Program · 1,000 hours · West Dallas
Texas requires 1,000 hours. At DTX, those hours become fundamentals, supervised practice, and real preparation for the state exams.
The training path
Clippers, shears, guards, guidelines, blending, tapers, line-ups, sanitation, skin, hair, shaving, and the Texas laws that show up on the written exam.
When you are ready, you work with real clients under supervision: fades, tapers, scissor work, beards, kids, razor work, consultation, and service that brings clients back.
Written exam prep, practical exam drills, and the business of the chair: booking apps, pricing, taxes, social media, interviews, and professional habits.
On the floor
Training is easier to trust when you can picture the day: hands on hair, clean tools, real stations, and a shop floor with standards.
Training map
This is the working path we can publish now. The final syllabus and exact timing get confirmed before enrollment, but students should see the shape of the 1,000 hours.
Sanitation, station setup, clipper safety, guard system, sectioning, posture, and the first clean guidelines.
Tapers, basic fades, shear control, beard lines, shampoo/service flow, and the language of a client consultation.
Mannequin reps, supervised drills, haircut timing, mistakes to avoid, Texas rules, and practical standards before real clients.
Supervised client work: fades, tapers, kids, beard work, razor detail, rebooking habits, and professional cleanup.
Written exam prep, practical stations, sanitation sequence, mock testing, weak-skill repair, and licensing paperwork.
Pricing, booking apps, content, interviews, chair etiquette, taxes to ask about, and how to keep improving after license.
Training rhythm
The 1,000 hours are built from repeated habits: correction, sanitation, station work, client service, and finished cuts that can stand up in the mirror.
Mike's signature skills
Mike's answers were clear: fades, razor shaves, kids' cuts, client consultation, and the modern business side of social media and portfolio. The goal is a student who can cut, explain, document, and build trust.
Guard control, guidelines, debulking, detailing, and fixing lines before the mirror shows them.
Prep, stretch, angle, hot towel flow, sanitation, and the calm sequence that makes razor work feel premium.
Clear consultation with parents, steady pacing, safer positioning, and finishes that make families come back.
Face shape, lifestyle, maintenance, hair history, and the words to set expectations before the cape goes on.
Before-and-after angles, lighting, captions, reviews, booking links, and a portfolio that helps a new barber build demand.
The 1,000 hours need to feel practical: clean sections, controlled hands, and correction before the client leaves.
First 30 days
The launch default is not to throw students at clients. Students start with the habits Mike wants to see every day: sanitation, station setup, clipper control, guards, guidelines, mannequin drills, and clean consultation language.
Disinfection, towel flow, tool placement, capes, hand habits, and the station reset after every service.
Before speed matters, the hand has to learn how much pressure to use, where the guideline sits, and when to change guards.
Students build the first lines, sections, and fade patterns on mannequins before Mike signs off live-client work.
How students move forward
Daily standards
Students need to see the full rhythm of the shop: tool control, instructor correction, sanitation, service, and the reset that happens before the next client sits down.
Progress checkoffs
DTX is built around checkoffs for sanitation, clipper control, taper, fade, lineup, beard work, razor safety, consultation, finished-cut photos, and mock practical readiness. The point is progress you can see, not just hours on a clock.
Portfolio
As students move through the floor, they build a small portfolio of supervised cuts: clear before-and-after angles, clean lighting, captions, and the habit of documenting work like a professional.
Schedule
The first class starts October 5. The school is licensed and enrolling now. Future classes are planned roughly every three months. Texas caps monthly hours; this schedule is built to move you forward without forcing you to quit your day job.
Clock in. Theory block: the chapter you will be tested on, taught by Mike, not a video. Some theory hours can be done online once TDLR approves our distance plan.
Floor. Phase 1 students on mannequins; Phase 2 and 3 students take clinic clients as they book in.
Break. Then technique lab: one skill, drilled, with the instructor correcting hands.
Back on the floor until close. Clean-down, sanitation log, clock out at 11:00.
Your kit
Tools are bought through the DTX barber supply at our cost, not bundled into tuition. If you buy through the school: clippers, trimmer, guards, shears, razor holder, combs, cape, mannequin, textbook, and starter station basics. Approved outside tools are fine after review.
The exams
The written exam can be taken after 900 hours; the practical after 1,000. Exam and license fees go to the testing company and TDLR, not DTX. Our job is to prepare you and sign you off when the hours are there.
Already licensed in cosmetology?
Texas lets a licensed cosmetologist add the Class A Barber license with a 300-hour course, and DTX offers it now. Same shop floor, day and evening hours, Monday to Friday. Book a tour, pick "I have a cosmetology license" in the form, and Mike will go over cost and start date with you. How the crossover works
Who teaches
Founder · Owner · Licensed instructor
Opened DTX Barbers in 2022 with one rule: everybody who sits in the chair gets taken care of. Teaches the first class himself, full-time, on the DTX floor.
@dtxbarbersacademy on InstagramThe first class is capped at 12 so every student gets hands-on time with Mike every day. Texas allows 25 students per instructor; we chose half.
Program questions
No. Phase 1 starts from zero: posture, clippers, shears, sanitation, and state rules. If you already cut on the side, that practice helps, but the technique still gets rebuilt from the base.
Yes. The schedule is built for working adults: Monday to Friday, with daytime and evening hours available. At the planned pace, the 1,000 hours take 8 to 10 months for most students.
Your tools, books, state exam fees, and license application fee are separate. DTX runs its own barber supply so you buy the tools you actually want at our cost. Tools you already own are welcome. Exam and license fees are paid to the testing company and TDLR.
Texas limits monthly hours and has attendance rules. If something comes up, communicate early and we plan around it. Disappearing for 30 straight days can lead to being dropped.
Yes. Spanish is spoken on the floor and in the classroom. The point is not just a translated page; it is being able to explain technique, rules, and corrections clearly.
Next step
