Influencer Sessions: Get to Know @soldafades

We caught up with hair influencer, @soldafades, to talk all things styling, self-confidence, and selecting the right brands to partner with. Read on to discover how this creator has amassed over 1.5m followers across his channels!

Where does your hair care journey begin?

My haircare journey began at the age of 8. Being of Sicilian heritage, I was raised to take pride in my appearance and have always been brought up on the principle of always looking smart and presentable. 

Out of my entire family, I was the only one with fine straight hair, which made it difficult to understand why my brothers – or even footballers I admired on TV – could achieve certain hairstyles that I couldn’t. This curiosity led me to research, watch videos, and experiment to fully understand my hair type, the right products to use and how to build a routine that suited my needs. 

Fast forward 15 years later, I’ve continuously expanded my knowledge in haircare, styling and now barbering. Now I’m using everything I’ve learnt over the past 15+ years to educate and inspire the next generation! 

@soldafades

Most Guys Don’t Know How To Blow Dry Your Hair CORRECTLY 🤷‍♂️ #haircare #hairstyle #menshair #hairtutorial #foryouu #hairtransformation

♬ original sound – SoldaFades

How has the increase in hair care brands online impacted the opportunities/brand deals you receive?

Of course, with more brands comes more opportunity – I’ll have a lot more brands reaching out – but it also requires greater vigilance. With so many haircare brands out there, it’s essential to have a deep understanding of different products and ingredients to recommend what’s truly effective for a specific demographic or need. As an influencer and hair expert, integrity is key, and that’s one thing I always prioritise when evaluating new haircare products or brands.

Which platforms do you predominantly use? Which do you prefer for posting, and which for community building? 

I use all platforms equally—I don’t favour one over the other. I’m active on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, each of which has its own unique community, spanning different age ranges and regions. I genuinely appreciate my audience on all platforms—they’re amazing!

However, social media comment sections can sometimes be toxic, especially in hairstyling, which is such a divisive space. That’s why we launched our new Hair & Style community on Skool: MANTRA.

Honestly, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. MANTRA is a space where we educate through community forums, online courses, live events (including 1-on-1 sessions), and—most importantly—foster a positive, supportive culture. Here, guys can get honest, constructive advice from fellow members on all their hair and style needs.

I truly believe we have the best Men’s Hair & Style community . The results we’ve achieved by working personally with our members have been incredible. It feels like a real family—free from toxicity—a place I see becoming the main hub for real, authentic Hair & Style knowledge in the future! You can find us on Skool.

@soldafades

You Will NEVER Get Dry Scalp or Dandruff Again! *GUARANTEED* 🤝✅ #menshair #healthyhair #dandruff #dryscalp #hairtutorials #haircareroutine #hairtips #foryouu

♬ original sound – SoldaFades

How does community engagement vary on your chosen platforms?

Engagement across all platforms is fairly consistent. Of course, having more followers on TikTok will naturally accumulate more views & engagement, but no single community completely outshines the other. Each platform has its own unique audience, making every community slightly different in its own way!  

 What is your favourite type of content to create, and which works best for your audience? Is there a juxtaposition? 

I don’t have a favourite type of content—I genuinely love creating every video I make. I always try to keep things fresh by delivering my message in different ways, making it engaging and easy to understand for a variety of demographics.

Skits tend to work really well because they’re funny, entertaining, and easy to watch while still getting the message across. And honestly, I’m no actor—far from it! But I think that’s part of the appeal. People enjoy content that isn’t overly polished or too produced—it makes it even funnier and more engaging, which is great! 

In your own words and experience, how would you define “influencer marketing”?

To me, influencer marketing is a way for brands to connect with their audience through social media influencers who have built a trusted relationship with their followers. The influencer essentially acts as the face of the brand – or a huge fan of the brand, sharing their genuine opinions to help guide their community’s purchasing decisions.

Why do you think influencer marketing is so powerful in today’s society?

We now live in a society where the role models aren’t necessarily actors or big celebrities anymore. People feel more connected to influencers and creators – whether they aspire to be like them or share similar interests. It’s much easier to build trust with an influencer who actively engages and connects with their audience than with a big A-List celebrity who remains distant from the public. 

Do you have experience working with brands? How do you decide which brands you would like to work with?

I’ve worked with many brands, including Carolina Herrera, YSL, John Frieda, Forte Series, and more. But I’m very selective about the brands I collaborate with. Integrity is everything to me—I only work with brands whose products genuinely benefit my audience. I would never promote something I wouldn’t personally use or recommend to a friend or family member.

A big part of my success comes from staying true to my values and giving honest, unbiased advice. I never started social media to become a ‘big’ creator—I started to provide men with real, accurate knowledge to help them on their hair and style journeys. No matter how big I get or which brands approach me, my integrity will always remain the same.

How do you foresee the influencer marketing space changing within your niche in the next 12 months?

The landscape will change massively – social media is a huge industry now! When I was growing up, almost every guy wanted to be a football player, but now a huge percentage aspire to be Influencers or Creators. So, we can expect a huge wave of new creators entering the niche and even more opportunities for brands to connect with more influencers and their audiences.

We also live in a time where guys are paying much more attention to their hair and overall appearance. More guys are becoming aware of what they should be using at a younger age, which makes the future of this niche very exciting. It shows that creators like me are having a huge positive impact on the future generation and new wave of creators.

Based on your experience, what would you advocate to change about people’s perceptions of men in the hair care space?

I would love to break the outdated perception that taking care of your appearance—whether it’s your hair, skin, body, fashion or whatever—is somehow ‘feminine.’

 Men should feel confident in looking after themselves. To me, it’s a sign of self-respect, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to present the best version of yourself. Looking your best equates to feeling your best – you can’t have one and not the other, they come hand in hand.

 So being brought down for wanting to look and feel your best is such a toxic mindset to have. The fact that this stigma even existed in the first place is mind-blowing.

It’s time we start taking pride in our appearance and strive to be the best version of ourselves. We only have one life—why not make the most of how we feel and how we present ourselves? 

@soldafades

5 Things You Should NEVER Do to your Skin! 😳❌ #skincare #skincaretips #foruyou #skincare101 #looksmax #menskincare #clearskin

♬ original sound – SoldaFades

How do you balance your online and offline lives?

It’s all about balance. Being a successful creator isn’t just about producing content—it’s also about stepping away from the screen to focus on your health and relationships. If you spend too much time on social media, it can consume you, and you start losing sight of who you are.

You must remember—you’re not a robot. You have a life outside of social media, and it’s crucial to make time for yourself and respect that time.

In my free time, I disconnect completely—I don’t touch my phone or laptop. Instead, I focus on spending time with friends and family in the real world and staying active through weightlifting, running, padel, and football. And honestly, talking to people is so important—I can’t stress that enough!

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

In 5 years, I will be the go-to creator for Men’s Hair & Style advice. MANTRA will have grown into a thriving community, recognised as the leading hub for accurate knowledge, product recommendations, and personalised advice for men looking to improve their appearance.  

My dream has always been to help as many guys as possible and while I’m grateful to have already impacted millions worldwide – I still feel like I’m just getting started.

@soldafades

Reacting to My Community Feed 📜🤣 #menshair #hairstyle #looksmax #foryouu #reaction #funnytiktok #haircut #naturalhair

♬ original sound – SoldaFades

What is a piece of advice you would give to your younger self when starting out on your hair care journey?

A piece of advice I would give to a younger me, starting their haircare journey, would just be to relax. A lot of guys I now see on social media are scared to even touch their hair because they think it’s going to damage it. So, my best advice would be to take it easy, enjoy the journey, research as much as you can to better your hair, experiment and have fun with as many hairstyles as you can! You only have 1 head of hair and who knows where your hairline will be in the next 10 years – so make the most of what you’ve been blessed with!

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