While 2020 was rough for the salon industry it did teach clients just how skilled their trusted hairstylist is. Making them yearn for a stylized look, blunt clean lines, structured cuts and precision work have taken center stage after years of lived-in styles and we are here for it. Lucky for us there are some hairstylists who have long mastered the skills inspired by the father of hairstyling — Vidal Sassoon — and we can follow their key tips to achieve these looks.
“Move away from what you want to keep.” – DJ Muldoon
Dj Muldoon of thefactoryhair.com is one of the best haircutters in this industry. The lesson we will never forget from his classes? Move away from what you want to keep. This applies to everything from your perimeter shape to your elevation.
“Everyone has beautiful natural texture, so embrace the curl, frizz and even the limpness. When you have a haircut that supports the fabric, as long as the cut suits your bone structure, your hair will appear healthier because it requires less chemical/mechanical services.” – Vivienne Mackinder
Vivienne Mackinder is true royalty in our industry. A talented hairstylist in cut, color and style she has led the artistic and education image of many top tier hair care companies as well as her own education brand hairdesignertv.com. The main take away from a class with Vivienne? Always focus on the canvas in front of you and adjust your goals and skills accordingly. Precision cuts are great, but they need the right texture, density and face shape.
“To get the soft BLUNT look, keep the exterior blunt and the interior layered. I use Curve layers to achieve the internal shape. It’s just enough to give movement and texture.” – Anh Co Tran
Anh Co Tran revolutionized the hair industry with his lived-in Insta-worthy cuts (created for most top celebs you can think of) paired with the hand-painted colors we’ve all seen as inspiration pics for the last few years a la Johnny Ramirez. But, lived-in and blunt can exist together with the right combination of low elevation and dry cut weight removal.
What have we learned?
- Elevation and direction are everything.
- Texture, hairline and face shape will change our goals.
- ‘Blunt’ and ‘precision’ don't always have to mean lacking texture.
For a few extra tips...
- When in doubt, measure twice cut once.
- Take small subsections and check your shape in the mirror.
- Make sure your client's body position is where it needs to be.
- Consider furthering your knowledge by signing up for a class
