The Art of Hair Styling
Hair is considered to be the physical feature of the human body that can be most easily changed. Hair cutting and hair styling refers to the styling of hair. Since ancient times, it has been an essential part of daily life of both men and women. Hair outlines personality and makes a person more attractive. Hairdressing is a way of modifying the natural state of hair. Hair cutting and hair styling are considered to be essential aspects of personal grooming, cosmetics, fashion, cultural and practical considerations. Throughout different centuries, people have worn their hair in a wide variety of styles that were determined by the cultural fashions, periods, and environmental factors. In many cultures, people have cut, dyed, styled, and braided their hair hairstyles trying to represent social classes, marital status, age, and even political beliefs. Hairstyling and haircutting are an art that changes people’s outlook.
The most important qualities of hair are shining, healthy, and flattering style. Most hairstyles are suggested in accordance with the shape of one’s hair to make a face look perfect. They may minimize the circularity or square feature of a face using a number of techniques. Thus, proper styling and cutting of women’s hair is a key to a good look and attractiveness.
The way hair is cut and its style mostly depend on the personal tastes. There are numerous ways to style hair. The most popular ones are by blow drying, using special products, or letting the hair dry naturally. The end result of hair styling is strongly dependent on such factors as haircut, color, and texture. The facial shape, physical build and skin tone are also taken into account while hairstyling. In fact, it is advised to always use a round hairbrush for hairstyling as it is a perfect tool to blow-dry the hair straight. This brush also gives lift and volume (Chohan).
A haircut is the process that requires analysis of a person’s features, facial shape, and hair texture. It is necessary to make sure that a client is properly draped. Then, a towel (in rare cases) or a special neck strip is used to protect a client’s neck. Before making a cut, hair is thoroughly washed. Therefore, the first step of haircutting is hair preparation. Washing helps to remove oils and styling products. Hair conditioning assists with slippage during the process of combing and cutting, as well as helps to prevent knots or tangles. Dirty hair does not allow to see a finished style after completion of the haircut. The hair should be kept wet. It provides an opportunity to see how the hair naturally falls. It enables a hairdresser to properly pursue all guidelines of cutting and make the haircut perfect. Another advantage of wet hair is that it does not scatter while cutting. Some water is usually kept nearby to dampen the hair when it begins to dry. However, this is only the case with straight hair as wet can cause difficulties for cutting curly or wavy hair. Another case when the hair should be dry is cutting with clippers. In addition, a dry cut is done when it is necessary to remove split ends.
The second step of hair cutting presupposes choosing a hairstyle. The face shape is determined as it makes a haircut work with a client’s face shape and complement personal features. The third step is making the cut. First, the hair is separated into sections. A standard technique of sectioning devises to make a division of the scalp into seven sections including top position, right and left sides, right and left crowns, right nape and left nape (Sectioning Hair with 7-section Parting). It is necessary to start a parting line from behind the ear on one side to match the point on the opposite side. Then, the parting lines are made on each head side to isolate the hair at the top. The hair is combed, twisted up into a knot and clipped to secure it. The same is done on both sides of the head. Afterwards, a parting line is to be created down the center of the head back. The horizontal partings should meet in order to form a horizontal line across the head back. All the sections should be secure in the same way. Second, the cut should be thoroughly cross-checked. Hair parts are to be taken from the positions of matching on each head side and brought up to a central point. All sections should be even in length. In other case, the cut needs to be fixed.
The fourth step is texturizing. It is used to thin out the hair in case it is needed to remove excessive bulk. Point cutting is usually used on medium-length or long hairstyles to soften the blunt places of the cut or add texture. It is especially good for texturing curly hair. A thin hair segment is combed and lifted up. It should be between a hairdresser’s fingers. Scissors are to be pointed inward towards the scalp. The depth and width of the points determine the effect that may be subtle or chunkier.
The final step presupposes finishing touches. The hair is dried. It allows to see any uneven ends in case there are any. Then, the final trimming is done. In addition, it is necessary to cross-check the hair again. All uneven places should be fixed. This is also the time to remove any excessive fullness (Sectioning Hair with 7-section Parting). When the cut is made, it is necessary to style the hair.
In general, the process of hairstyling includes several steps. Their consistent makes the process easy and quick. First, the hair should be washed. The second step presupposes brushing the hair to make sure that it is tangle free. Some hairstyles require spraying the hair with hairspray to create a smooth surface. In case it is needed for the chosen style to have a bump, it is necessary to decide its place. The first section should be separated carefully. The hair is to be going from ear to ear or from one side of the head to the other. Then, the hair is teased forming the bump. Intense teasing makes the bump strong. This procedure is usually repeated as many times as needed and depends on the desired amount of hair and the bump volume. The sixth stage requires flipping the hair back. While teasing the sections, previous sections fall in front of the face. Then, all the sections are taken together and the hair is flipped back to its original position. Afterwards, the hair will be straight up, but it needs brushing out. A soft bristle brush is used to brush the top hair layer creating a smooth tangle covering underneath. It is time to decide the volume of the bump. The hair is flattered with brushing. Then, it is styled.
Everyday people have their hair done, change the color and style following fashion or community beliefs. A different hairstyle and haircut can alter one’s appearance. Proper techniques of styling and cutting the hair can accent good features and hide bad ones drawing attention away from undesirable characteristics. Therefore, doing one’s hair is an art that requires proper knowledge and efforts.
