Jacki Brown is no novice to the game. She has been in the business for over 10 years, exclusively working in the city of Los Angeles for nine.

And although her career path began with cosmetology and such, she found herself excelling in a certain field, and gravitating toward a certain clientele. Although Jacki can cut and style anyone's hair, "I just preferred working with men -- they are easier to work with and more loyal," she said in a recent phone interview.

Today Jacki's main client base consists of African American men, many of whom are instantly recognizable. Check out her site, HairByJackiBrown.com, for photos of Fonzworth Bentley, Morgan Freeman, Derek Fisher and Sean "Diddy" Combs. I had an opportunity to catch up with Jacki who explained what life is like for a celebrity barber.

Jacki's first celebrity client was Laurence Fishburne, one of my favorite actors.

"I think he had just finished filming 'Biker Boyz,' and I worked with him during all of the press for the Matrix films. That was intense," she recalls.

The life of a celebrity groomer is busy, busy, busy and requires a certain level of work ethic. "Whenever they need services from you, you go. And during any press junkets, you're on call whenever they need you. But once your name is among celebrities, you're passed along through word of mouth. You just do your work, remain very professional -- I don't see or hear anything -- and that keeps the work coming," she explained.

That was also Jacki's best advice for anyone trying to break into the field: "Always be professional. It really is key. Don't do too much talking in general or about yourself. And nothing's more important than being on time. It's always better to be there, be set up and waiting. Never, ever be late."

We talk so often about trends in women's hair, but what about the fellas? I had to ask Jacki if there were any hot new styles for men. "Well, when I started out in 2001, the trend was a lot of guys growing their hair out and getting braids -- so the focus was on maintaining neat facial hair. And now we're back to low cuts, but I'm noticing some retro trends. I've done a lot of Mohawks. Flat tops, lines and logos are back. I've done some high top fades with lines. I had someone ask me, 'Can you do it on a slant like Gumby?' I was like what? It's back!" she says.

The most important thing when considering adopting a new style is considering if the style suits the client. "You can't put every style on each person. You gotta consider their occupation, their age and where they're trying to go. You can't put a Mohawk on a CEO," she says.

Although Jacki primarily works with celeb clients, she has advice for the every man trying to stay fly on a budget. "If you're trying to find a barber and you see someone who has similar texture and you like their cut, ask who they're going to. Word of mouth is how you hear about the best barbers."

And what about the perennial problem that plagues black men dealing with short hair? "Most people with naturally curly hair, if you cut too close or against the grain, you can get razor bumps. And Tendskin is a really, really good product to deal with that. It's an exfoliant for men. If you exfoliate, the Tendskin helps to exfoliate that top layer or dead skin. It is very aggressive product. It also removes the darkness you get from shaving. As a woman, you can use Tendskin days before you shave or wax. It removes all the old scarring. But you have to use it before, NOT after! It'll burn a woman if you use it after. Men tend to have thicker skin, so it doesn't burn them as much."

What about moisturizer?

"I use Kiehls' aftershave and moisturizing cream -- it's a great two-in-one product," she says.

And what about hair dye?

When I asked, she laughed: "Yes. Everyone has to be camera ready!" Jacki tends to use professional salon dyes, but she also recommends the usual suspects. "I'm sure Just For Men is perfect for those moments!"

For more inspiration for the fellas, make sure you visit hairbyjackibrown.com