SQUARE LAYER (OVERHAND)

STEP 1: SECTION THE PROFILE LINE

ENSURE THE HAIR IS EVENLY WET THROUGHOUT. SEPARATE THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE HEAD BY SECTIONING FROM THE APEX TO EACH MASTOID BONE. COMB THE FRONT TOWARDS THE FACE AND THE BACK TOWARDS THE OCCIPITAL BONE. NOW CREATE THE PROFILE LINE BY STANDING BEHIND THE CUSTOMER. USE THE TIP OF THE COMB AT 30 DEGREES TO SECTION OFF-CENTRE LEFT FROM THE APEX TO THE FRONT OF THE HAIRLINE. REPEAT THIS PROCESS TO OFF-CENTRE RIGHT. YOU SHOULD BE LEFT WITH A COMB WIDTH SECTION RUNNING THROUGHOUT THE CENTRE OF THE HEADTHIS IS THE PROFILE LINE.

STEP 2: CUT THE PROFILE LINE

STAND BEHIND THE CLIENT AND CREATE THE PROFILE LINE. THEN MOVE TO STANDING ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD IN ORDER TO CUT FROM THE APEX TOWARDS THE FACE. RIGHT HANDED PEOPLE STAND ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CLIENT AND LEFT HANDERS STAND ON THE RIGHT. PINCH THE SECTION TO LIFT THE HAIR BEFORE YOU COMB SO YOU ENSURE YOU PICK HAIR ONLY FROM THE PROFILE LINE. COMB THE HAIR WITH TIGHT TENSION AND REST YOUR CUTTING BLADE ON YOUR FINGERS TO CREATE A CLEAN CUTTING LINE. THE PROFILE LINE WILL ALWAYS BE CUT SQUARE, EVEN DURING A ROUND LAYER. ONCE THE PROFILE LINE IS CUT, COMB THIS MIDDLE SECTION ONTO THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE SO THAT IT CAN BE USED AS YOUR GUIDE FOR THE REST OF THE HAIRCUT.

STEP 3: CUT THE FRONT RIGHT SECTION

STAND TO THE RIGHT OF THE CUSTOMER AND COMB THE HAIR DOWN. CREATE THE FIRST COMB WIDTH SECTION, STARTING FROM THE APEX AND MOVING TOWARDS THE FRONT. (ON SHORTER HAIR WE START AT THE FRONT HAIRLINE AND MOVE BACKWARDS TO THE APEX) COMB THE REMAINDER OF THE HAIR TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE HEAD. MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE CLIENT AND PINCH TO PICK UP THE FIRST PART OF THE SECTION STARTING FROM THE TOP. COMB THE HAIR DIRECTLY STRAIGHT UP, WITH TIGHT AND EVEN TENSION. ENSURE YOUR FINGERS ARE HORIZONTALLY STRAIGHT WHEN HOLDING THE HAIR TO BUILD A SQUARE SHAPE. CUT ALONG THE FINGERS WITH TIGHT TENSION FOLLOWING THE GUIDE FROM THE PROFILE LINE. DO NOT CUT PAST THE SECOND KNUCKLE OR ATTEMPT TO CUT ANY HAIR THAT FALLS OUT OF YOUR FINGERS. PINCH, COMB AND CUT THE HAIR AS YOU FOLLOW THESE SECTIONS TOWARDS THE FACE UNTIL THE FRONT HAIRLINE IS REACHED.

COMB YOUR ORIGINAL PROFILE LINE OVER TO THE LEFT HAND SIDE. THIS WILL GIVE YOU A GUIDE TO FOLLOW AS YOU CUT THE HAIR. REPEAT THE STEPS FROM STEP THREE (PINCH, COMB AND CUT), WORKING IN SECTIONS FROM THE APEX TO THE FRONT HAIRLINE.

EXTEND THE ORIGINAL PROFILE LINE FROM THE CENTRE OF THE TOP OF THE HEAD DOWN THROUGH THE BACK OF THE HEAD AND NAPE OF THE NECK. THIS SHOULD BE A COMB'S WIDTH. CONTINUE THE SQUARE SHAPE BY CULLING THE HAIR WITH TENSION, STRAIGHT UP. WITH EVERY NEW SECTION, ONLY CUT WHAT MATCHES YOUR ORIGINAL GUIDE AT THE APEX. IF THE HAIR DOESNT REACH, DO NOT CUT IT. YOU CAN IGNORE THE HAIR BELOW THE OCCIPITAL BONE AS THIS IS COVERED LATER IN THE HAIRCUT. ONCE COMPLETED, COMB THE PROFILE LINE INTO THE BACK RIGHT PANEL.

STEP 6: CUT BACK RIGHT QUARTER WORKING IN PIZZA SLICES

USE THE PROFILE LINE TO CREATE THE FIRST SECTION STARTING FROM THE APEX DOWN THE CENTRE OF THE BACK OF THE HEAD. THE APEX IS THE PIVOTAL POINT FOR ALL SECTIONS AT THE BACK, AS THIS WILL CONTAIN THE TRUE GUIDE. WORK IN SECTIONS FROM THE CENTRE PROFILE AND MOVE OUT TO CONNECT THE SIDES IN PIZZA SHAPED SECTIONS. MAKE SURE WITH EVERY NEW SECTION YOU TAKE A SMALL STEP MOVING AWAY FROM THE PREVIOUSLY CUT SECTION. AS YOU CONTINUE AROUND THE HEAD, COMBINE EACH PREVIOUS SECTION WITH THE NEXT SECTION TO USE AS YOUR GUIDE. PINCH, COMB AND CUT EACH SECTION, MIRRORING THE HEAD SHAPE AND MAINTAINING EQUAL DISTANCE FROM THE SCALP.

STEP 7: CUT BACK LEFT QUARTER WORKING IN PIZZA SLICES

REPEAT STEP 6 AS YOU SECTION THE PROFILE INTO THE TOP BACK LEFT QUARTER OF THE HEAD. START YOUR FIRST SECTION TO THE IMMEDIATE LEFT OF THE PROFILE AND WORK OUT TO THE SIDES IN PIZZA SLICES. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO COMPLETE A SQUARE SHAPE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE HAIRCUT.

COMB ALL THE HAIR BACKWARDS AND SPLIT THE HAIR HORIZONTALLY FROM THE RECESSION POINT TO THE CROWN, WHICH WILL SEPARATE THE TOP FROM THE BACK AND SIDES. COMB THE SIDES DOWN AND THE TOP UP OVER THE HEAD.

BEGIN LAYERING THE SIDE OF THE HEAD STARTING AT THE FRONT HAIRLINES CREATING A VERTICAL SECTION NO LARGER THAN A COMB'S WIDTH. USING AN OVERHAND TECHNIQUE, PULL THE HAIR DIRECTLY OUT FROM THE SECTION AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. POINT YOUR FINGERS DOWN TOWARDS THE FLOOR AND POINT THE SCISSORS UPWARDS TOWARDS THE CEILING. CUT YOUR GUIDE, HOLDING THE HAIR WITH TIGHT TENSION AND RESTING THE CUTTING BLADE ON THE FINGERS. THIS WILL BE THE GUIDE TO FOLLOW FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE BACK AND SIDES. AS YOU CONTINUE AROUND THE HEAD, COMBINE EACH PREVIOUSLY CUT SECTION WITH THE NEXT SECTION TO USE AS A GUIDE.