatever I suggest.

"So I build this strong relationship with them and they become not just customers, but friends as well.”

Kyle's award winning haircuts (Image: Fade)

Kyle, who grew up in St Dogmaels, started cutting hair when he was still at school.

“I started cutting my friends’ hair as a joke, not thinking for a minute that I’d end up following it through as a profession. But I started to quite enjoy it.”

Eighteen years ago Kyle began training as a hairdresser and as his skills grew, he gradually realised that his forte lay in men’s haircutting

He opened ‘Fade’ in 2017 since when he has established a highly successful business operating in Cardigan town centre. He also regularly demonstrates his cutting techniques on stage and to other professional barbers. 

This is the third time he has been selected for the WAHL finals, following his previous successes in 2020 and again in 2021.

Two more of Kyle's award-winning hair cuts (Image: Fade)

The WAHL finals take place this Sunday, June 11, and are recognised as the largest barbering event in Europe.