Cut Customize

Customizing a cut is often done when the hair is blow dried to shape after the initial cut. It is a way to make the individual cut for each person according to their face shape and hair type, and also a way to create their own personal haircut.

Customizing creates more softness or movement in a cut and can help remove excess weight, blend weight lines, and remove volume, which can make a big difference in how your hair looks. A stylist should, after drying a cut, be able to see with the naked eye where there is weight or where volume needs to be removed from the hair; You should also be able to see where you need to add some smoothness in the slices and texture to create a beautiful look.

Short hair for both men and women can often need a lot more customization than other cuts, as weight lines or hair care distribution are already more defined due to the shortness of the hair. It also requires a lot of care as you don’t want to keep cutting and cutting until there’s no hair left, it has to be executed well!

Here’s a guide to how each custom cut is done, but as with many hairstyling skills, it takes a lot of practice to get it right and get it done faster.

chipped

This can be used in both the regular cut when wet and the custom cut when dry. It softens the edges of the hair better than cutting straight lines and can help eliminate weight lines, whether used alone or as part of the scissors-over-comb technique.

slice

Slicing helps smooth out a cut by creating texture and removing weight. You can remove a lot of excess volume if your hair is thick, creating shape as you go. It is done by sliding the scissors from mid-lengths to ends in very small sections, removing excess unwanted hair. It can be used alone at the ends if necessary. If used too close to the roots, it can leave behind small strands of hair, so be careful: this technique is for mid-lengths and ends only.

channel cutting

This technique is used to remove weight and create cuts through the hair, giving it texture. It is done by sliding very sharp scissors through the hair as it rests on the head; it is not necessary to tie up the hair, but it does require the client to sit very still. If your scissors aren’t sharp, they will pull the hair and hurt the client, so make sure your tools are very sharp.

thinking

Thinning can be done in any of the above ways or with thinning knives or scissors. Cut small strands of hair to a shorter length, which between the original length of the hair makes it appear thinner, but of course it is not permanent. You should take extreme caution when thinning hair not to cut and cut and cut as it can remove too much and leave the hair looking extremely wispy and shapeless.

Thinning shears remove hair in a straight line, while slicing, chipping, or channel cutting can be done in very small areas where needed. It’s also done in different lengths to prevent weight lines from appearing, so it’s generally a more versatile approach.