Haircutting and Hair Shaping
What this domain tests
Haircutting and hair shaping tests line, elevation, distribution, guide selection, sectioning, and texturizing. You must predict the shape produced by a given combination.
Core rules
- Elevation is the angle at which hair is held away from the head: 0° for a blunt line, 45° for graduation, 90° for uniform layers, 180° for long layers.
- Distribution is the direction hair is combed relative to the head: natural, shifted, or perpendicular.
- A guide is stationary when the first cut controls all later sections; it is movable when each section becomes the next guide.
- Cutting lines are horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.
- Texturizing techniques include thinning, slicing, slide cutting, point cutting, and notching; they remove bulk without changing the basic length line.
Worked example
A stylist uses a horizontal line, 45° elevation, and a stationary guide at the perimeter. Each subsection is elevated to the previous guide and cut parallel. The result is a graduated shape: shorter at the perimeter and longer toward the crown. The reasoning is that the fixed guide controls length while increasing elevation builds weight.
Traps
Confusing elevation with distribution; cutting past the guide; ignoring growth patterns; forgetting shrinkage when cutting curly hair; using dull shears that push hair.
Exam focus
Read the line, elevation, distribution, and guide together, then visualize the resulting silhouette.