With big trade shows in full swing, stylists are doing a lot of browsing for classes to build their skills.
Milwaukee educator Adrian Sandoval, a Sam Villa ArTeam member, recommends that stylists wanting to level up their haircuts should seek to improve one or all of these three skills:
1. Sectioning
This may be one of the first skills learned in cosmetology school, but so essential for control, balance, and consistency that there's always room for improvement — even among veteran stylists.
"When we run late and cut corners, sometimes our sections are the first thing to start getting relaxed," Sandoval says. "If sections get relaxed, it's easy to lose your way in a cut, and the shape can get lost. …
It's crucial to have a good understanding of head shape to break the haircut into smaller sections and not get overwhelmed, he says.
"Understanding head shape — where that vertical transition begins, how it drops down lower at the crown, where the sides start and how far to bring them back, where the back ends, and how far to bring fringe back — is all very important."
2. Drawing Head Sheets
Understanding the why makes the how much easier, and mapping out head sheets provide a visual guide and a plan for a haircut. "Just like we map out our road trips, we can start mapping out our haircuts."
Sandoval uses this color coding for his: "Make sections in the darkest color, sub-sections in a medium color, and the direction of the hair as the lightest tone."
3. Knowing When to Disconnect/ Detach
"Disconnection is now a technique versus a trend," Sandoval says. "It’s vital to know when to detach sections and it is usually for two reasons.
"One is to remove weight in dense hair to control the shape and volume. Two, to highlight a section of a haircut as a focal point … to separate it from the rest to make it stand out.
"Imagine disconnecting the nape area underneath a one-length bob for the ease of drying and time."
Tap here for classes by Sandoval and the Sam Villa ArTeam at Premiere Orlando.
To browse cutting classes and workshops at the International Beauty Show-Las Vegas, tap here.