Hair Care, Shampooing, Haircutting and Styling
Hair Care
Analyze before you recommend
Hair care questions reward a systematic analysis. Assess four properties first.
Texture is the diameter of an individual hair: fine, medium, or coarse. Fine hair processes fast and shows damage quickly.
Density is how many hairs occupy an area; it tells you how much product to use, not how strong the hair is.
Porosity is the cuticle's ability to absorb and hold moisture. Low porosity resists moisture and product; high porosity grabs water fast and loses it just as fast, and is often the result of damage.
Elasticity is the ability to stretch and return. Healthy wet hair stretches noticeably and springs back. If it stays stretched or snaps, the cortex is compromised.
From the analysis, choose products: gentle shampoo for daily use, clarifying shampoo for buildup, moisturizing conditioner for dryness, protein treatments for limp, mushy hair, and lightweight conditioner for fine hair, where heavy product on the scalp causes collapse.
Traps to expect: high porosity is not a sign of health; a client with poor elasticity is not a candidate for lightening; and a scalp massage is not appropriate over abrasions or sunburn.
Detailing and grooming matter too: brush from the ends upward, use a wide-tooth comb on wet hair, and blot rather than rub with a towel.
Rule of thumb: run the elasticity test before any chemical service. Stretch a wet strand gently. If it does not snap back, stop and treat before you process.
Shampooing
Purpose and sequence
Shampooing does three jobs: cleanse hair and scalp, relax the client, and prepare hair for the service that follows. Every question traces back to one of those.
Setup. Drape in order: towel at the neckline, then the shampoo cape. Test water temperature on your inner wrist, not your fingers, and keep it comfortably warm. Hot water strips color and irritates the scalp; cold water does not close pores, it just feels brisk.
Consult before you wet. Ask about scalp abrasions, recent chemical services, and known sensitivities. A client with broken skin, sunburn, or an active scalp condition does not get vigorous massage.
Positioning. Adjust the chair or bowl so the client's neck is supported and not hyperextended. Strain in the neck is a complaint waiting to happen.
Manipulations. Learn the vocabulary: effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (percussion), friction and vibration. Use the pads of the fingers, never the nails, and work from the hairline inward. Shampoo is applied, lathered, and rinsed; repeat only if the hair is heavily soiled.
Product selection. Clarifying shampoo for buildup, balancing shampoo for normal hair, conditioning or moisturizing shampoo for dry hair, medicated shampoo per its label directions, and dry shampoo as a between-wash refresher only.
Traps to expect: the claim that hot water opens pores, and massage over an abrasion because the client asked for it.
Rule of thumb: warm water, fingertip pads, and a scalp check before the first drop of water.
Haircutting and Styling
Elevation runs the cut
Most haircutting questions test one variable: how much the hair is lifted away from the head before it is cut.
The elevation ladder. At 0 degrees the hair is cut flat against the head, producing a blunt, one-length line. At 45 degrees you get graduation, where length builds toward the perimeter. At 90 degrees the hair is cut parallel to the head, producing uniform layers. At 180 degrees the hair is lifted straight up and over, producing long, blended layers.
Key vocabulary. A guideline (or guide) is the first cut that later sections follow. Stationary guidelines stay in place; traveling guidelines move. Distribution describes how hair is parted and combed into position; overdirection means combing hair outside its natural fall, which builds length or weight in a specific area. Tension must be consistent, because uneven tension produces uneven lines. Cross-checking means re-cutting the same section from a different angle to verify balance.
Tools. Shears for structure, thinning shears and point cutting for texture, razor for softness on suitable hair, clippers for the taper and neckline. A razor on fine or fragile hair invites fraying.
Styling. Section the hair, aim airflow down the shaft to smooth the cuticle, and finish with a cool shot to set the shape. Thermal tools go on dry hair only, at a temperature the hair can tolerate, with a protectant.
Traps to expect: mixing up 45 and 90 degrees, and forgetting that wet hair stretches, so a dry cut may finish shorter than planned.
Rule of thumb: state the angle and the guideline before you pick up the shears.