THE CLIPPER CUT

THE CLIPPER CUT INVOLVES USING THE CLIPPERS AND CLIPPER GUARDS ON THE BACK AND SIDES AND THE SCISSORS TO LAYER THE TOP. THIS INCLUDES A 1,2,3,4,5 OR EVEN 6 BACK AND SIDES.

STEP 1: CLIPPER WORK

START WITH ONE GRADES HIGHER THAN THE CLIENT'S DESIRED LENGTH TO REMOVE AS MUCH BULK AS POSSIBLE. THIS SETS THE CORRECT HEIGHT THAT YOU ARE TO TAKE YOUR CLIPPER WORK. IT ALSO GIVES YOU A CLEAN CANVAS TO WORK ON THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE HAIRCUT. WORK IN COLUMNS AROUND THE HEAD. AT THE BASE OF EACH COLUMN, ENGAGE THE TEETH OF THE CLIPPER GUARD INTO THE HEAD BELOW THE BOTTOM HAIRLINE AND ANGLE UP INTO A SQUARE MOTION AS YOU COME UP THE HEAD. GLIDE THE CLIPPERS SQUARE OFF THE HEAD AT THE TEMPORAL BONE ON THE SIDES AND THE OCCIPITAL BONE ON THE BACK. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP BECAUSE IT REMOVES THE WEIGHT READY FOR YOUR NEXT STEP. BE CAREFUL NOT TO GO ABOVE THE TEMPORAL BONE AND ROUND OFF INTO THE HEAD SHAPE. ONCE COMPLETE, REPEAT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS USING A HALF GRADE LOWER THAN THE INITAL CANVAS GRADE USED. FINALLY, REPEAT THIS WHOLE PROCESS UNTIL YOU'VE REACHED THE CLIENT'S DESIRED LENGTH. E.G. GRADE 3 (CANVAS GRADE), 2.5 & 2 (DESIRED LENGTH)

STEP 2: TAPERING THE NECK

FADE THE BOTTOM HAIRLINES STARTING WITH THE 1.5 FILLER GRADE (OPEN). FADE FROM THE BOTTOM HAIRLINE AT THE NAPE TO THE OCCIPITAL BONE. WORK DOWN AS MANY GRADES AS YOU NEED UNTIL THE HAIR IS BLENDED. THE SHORTEST GRADE YOU BLEND DOWN SHOULD BE 2 GRADES LOWER THAN THE CLIENT'S DESIRED LENGTH (TRUE GRADE).

STEP 3: TAPERING EDGES

THE GENERAL RULE HERE FOR TAPERING IS THAT IF THE GRADE IS 2 OR HIGHER, WE USE OUR TRIMMERS AND COMB TO TAPER THE EDGES - DIAGRAM (1). IF THE GRADE IS 2 OR LOWER, WE USE HALF A GRADE LOWER AND GO ROUND THE EDGES ON 'TWO-WHEELS' OF THE CLIPPER - DIAGRAM (2).

(1) ANGLE THE CLIPPER COMB AT 45 DEGREES AND THEN CUT THE HAIR THAT COMES THROUGHOUT THE BASE OF THE COMB. THE COMB'S TEETH CAN FACE UPWARDS, DOWNWARDS OR EVEN SIDEWAYS. FOR A CLOSER, TIGHTER TAPER AROUND THE OUTLINES, USE A CUTTING COMB.

(2) PUT A GRADE THAT IS HALF A LENGTH SHORTER THAN THE BASE GRADE AND ANGLE THE CLIPPER OUT AT 45 DEGREES AND GO ROUND THE OUTLINES ON TWO WHEELS OF THE CLIPPER.

STEP 4: OUTLINES

USE THE DETAILERS AND THE SELECTED COMB TO REFINE AND SHAPE THE OUTLINES. START AT THE FRONT HAIRLINES AND THEN WORK AROUND THE EAR. CONTINUE BEHIND THE EAR AND THEN INTO THE HAIRLINE AT THE BACK OF THE HEAD TO CREATEYOUR NECK SHAPE.

STEP 5: LAYER THE TOP

ENSURE THE HAIR IS WET EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE TOP. STAND BEHIND THE CLIENT AND CREATE THE PROFILE LINE. THEN MOVE TO THE SIDE AND CUT IN THE PROFILE LINE AS LEARNED PREVIOUSLY. FOLLOW THIS PROFILE LINE GUIDE AROUND THE HEAD CUTTING A ROUND OR SQUARE LAYER. START AT THE FRONT HAIRLINE AND MOVE TOWARDS THE BACK (APEX). AFTER CUTTING THE TOP, MOVE THE PROFILE LINE THROUGH TO THE CROWN AND SECTION INTO PIZZA SLICES TO CUT THE BACK.

DON'T FORGET TO CROSS CHECK THE TOP BEFORE YOU MOVE ON!

STEP 6: CONNECTING THE SIDES TO THE TOP

WHEN YOU CUT A SHORTER LENGTH ON THE SIDE COMPARED TO THE TOP, THERE WILL BE A NATURAL OVERHANG FROM THE TOP TO THE SIDES. WE CONNECT THE SCISSOR-WORK ON TOP TO THE CLIPPERWORK ON TOP WHEN WET. CUT THE OVERHANG SQUARE AT 90 DEGREES, CONNECTING IT WTH THE BACK AND SIDES.

STEP 7: CLIPPER OVER COMB

CLIPPER OVER COMB WITH THE 1 GAURD ON THE CLIPPER IN COLUMNS, PICKING UP THE HAIR IN THE 'BLEND' AREA SQAURE AND SWIPING TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WITH THE CLIPPER. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO TILT THE COMB OUT 45 DEGREES TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T CUT ANY CHUNKS OUT OF THE HAIR. YOU CAN ALSO VERTICALLY SWIPE TO REFINE YOUR BLEND AREA. REPEAT THIS PROCESS WITH THE GUARD OFF AND THE LEVER OPEN (0.5)

SCISSOR OVER COMB IN COLUMNS, FLOWING UP SQUARE ON THE HEAD. WORK IN COLUMNS, ALWAYS MOVING AGAINST THE HAIR GROWTH. THE COMB MUST MOVE SLOWLY WITH THE SCISSORS MOVING FAST IN ORDER TO CREATE A SMOOTH AND GRADUAL BLEND.

BLOW ALL THE EXCESS HAIR OFF THE CLIENT AND THEN PROCEED TO BLOWDRY THEIR HAIR USING EITHER YOUR HANDS, A ROUND OR VENT BRUSH DEPENDING ON THEIR DESIRED STYLE. MAKE SURE THE HAIR IS COMPLETELY DRY EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE HEAD BEFORE YOU PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP.

SEPARATE THE TOP OF THE HEAD INTO 3 COLUMNS TO ENSURE THAT YOU DO NOT OVER TEXTURISE THE SAME AREA. YOU CAN TEXTURISE FROM THE FRONT TO BACK OR BACK TO FRONT DEPENDING ON THE LENGTH OF THE HAIR. FOCUS ON REMOVING THE WEIGHT AS CLOSE TO THE ROOT AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT CHANGING YOUR CREATED LENGTH. WHEN THE HAIR IS SHORTER, PICK UP THE HAIR WITH THE COMB INSTEAD OF YOUR FINGERS.

TO FINISH THE HAIRCUT, WE DUST OFF OUR CUSTOMER OF ALL LOOSE HAIR, APPLY SOME TALCU, POWDER TO OUR DUSTIN BRUSH AND APPLY TO NECKLINE. SHAVE THE CUSTOMERS NECK AND EDGES WITH YOUR CUTTHROAT RAZOR AND SHAVING GEL AND FINALLY APPLY SOME STYLING PRODUCT AND MOULD INTO THE CLEINT'S DESIRED STYLE.