The 12-Week
Barbering Course
What You’ll learn
Scotland's most hands-on barbering course, designed to take you from complete beginner to a confident, job-ready barber in just three months.
📍 Edinburgh
🌙 Evening Classes
🎁 Free £500+ Pro Kit
✂️ 16 Practical Sessions
🛡️ Confidence Guarantee
12
Week Course
48
Hours Training
16
3-hour Sessions
The Fastest Route To
Professional Barbering
What You’ll learn
Most barbering courses spend months on theory and leave you underprepared for real clients. Brazen Hair Academy is built differently, every session is hands-on, every week brings new skills, and by the time you graduate you've already worked on real people with real results.
Backed by Brazen Men's Hair, one of Edinburgh's highest-rated barbershops. This course gives you access to the same techniques, tools, and mentorship that built one of Scotland's most respected barbering brands. Evening classes mean you can keep your job or income while you train.
Week-by-Week
Breakdown
Full Curriculum
Most barbering courses spend months on theory and leave you underprepared for real clients. Brazen Hair Academy is built differently, every session is hands-on, every week brings new skills, and by the time you graduate you've already worked on real people with real results.
Phase 1 - Foundations (Weeks 1 - 4)
-
Tools, hygiene, and your first consultation
Skills covered:
Introduction to your professional barbering kit and every tool's purpose
Barbershop hygiene, sterilisation, and health & safety standards
How to conduct a professional client consultation
Understanding face shapes and how they influence haircut decisions
The language of barbering terminology, guard sizes, and communication
Session outcome: You'll leave Week 1 understanding your tools and feeling confident talking to clients before a scissor has touched a head.
-
Your first cuts, control, and clipper confidence
Skills covered:
Clipper anatomy, blade maintenance, and professional care
Understanding guard attachments and their applications
Basic clipper-over-comb technique on real practice heads
Introduction to blending — the most requested skill by clients
Your first live model session with instructor guidance
Session outcome: You'll complete your first full clipper cut on a live model — with instant feedback from your instructors on every move.
-
Master the most in-demand technique in modern barbering
Skills Covered:
The mechanics of a fade — zones, guide lines, and graduation
Low fade technique: precision at the perimeter
Mid fade technique: the most versatile and requested style
High fade technique: bold, clean, and high-contrast
Identifying and correcting common fade mistakes in real time
Session outcome: You'll execute all three fade types on mannequins and begin applying the low and mid fade on live models by end of session.
-
The bald fade and the finishing techniques that define great barbers
Skills covered:
Bald fade technique from skin — eliminating shadows and harsh lines
Using foil shavers and detail trimmers effectively
Creating crisp, clean zero lines around the ears and neck
Neckline shaping: square, rounded, and tapered options
Working with different hair densities and textures
Session outcome: You'll complete your first skin fade from start to finish — one of the most coveted skills any barber can have.
Phase 2 - Technique Building (Weeks 5-8)
-
Scissor-over-comb, point cutting, and textured finishes
Skills covered:
Correct scissor grip, body positioning, and ergonomics
Scissor-over-comb technique for seamless blending
Point cutting and slice cutting for natural movement
Texturising: removing bulk without losing shape
Creating soft, tapered finishes vs sharp, defined lines
Session outcome: You'll add a complete scissor vocabulary to your technical toolkit — essential for higher-end, premium-priced cuts.
-
Necklines, cheek lines, sculpting, and the art of the shave
Skills covered:
Beard anatomy - understanding natural growth patterns and density
Cheek line and neckline definition: natural vs sharp finishes
Beard sculpting: shaping for different face shapes
Conditioning and pre-treatment for skin and beard health
Moustache styling and finishing techniques
Upselling beard services in a barbershop environment
Session outcome: Beard services dramatically increase your average ticket value — you'll leave able to offer full grooming packages from day one
-
The cuts that built the trade executed at a modern standard
Skills covered:
The crop — versatility in the most requested cut in Edinburgh
The pompadour: volume, flow, and control
The side part and slick back: precision and product work
The taper: clean elegance from temple to neckline
Connecting haircuts to lifestyle, identity, and personality
Session outcome: You'll expand your menu of cuts significantly — knowing these styles means you can confidently take any walk-in client.
-
The cuts clients come in asking for by name
Skills Covered:
The disconnected undercut and modern textured top combinations
Burst fades, drop fades, and their application to contemporary looks
Working with curly, coiled, and afro-textured hair basics
How to recreate styles from a client's phone reference image
Social media trends: what's being booked and how to execute it
Session outcome: You'll be able to look at a reference image and have a clear technical plan, the confidence every new barber needs.
Phase 3 - Riccardo Basco Intensive & Business Skills (Weeks 9-12)
-
World-class technique refinement begins here
Skills covered:
Riccardo's signature blending methodology - refined over decades of teaching globally
Micro-technique corrections: the 1% adjustments that separate good from great
Advanced clipper choreography: efficiency without sacrificing precision
Working under pressure: speed, quality, and consistency combined
International standards of finish: what sets a premium cut apart
Session outcome: Riccardo will personally assess and correct your blending technique — an opportunity that normally takes years of networking to access.
-
Scissor mastery at an international level
Skills covered:
Riccardo's advanced scissor curriculum — the techniques he teaches worldwide
Weight removal and shape-building for premium haircut results
Advanced point cutting and channel cutting for texture specialists
The art of invisible graduation: when the cut looks effortless
Student portfolio build: practising your best work for photography
Session outcome: Scissor confidence at a professional standard — the hallmark of a barber who can charge more and attract higher-end clients.
-
Building the proof that lands you your first job
Skills covered:
Styling and photographing finished cuts for your portfolio
How to present your portfolio - digital, physical, and on social media
Speed and consistency: performing to commercial barbershop standards
Managing client expectations and difficult conversations professionally
The barber's mental game: composure, confidence, and craft pride
Session outcome: You'll leave this session with portfolio-quality images of real cuts you performed. Evidence that speaks louder than any certificate.
-
Everything you need to turn craft into a career
Skills covered:
How to find and land your first barbershop position in Edinburgh and beyond
Self-employment basics: chair rental, tax, and going solo
Building a client base from zero using Instagram and word of mouth
Pricing your services: how to know your worth and charge accordingly
Graduation assessment and Brazen Academy Certificate presentation
Post-course mentorship access and the Brazen alumni network
Session outcome: You'll graduate with your Brazen Academy Certificate, a polished portfolio, and a concrete plan for your next career move.
Why Choose UsEverything You Need
On Day One
✂️ Free Professional Kit
Every student receives a complete professional barbering kit - clippers, scissors, trimmers, combs, and finishing tools. Valued at over £500. Yours to keep and use from the very first session.
Value: £500+
📸Professional Portfolio
Guided portfolio creation sessions throughout the course. You'll leave with a curated collection of your best work — ready for job applications, Instagram, or your own shop from day one.
Career Ready
🎓 Certification
Graduate with a Brazen Hair Academy Certificate that demonstrates your professional competency to employers, barbershops, and future clients across Scotland and the UK.
💼 Business Mentorship
Learn how to build a client base, price your services, and navigate self-employment from barbers who've actually done it. Leave with a business plan, not just a qualification.
👥 Real Model Sessions
Work on real models throughout the course and leave with a professional portfolio that demonstrates your skills to any employer or client.
Hands-On from Week 2
🌍 Get Credentials
Six of your sessions are taught by Riccardo Basco — a globally recognised Italian haircutting educator who travels exclusively to Edinburgh to teach this course. Unavailable anywhere else in Scotland.
Exclusive to Brazen
Schedule & Format
Train Around
Your Life.
🌙
Evening Classes
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7pm – 10pm
All sessions are held in the evening so you can keep your current job, income, or commitments while training. No need to choose between starting your new career and paying your bills.
💡 This matters: Most barbering course dropouts happen because students can't afford to stop earning. Evening classes remove that barrier entirely.
👥
Small Group Sizes
Maximum 6 students per cohort
Intentionally small groups mean you spend more time cutting and less time waiting. Every session includes direct instructor feedback tailored to your specific technique and development needs.
⚡ Why this matters: Large class barbering courses leave students cutting air — at Brazen, your hands are in hair from Week 2.
📍
Location & Environment
Brazen Men's Hair, 88 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh EH7 5HU
Train inside an active, award-winning Edinburgh barbershop, not a sterile classroom. You'll absorb the culture, pace, and standards of a professional barbershop from day one.
🚌 Getting here: Easily accessible by bus, 15 minutes walk from Edinburgh City Centre, with street parking available nearby.
📅
Upcoming Intake Dates
Next cohort starting soon
Applications are currently open for our next intake. Only two spaces are available in this cohort - spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis after a brief discovery call with the team.
🔥 Only 2 spaces left in the current cohort. Book your call today to secure your place.
After You Graduate
Where This
Takes You
🏠
Mobile Barber
Serve clients at their homes or offices. Low overheads, loyal regulars, and total scheduling freedom make mobile barbering one of the fastest-growing routes in Scotland.
£30k – £50k+
Depending on client volume
💈
Employed Barber
Join a barbershop as a fully qualified barber. Edinburgh's best shops are actively looking for trained talent — and your Brazen certificate opens those doors.
£24k – £35k
Typical starting salary, Edinburgh
✂️
Chair Rental
Rent a chair in an established barbershop and build your own client base. Keep the majority of what you earn with the freedom to set your own hours and prices.
