Haircutting and Styling
This domain tests precision cutting and styling: sectioning, elevation, guide lines, tension, and tool control. The exam favors cause-and-effect questions about what elevation or distribution does to shape.
Cutting fundamentals
- Section hair cleanly; subsection consistently with the desired shape.
- Elevation or projection: 0 degrees for one-length; 45 degrees for graduation; 90 degrees for uniform layers; higher elevations produce more layering and shorter interior lengths.
- Guide: stationary (fixed) versus traveling; the guide follows the perimeter or previous subsection.
- Tension: curly hair shrinks when dry, so allow for shrinkage; excessive tension causes uneven lines.
- Distribution: natural fall, perpendicular, or shifted; it affects graduation and layering.
Styling
- Blow-dry: rough dry to about 80 to 90 percent, then section and use a nozzle; keep heat moving.
- Thermal tools: match temperature to texture and condition; use heat protectant; never flat-iron wet hair.
- Wet sets: rollers and pin curls create volume and wave; base, stem, and curl placement control direction.
- Braids and updos: balance tension; avoid traction on the hairline.
Worked example
Fine, straight, chin-length hair needs volume without losing length. Choose a 90-degree layered shape through the interior with a stationary guide, then a round-brush blow-dry. Reasoning: layering removes interior weight and lets hair lift; cutting shorter would lose length; heavy product would collapse fine hair.
Traps
Cutting curly hair wet without allowance for shrinkage; razor-cutting fine hair; ignoring growth patterns; overdirecting without knowing the guide; using maximum heat on damaged hair.