Cutting and Styling
Cutting questions test the vocabulary of sectioning, elevation and distribution, and whether you can predict the shape a cut will produce. Styling questions test tension, airflow and heat safety.
Core rules
- Sectioning divides the head into workable areas, usually four or five, so each subsection is cut cleanly.
- Distribution: natural fall, 90° perpendicular, or shifted and overdirected. Overdirection moves weight and length.
- Elevation: 0° gives a blunt one-length line; 45° gives graduation; 90° gives a uniform layer; 180° gives long layers with short internal lengths.
- Guides: a stationary guide holds a fixed line; a travelling guide increases length continuously. Cross-check each side for balance.
- Tension: too much shortens the dry result; too little leaves uneven lines. Cut only with sharp shears.
- Thermal styling: match temperature to hair type, use a heat protectant, and point the dryer nozzle down the shaft to smooth the cuticle; 90° lift at the root gives volume.
Worked example
A client wants a one-length bob that sits above the shoulders. Reasoning: a 0° blunt cut at the perimeter creates a solid line and maximum weight; cutting at 45° would graduate the hair and remove bulk from the ends, so the neckline would look lighter and shorter. The correct choice is 0° elevation at the perimeter with minimal tension so the dry length lands where the client agreed.
Traps
Cutting with a travelling guide when a solid line was requested; overdirecting to the face and blaming the hair; cutting curly hair wet without allowing for shrinkage; using dull shears and splitting the ends.