If your client likes the shape of their existing cut but wants more volume at the crown, use the "hidden layer" technique to give that desired lift and movement without changing the outside of the haircut.
Sam Villa ArTeam educator Jesse Linares of Franklin, TN, shows how to use blending shears to delve into an existing shape and subset a new layer on the inside — adding a bit of oomph while keeping the silhouette intact.
“I do this technique with a Sam Villa Signature Series InvisiBlend Shear. It has 23 teeth and the straight blade is not sharp, just highly polished and dull, so when the teeth interact with the dull blade it acts almost like a razor creating a very soft cut, leaving no visible line,” Linares says.
“These shears make a small reduction so you can feel safe in delicate places like the fringe and crown areas. It builds up volume and movement, but the shape stays the same.”
Pro Tip: Hold teeth on bottom for skimming over the surface of a short haircut; hold teeth on top and drive into the blade for an effective cutting shear.
Step by Step
- Isolate the Crown. Start at high point of the head and take a curved section to the center back. Repeat on other side and secure with clips.
Randomize the Sections. Start to conceal the “hidden layers” by taking the guide tooth of a long cutting comb (hold like a pencil) to kick back into the section and pull out a small bit of hair to create a zigzag part. That hair becomes part of the bottom section and won’t be cut.
Pro Tip: Have fun with this — keep it random and continue around the entire top section. Make sections fine or wide; the finer they are, the more subtle the result. Larger sections create more of a statement.
- Split Top Section in Half. Then decide what type of lines are wanted in the cut — vertical or horizontal.
Vertical: Take one section and elevate with vertical finger position where the curved section of the head is. If a straight cut is made, the curve of the head is going to be somewhat closer to the cutting position in the middle of the section and it gets longer as it moves to the exterior.
This creates a scoop or a sense of concavity in the shape. So, if seeing the roundness of the head when cutting, it will be reserved in the silhouette.
Horizontal: Use horizontal finger positioning and compress hair across the top of the head with good tension. This prevents a shorter area from being created in the interior.
Each hair follows the curvature of the head to reach the cutting position and the length increases. Use this as a layer that has no collapsing point in the interior but builds volume against itself. Comb the section up with the fine teeth of a comb for good tension and bring across the high point of the head (it helps to stand on the opposite side).
- Cut with the shear teeth cutting into the blade to let the shears just park in one spot and make multiple cuts.
Book an in-salon class with Jesse Linares here.