The Shrinking Bob
A client brings a photo of a blunt, chin-length bob and says she wants to 'wear it curly like this.' Her hair is 3C, with about 50 percent shrinkage; she had a relaxer eight months ago, leaving three inches of new growth and a visible line of demarcation. The mid-shaft is porous from old relaxer, the ends are dry, and there is a strong cowlick at the right nape. She plans to wash and go with gel and diffuse. The stylist proposes to shampoo, apply leave-in, comb the hair straight down, and cut a blunt line at zero elevation while wet, using the chin as the guide. She also plans to thin the ends with blending shears to reduce bulk and to cut bangs one inch below the brow. The client has an appointment for a color service in two weeks.
1. Critique the stylist's cutting plan. What will the finished shape look like after the client's wash-and-go routine, and why?
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The plan will not produce the photo. Cutting wet at zero elevation puts the perimeter at the chin while the hair is stretched; with 50 percent shrinkage, the dry bob will sit near the jaw or higher, not at the chin. A blunt line on 3C hair creates a dense pyramid: the ends align and bulk at the perimeter, while the crown collapses. The old relaxer and new growth have different elasticity; cutting them on the same wet tension can leave an uneven line. Thinning shears at the ends will frizz and weaken the perimeter. The cowlick will push the right nape out. The result is a shorter, wider shape with a weak line, not a curly bob.
2. Describe a safer cutting approach that respects the client's texture and shrinkage, including sectioning, elevation, and finishing.
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Consult first, then cut dry or at 80 percent dry so the natural fall is visible. Section into four or five horizontal sections, use the client's natural fall, and establish the length at the nape accounting for the cowlick by leaving extra length there. Use point cutting or slide cutting on the ends, not blending shears, to soften the line and preserve curl. Cut the perimeter slightly longer than the target and check with a diffuser and the client's gel. Blend the line of demarcation by cutting the new growth and relaxed hair at natural fall, not by pulling them straight. Elevation should be low at the perimeter and slightly higher in the crown for shape. Keep tension consistent and avoid over-direction. Finish by checking balance dry, then show the client how to maintain it.
3. How should the stylist handle the bangs and the line of demarcation, and what should be explained at the consultation?
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Cut bangs dry and longer than the brow, about half an inch to an inch longer than the final target, because shrinkage will pull them up. Check them with the client's own styling routine. Do not cut a heavy fringe into 3C hair without texturizing. At consultation, show the client a wet-to-dry shrinkage demonstration, explain that the photo was styled on looser texture, and agree on a length that lands at the chin when dry. Explain that the two-week color appointment could change porosity and shrinkage; consider moving color after the cut or adjusting the cut plan. Document the consultation and the agreed length.