Chapter 16

Haircutting

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 “Although fate presents the
circumstances, how you react depends
on your character.”

– Anonymous

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 Objectives

• Identify reference points on the head form and

understand their role in haircutting.
• Define angles, elevations, and guidelines.
• List the factors involved in a successful client
consultation.
• Explain the use of the various tools of haircutting.
• Name three things you can do to ensure good posture
and body position while cutting hair.

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 Anatomy of the Skull

• Reference points
–Parietal ridge
–Occipital bone

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 Anatomy of the Skull (continued)

• Apex

• Four corners

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 Areas of the Head

• Top • Nape

• Front • Back

• Sides • Fringe

• Crown

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 Lines and Angles

• Straight lines

• Angles

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 Lines and Angles (continued)

• Straight Lines
– Horizontal
– Vertical
– Diagonal

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 Lines and Angles (continued)

• Angles: beveling, stacking

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 Elevation

• Elevation: angle at which hair is

held from head

• Sections: uniform working areas

• Subsections: smaller partings

• Graduation: layers described

in degrees

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 Graduation

• Below 90 degrees: builds weight

• Above 90 degrees: removes weight

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 Cutting Line

• Cutting line: angle at which fingers are held when cutting

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 Guidelines

• Stationary guide (does not move)

• Traveling guide (moves as haircut progresses)

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 Elevation Examples

• Blunt, one-length cut

• 90-degree elevation

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 Elevation Examples (continued)

• 45-degree with 90-degree

• Overdirection

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 Client Consultation

• What does client want?

• How much time is available?

• What is lifestyle?

• What is preferred look (classic or trendy)?

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copied, or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Identifying Face Shape

• Pull hair back or wrap with towel.

• Note length and width of face.

• Note balance of features.

– Weight and volume
– Profiles

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 Hairlines and Growth Patterns

• Hairline: the outermost perimeter along face, around

ears, and on neck

• Growth pattern: direction hair grows from scalp

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 Hair Analysis

• Hairlines and growth patterns

• Density (hairs per square inch)

• Texture (diameter of a hair strand)

• Wave pattern (amount of movement in the hair strand)

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 Tools

• Haircutting shears • Straight razor

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 Tools (continued)

• Clippers
• Trimmers
• Sectioning clips
• Wide-tooth comb
• Tail comb
• Barber comb
• Styling/cutting comb

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 All About Shears

• Steel
– Gauging hardness
– Rockwell hardness

• Cast shears

• Forged shears

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 Parts of a Shear

• Cutting edge

• Pivot

• Adjustment knob

• Finger tang

• Ring-finger hole

• Thumb hole

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 Shear Maintenance

• Daily cleaning and lubrication

• Daily tension adjustment and balancing

• Weekly cleaning and lubrication

• Disinfecting shears

• Sharpening shears

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 Purchasing Shears

• Consider dominant hand design

• Know how manufactured

• Learn about steel quality

• Decide on correct blade edge

• Select best handle design

• Be sure of fit

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 Purchasing Shears (continued)

• Hold shears in hand.

• Swivel thumb shears.

• Learn about service agreement.

• Ask about warranty.

• Analyze cost.

• Determine how many needed.

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 Fitting Shears

• Fitting ring finger

• Fitting thumb

• Relaxing grip

• Correct finger position and alignment

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 Holding Shears

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 Palming the Shears

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 Holding the Razor

• Method A
– Open razor so handle is higher than shank.
– Place thumb on thumb grip.
– Place index, middle, and ring fingers on shank.
– Place little finger in tang.
– Position razor on top of subsection

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 Holding the Razor (continued)

• Method B
– Open razor so handle and shank form a straight line.
– Place thumb on grip and wrap fingers around handle.
– Palm razor by curling ring finger and little finger around
razor.
– Hold comb between razor and index and middle fingers.

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 Posture and Body Position

• Position the client.

– Sitting straight
– Legs not crossed

• Center your weight.

– Knees slightly bent, not locked
– Bend one knee to lean slightly

• Stand in front of section being cut.

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 Positions for Cutting Angles

• Cutting over fingers

• Cutting below fingers

• Cutting palm-to-palm

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 Safety in Haircutting

• Palm shears.

• Do not cut past second knuckle.

• Take care around ears.

• Balance shears and place knuckles.

• Use razor guard.

• Dispose of blades carefully.

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 Cutting Curly Hair

• Shrinks more than straight hair

• Minimal tension (wide-tooth comb)

• Naturally “graduates” itself

• Expands more than straight hair

• No razor

• Texturizing techniques

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 Curly Haircut

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copied, or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Cutting Fringe

• Can use stationary guide

• Short bangs make strong statement.

• Slide cut long fringe.

• Cut small portion of fringe.

• To blend or not to blend

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 Razor Cutting

• Razor parallel to subsection at 45-degree angle

• Razor held at 45-degree angle.

• Effective with blonde hair

• Guide above fingers

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 Razor-Cutting Tips

• Avoid using on coarse, wiry, or damaged hair.

• Always use a guard.

• Always use a new blade.

• Keep hair wet.

• Hold razor at an angle; never force.

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 Slide Cutting

• Used to cut or thin hair

• Blends shorter hair to longer

• Useful in texturizing

• Only on wet hair

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 Scissors-Over-Comb

• Hair held in place with comb.

• Shear tips remove length.

• Method used to create short tapers.

• Works best on dry hair.

• Lift hair with comb; comb acts as guide.

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 Scissors-Over-Comb (continued)

• Do not hold hair between fingers.

• Shears and comb move up head together.

• Strive for continual motion.

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 Scissors-Over-Comb Steps

• Stand in front of client.

• Place comb.

• Move comb up head.

• Angle comb to blend with longer hair.

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 More Tips

• Work with small areas.

• Start at hairline and work up.

• Cross-check work diagonally.

• Use barber comb for close areas.

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 Texturizing with Shears

• Point-cutting and notching

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 Texturizing with Shears (continued)

• Free-hand notching

• Slithering or effilating

• Slicing

• Carving

• Carving the ends

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 Texturizing with a Razor

• Removing weight

• Free-hand slicing

• Razor-over-comb

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 Texturizing with
Thinning Shears and Razor

• Remove bulk or weight.

– Section as for haircut.
– Comb subsection from head.
– Cut 4 to 5 inches from scalp.
– Stay farther from scalp for coarse hair.

• Remove weight from ends.

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 Texturizing with
Thinning Shears and Razor (continued)

• Thinning shears-over-comb

• Other thinning shears techniques

• Free-hand slicing with razor

• Razor-over-comb

• Razor rotation

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 Tips for Clipper Cutting

• Work against natural growth pattern.

• Work in small sections (no wider than 3 inches).

• Determine comb angle.

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 Trimming Facial Hair

• Using tool-over-comb method

• Cutting against comb

• Using length guard

• Brow and ear hair

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 General Haircutting Tips

• Take consistent, clean partings.

• Be aware of potential danger zones.

• Use consistent tension.

• Pay attention to head position.

• Maintain even moisture.

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 Basic Haircuts

• Blunt haircut
– Weight line
– Stationary guide used

• Graduated haircut
– Visual buildup of weight
– Ends appear stacked
– Traveling guide used

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 More Basic Haircuts

• Layered haircut
– Less weight than graduated cuts
– Creates movement and volume

• Long layered haircut

– Gives volume to styles
– Can be combined with other cuts
– Layers increase form; short to longer toward
perimeter

• Men’s basic clipper cut

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 Procedures – Practical Class

• Pre-Service Procedure

• Post-Service Procedure

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 The Blunt Haircut

• Blunt haircut

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 The Graduated Haircut

• Graduated haircut
– Classic graduated bob
– Wedge
– Shorter shape with rounded weight

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 Tips for Graduated Cuts

• Keep elevation below 45 degrees with coarse textures

and curly hair.

• Fine hair responds well to graduation.

• Check neckline carefully before cutting short.

• Always use fine teeth of comb and maintain even tension

to ensure a precise line.

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 Layered Haircuts

• Uniformed layered haircut

• Long-layered haircut

• Men’s basic clipper cut

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 Layer Cut Examples

• Pixie, cro, Caesar

• Squared layers

• Shag

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 Tips for Layered Haircuts

• Cut the interior first.

• Do not cut thin hair too short.

• Do not cut coarse hair shorter than 3 inches in length.

• Do not cut top layers too short.

• Use slide cutting to connect top sections to lengths.

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Tips for Layered Haircuts (continued)

• Work with guideline.

• Cross-check haircut.

• Use mirror to see elevation.

• Check both sides by standing in front.

• Leave curly hair longer.

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 Men’s Basic Clipper Cut

• Men’s basic clipper cut

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 Summary and Review

• What are reference points and what is their function?

• What are angles, elevations, and guidelines?

• What are important considerations to discuss with a

client during a haircutting consultation?

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copied, or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Summary and Review (continued)

• What are the uses for a razor, haircutting shears, styling

or cutting comb, and texturizing shears?

• Name three steps to ensuring good posture and body

position while cutting hair.

• Name and describe four basic haircut types.

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 Summary and Review (continued)

• Name and describe at least three different texturizing

techniques performed with shears.

• What is a clipper cut?

• How is a trimmer used?

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 Congratulations!

You have completed one unit of study

toward course completion.

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