There’s nothing like the feeling of stepping out of the barber shop with a fresh haircut. Whether you’re going in for a mohawk or a flat-top fade, the Black barbershop has long been considered a sacred space where men go to come out looking and feeling their best – and maybe get into a heated discussion about last night’s game.
But as a recent TikTok trend has revealed, Black men aren’t the only ones getting their glow up from Black barbers.
We told you about the viral Black Wife Effect trend that had Black women working their style magic on their white husbands. Now, a quick search for The Black Barber Effect on TikTok will produce countless videos of white guys with fresh fades that are totally transformational. If you don’t believe us, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite examples of the magic of The Black Barber Effect. Check them out for yourself.
Florida barber @trell.thebarber worked his magic on a white client who had never had a cut by a Black barber before. The man was all smiles when he saw the finished product that he said was “definitely worth it.” And we couldn’t agree more. That line-up is everything!
One of the most popular posters is barber @chrisnewson2. In this clip, he shows a cut he did for a white man who lost a bet and had to get cut by a Black barber. But after seeing the results, the clip, which has received over three million likes, it looks like he actually won in the end.
“Best bet he ever lost,” wrote someone in the comments.
Chris posted another now-viral video of a principal who says his students dared him to come get a fade from a Black barber. The post, which has received over five million likes on TikTok, has fans convinced that parent teacher conferences are going to be a lot more popular after this guy’s glow up.
“All the moms have scheduled meetings with the Principal,” wrote one commenter.
Another one of Chris’ cuts helped a client find religion. In the clip, the man says that if he liked his cut, he’d go to church. Judging by his reaction, it looks like he’s ready to put on his Sunday’s best and sit in the front row.
“He went to the club Saturday tho,” wrote someone in the comments.
Oklahoma City-based @iamvicthebarber showed off an amazing transformation on one of his white clients that you have to see to believe. His video shows him turning the man’s mullet into a clean, updated cut. The reactions were everything, including one commenter who perfectly described the finished product in just one word.
“Dayum,” they wrote.
In another video that has received nearly 200,000 likes, New Orleans area barber @theeanointedbarber shows off an almost unbelievable transformation of one of his clients who was in desperate need of a haircut.
Check out his amazing before and after pics here:
“He just put that man on house arrest. His girl ain’t letting him [out] the house looking that good,” wrote one commenter.
And it isn’t just white guys. Asian guys are getting are the glam treatment as well. Check out this post from Texas barber @deefromdallas tagged, “Changed bros whole life,” that received over 330,000 likes. The low fade gave this man a new look and some new admirers online.
“That went from Wu to Wu Tang,” wrote someone in the comments.