Creativity and passion are two things that make real talent stand out in this industry, and Lynndy Rolfe has them both by the bucket load. Itās hard to find something…
Creativity and passion are two things that make real talent stand out in this industry, and Lynndy Rolfe has them both by the bucket load.
Itās hard to find something that this top hairdresser and British Master Barber hasnāt excelled at. Sheās a Creative Educator at ghd, a session stylist for Hairbond, and has recently signed up to do education for Andis. Oh, and did we mention she dabbles in TV presenting?
Lynndy literally does it all. Starting in hairdressing at the Vokes salons group over a decade ago, Lynndy impressed in womenās hairdressing and stumbled into barbering by chance when asked to manage one of the groupās barbershops. Lucky for us! And with her background in hairdressing sheās keen to change the way people look at the industry.
āI love barbering,ā she tells us. āBut it all falls under the banner of menās hairdressing which is slightly controversial and people get upset about it, but the hairdressing industry is worth billions, barbering is worth millions. So if youāre under menās hairdressing then thereās more opportunity than just barbering. It doesnāt devalue it in anyway but it just fits you into a certain vision of barbershops: trim on top, short back and sides. For menās hairdressing and male grooming itās about treating men in the right way ā fashion forward, cut and colour. It makes people think they are being looked after.ā
Lynndy is more than just talk. Sheās keen to encourage barbers to get more education and broaden their horizons. She says: āIn barbering thereās no colour, noblow drying. I think the education needs to be understanding restructuring hair, the science behind the colour and what youāre working with.
āIām a state registered hairdresser and barber and thereās not many that do both. Iām not saying you need to have Level 2 or Level 3 barbering but going to seminars and seeing people educating is very important. It pays in so many ways; it pays financially, it pays for the future, it pays for inspiration, itās really key you get to constantly see new techniques.ā
Itās no surprise with this love of education that sheās been in demand as an educator for the biggest names in the industry both for barbering and hairdressing.
āIāve done a lot of educating for GHD and I love it. I really enjoy it but the only thing is itās a very hairdressing type job which is fine, but my heart is in the barbering side.
āAndis came to me and I had to do a couple of auditions with them. I made a really good relationship with Aileen [Nunez, former International Education Manager]. Sheās such a beautiful person, I absolutely adore her! Iāve been with them officially since May and Iām going to be with them at Salon International this month.
āIāve been so lucky to have done a bit of everything. Iāve had so many opportunities including with Hairbond, Wahl, and other industry people.ā
While those companies might be the cream of the crop, a more bizarre offer has recently piqued Lynndyās interest, to give education to people who need it the most ā in a prison.
āWhen I got the message to do education in a prison I was just like āOh my god!ā It never occurred to me till the opportunity arose, this is what I want. Itās about image4training young offenders and giving them opportunities to live normal lives. Thatās my dream. All I want to do is help people and spread the barbering word. Barbering has come a long way now and the education is a massive thing for me.
āI donāt mean to have everything with a qualification, itās not about that. Iām not an academic person, Iām creative. I want to work with people who think itās impossible and show them it is possible. You get all these cool barbers with tattoos, Iām not a particularly cool barber, I donāt have loads of tattoos, but I care, I care so much about this industry.ā
With the industry growing year-on-year thanks to the input and sacrifice of barbers like Lynndy, thereās never been a better time to be involved in it. Events like Barber Connect and The Great British Barber Bash are bringing the community closer together and have shown the interest not only from barbers but from the wider world. Lynndy is a veteran of the stage and canāt speak highly enough about the shows.
āIāve been to Great British Barber Bashes, Iāve been to different barbering things and I love them. I think theyāre brilliant. Such good opportunities for people to connect and network.
āIāve been doing shows since I was 19; worked with Wahl on stage twice, Iāve done Toni & Guy, Andis, and this year Iām doing Salon International for the Hair Journal a second time.ā
While Lynndy is known for all the work sheās done helping other people in barbering and hairdressing, some step-by-step videos that she put on YouTube have held her land a rather unusual gig ā television presenting.
āItās for a company called TDV Productions. They produce and direct TV adverts and social media adverts. Not really hairdressing related but itās such good fun! Itās unpredictable work and I donāt know whatās coming, I just get the script a couple of days before the start filming so I have to read it over and commit it to memory. Itās another string to my bow!ā
Lynndy has one hell of a bow and though sheās tight-lipped about what the future might hold for her ā sheās putting plans to open her own salons on hold while she pursues one of her many other opportunities ā weāre sure sheāll be making waves for years to come, whether itās in the TV world or the barbering world.

Original article: Salon NV