Jeryl E. Spear - Haircutting For Dummies

Here are two ways you can test the thickness of the hair:

Ponytail density test for fine to medium textures: If the hair is past the shoulders, brush and smooth the hair and then put the hair in a ponytail. If the ponytail diameter at the hair band is the size of dime, the hair is thin. If it’s the size of a nickel, it’s average. If the pony diameter is the size of a quarter, the hair is definitely thick.

Light density test: When the sun is directly overhead or the person is standing under a bright light that’s a few feet above the head, check the visibility of the scalp. If it’s clearly visible, it’s thin. If it’s slightly visible, it has a moderate density. And if it’s not visible, it’s thick.

While analyzing whether the hair has a thin, medium, or thick density, use this opportunity to check for thinning areas. Start by brushing the hair straight back from the face. Hair is typically thinner around the temples, but if it’s extremely thin or more widespread, you will need to keep that in mind by designing a style that moves forward or down, rather than back. The same holds true for the crown area where many men and some women experience thinning hair. Also check for bald areas anywhere on the head that will need to be covered up with longer layers.

Cowlicks or hair whorls cause the hair to grow in circular patterns. Nearly everyone has at least one small cowlick at the crown area. Many people also have multiple cowlicks, often along the bottom hairline (preventing a straight neckline) and around the front hairline, particularly the fringe area. Figure 4-2 shows an example of a crown with double cowlicks.

Hair growths are also hereditary. If you or your significant other has a cowlick at the nape of the neck, chances are that at least some of your children will have this same growth pattern in their hair.

The swirling direction of a cowlick is less noticeable with longer hair because the length and weight of the strands naturally make it lie down. The minute you begin cutting the hair short, though, cowlicks will start ruling the day by separating the hair and making it look flat or lopsided, or causing it to stick up at odd angles.

Early in my career, I learned a valuable lesson about the importance of checking for strong growth patterns — cowlicks so outrageous, for instance, that they can stop traffic. An impulsive young hairdresser working next to me was doing a man’s business cut. I glanced over and noticed that his hair was lifting up slightly at the crown. I looked over two minutes later and his whole crown was standing on end. I sat there, staring at this scene unfolding with morbid fascination. Soon, his front hairline joined in by becoming so erect that it looked like it had been electrified. The hairdresser didn’t say a word, and oddly, he remained stoic even though his hair gradually looked like an angry porcupine. My only guess is that it wasn’t the first (or probably the last) time he’d fallen victim to an impetuous hairstylist. Carefully analyzing the growth of the hair before snipping a single end can avoid this type of embarrassing — okay, horrifying — situation.

© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Illustration by Rashell Smith

FIGURE 4-2:This young person has double cowlicks and double the trouble when trying to alter their natural directions.

When examining the hair, follow these steps to discover hair growth patterns:

1 Lift up the whole back of the hair without using any tension. Horizontally part and drop the first ½ inch (1.3 centimeters) of the entire neckline. Does it lie flat, partly flat, or is it going every which way in specific areas?Continue doing this all the way up to the crown while carefully checking for unusual growth patterns. If cowlicks or whorls are present at the neckline, a straight-down neck design is nearly impossible. To avoid a cutting fail, design the neckline according to the natural growth patterns.

2 Do the same thing on the sides of the hair, the top, and the front hairline (see Figure 4-2to view an image of a cowlick).

3 Run your fingers through the hair. Do you feel small areas where hair is growing in swirls, or strongly growing in a forward position? If you do, check how resistant they are to your touch. When you move them in the opposite direction at the scalp, do they stiffly resist, roll over and obey, or do something in between these two extremes?

After you’ve found all the whorls and swirls and other strong growth patterns, you can suggest styles that will not force them into a different shape, use them as part of your hair design, or hide them in plain sight using the right haircutting and styling techniques, and styling aids (see Figure 4-3).

Photographer: Tom Carson ( www.tomcarsonphoto.com ); Hair: Ozzy Habibi; L Salon & Color Group, San Mateo, California

FIGURE 4-3:Whenever possible, integrate a strong cowlick into your cutting design.

These swirling dervishes can also be used to your advantage when cutting hair. For example:

You can use a cowlick to create natural lift at the crown by cutting longer layers to release some weight. This technique gives cowlicks permission to lift up the hair without becoming too obnoxious or separating from the rest of the pack.

When cutting short, spiky styles, deliberately cutting a cowlick shorter than you would otherwise dare can add more personality to these haircuts.

Using the growth pattern of a particularly large cowlick to dictate the flow of the hair will create a more manageable style.

Some people have the unfortunate distinction of having double cowlicks in their crown area — a royal pain, if you pardon the pun — while others have multiple cowlicks that are commonly found at the crown, the neckline, and front hairline. Strong cowlicks prevent people from having straight bangs, for instance, although the natural lift they create does afford other interesting styling opportunities.

Most haircutters eventually develop their own techniques for dealing with cowlicks, and I’m no exception. Having come from a family with legendary cowlicks — my son has one cowlick that measures a full 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) in diameter — I’ve learned to take these pesky growths in stride.

Carefully plan out each haircut — including the best way to handle a person’s cowlicks — before taking a single snip of hair. Taking these hair whorls into account allows you to avoid unpleasant surprises while giving you the advantage of shaping these cowlicks to your styling advantage.

Part 2

IN THIS PART …

Brush up on your geometry skills by getting familiar with lengths, angles, and elevations.