“In The Chair With” spotlights the incredible hairstylists in our community who are giving us major inspiration. Each week, they discuss their personal hair and career journeys, what they’ve learned from their clients, and their top hair care tips.
Wade Menendez’s—known widely as “Wade the Barber”—love for hair started young. “I can remember going back to five years old and being passionate about my hairline,” he says. “If my hairline was not right, bro, I was upset.”
By age 12, he was already cutting his own hair—even if it meant getting teased at school for patchy results. “I would cut patches of my hair trying to experiment… but I didn’t realize this was something I wanted to do.”
The celebrity barber path wasn’t traditional. He worked odd jobs—paperboy, retail, painting with his dad—and briefly attended college. “I got a certificate in Business Administration, but I ended up going to barber school through this program because I wasn’t working at the time.”
He enrolled at Avera’s Academy of Hair Design in Maryland, and not long after, a chance encounter changed everything. “I started cutting Little Mo. She saw a cut I did on my boy, and then she started coming to me while I was still in barber school. From there, it just went up. I was like, okay, yeah—this is something I’m supposed to be doing.”
That moment confirmed his calling, and his resume began expanding rapidly. “I’ve been blessed to work with a lot of different people… movie sets, TV, BET shows.” But his biggest breakthrough came in 2015 when he pioneered and popularized hair units for men. “I started doing that back in 2015, made that popular around the world, taught a lot of classes… and that’s really what I love right now.” His clients now travel from Europe, Canada, and across the U.S. “All I do is units. A lot of my clients fly in to get the service done.”
What drives him most is the transformation he helps spark. “People come in with low confidence because they’re losing their hair, and then they walk out with a head full of hair.” The impact isn’t just physical—it’s deeply emotional. “I’ve had females tell me, ‘Because my guy has hair, he treats me better.’ I love that, man. Just really bringing confidence back and restoring people’s self-esteem.”
His current favorite products:
“I use a lot of Shea Moisture, Scotch Porter, and Cantu products in my clients’ hair,” says Menendez. “I’ve worked with these brands as well… being an ambassador with them and stuff like that. These are good products to keep the hair healthy, moisturized—even the beard too.”
His top tip for healthy hair:
“Make sure you shampoo with sulfate-free shampoo because sulfate will strip your hair of natural oils,” he advises. “Eat clean. A lot of stuff is related to our diet… your blood can circulate better, and your hair can be healthy.” He adds: “Use a nice conditioner, keep your hair moisturized—it’ll keep your hair healthy and not brittle or damaged. A lot of guys skip conditioner, and then their hair is dry. Be heavy on the conditioner and a moisturizer for your hair, for sure.”
A hair myth he wants to debunk:
“There’s a myth that if you cut your hair, it’s going to grow back fuller—and that’s not true,” he says. “It’s about what’s going on in your scalp and your blood circulation. I wanted to debunk that… It’s diatribe.”
How he uplifts his clients:
“I’m glad to be a part of people’s journey and people’s process with giving them that confidence back,” he says. ”I’m not just restoring hair—I’m restoring self-esteem.”