We have all had a bad hair cut and proceeded to blame: the hairstylist, or God, or the world, or your mom, or who and whatever to make throwing a fit more interesting.
Really the question probably should have been, “what did I ask her/him to do in the first place?”.
Nine times out of ten you probably go the hair salon, show them a picture, and expect to look like the person on the screen within the hour. Giving very little direction to your poor stylist working with half a head of fried dead hair to begin with (speaking personally of course).
Now, I am not saying don’t show a photo, but make sure the photo that you are showing is truly want you want. You may see one thing, while your trained stylist sees something entirely different.
I have fallen victim to this one to many times, but no more! Let’s get our hair cut on!
What do we want?
A hair cut!
How do we want it?
We’re not sure yet!
I can’t possibly cover every type of hair cut in one post, so I am going to focus on the ones I am most familiar with, as to not lead you astray in your hair cut endeavors.
Length
Starting off strong with the “she cut too much off” segment of this post! Just kidding sometimes they do… only cry about it a little, for like an hour or so.
Kaitlyn has great tips for determining if short or long hair is better for your face shape. If you want to check that out click
Realistically you could be getting a trim every few months and your hair would thank you for it. However, most of us don’t want to spend that much time or money at a hair salon. So here are three things to look for when deciding if it’s time for a cut…
Split Ends
Thinning
Breakage
Most of these are self-explanatory, the problem is these happen slowly. That makes it harder for you to notice when things have gotten ugly.
Split ends and breakage are what lead to thinning. Thinning, meaning the ends of your hair are significantly thinner than what they used to be. AKA the end of your pony tail is only one strand of hair thick.
Thinning… AKA
“Piecey”
“Straggly”
“Stringy”
When you start noticing these things it’s time to go in!
How Much?
What is a trim? One to two inches of length, *pause for shock recovery*. I literally used to think that a trim was removing the most minuscule amount of hair possible, but that is not the case. If you are not willing to cut off an inch, you are not ready for a hair cut (unless you’re going in for a bang touch up). If you have been putting off your hair cut, your stylist may recommend cutting off more to remove the damaged ends.
If you’re wanting more than a trim measure at home, or visually show your stylist where you want your hair to fall. The same thing goes for bangs! If you show your stylist a photo of what you want, discuss what is actually going on in the picture to make sure you’re both on the same page!
Layers
Firstly we should talk about what layers even are. The purpose of getting layers is to “remove weight”. When your hair is all one length it lays heavy on your head and can appear “flat”.
Adding layers creates different weights and provides movement and volume for your hair.
Choppy
gaby.paintshair on Instagram
These layers are meant to stand out and be seen. Choppy layers have defined levels that add lots of texture.
ryennesnow.hair on Instagram
Photo from crewhairstudio on Instagram
Wispy
Very similar to choppy layers, but wispy layers are meant to blend.
Very chic and sexy these layers can go almost unnoticed or give flirty fairy depending on how you style them.
izabellalovstad on Instagram
Amyhallimond on Instagram
Flip them
in or out
with your straightener
for a flirty
look
bonnieandboldhair on Instagram
Bangs
Wispy
The care-free bang, no not that one guy from college, the effortlessly chic hair cut! Wispy bangs are piece-y and feathered. Essentially a low maintenance version of “traditional bangs”, that requires fewer cuts and styling techniques. Because these bangs are not perfect they grow out and incorporate with the rest of your hair nicely.
Wispy bangs also make for an amazing up-do!
Instantly chic
Paige_desorbo on Instagram
Curtain
Curtain bangs absolutely swept the nation in 2021, and truly no one does it better than Matilda Djerf. Curtain Bangs typically hit just below the cheek bone and can be incorporated into the rest of the hair.
Matildadjerf on Instagram
Me (you’d never guess this was 2021)
Known best
for being
swept off
to the side
Photo from crewhairstudio on Instagram
Blunt
These are the most banging bangs. The bangs that automatically pop into your head when you hear the word. They are harsh and straight across your forehead.
Tell your stylist that you
want blunt bangs if
you are looking to
make a bold statement!
_ppprincesss on Instagram
Choppy Bangs
Like wispy, choppy bangs are perfectly imperfect. The difference here is that the bangs are much heavier or deeper cut than wispy bangs.
Unlike “blunt” bangs the varying spaces and lengths create texture for the hair.
Bottleneck Bangs
Universally flattering, bottleneck bangs are heavier and shorter in the center and longer and wispier as they fan out.
Photo from DUO_MAIS on Instagram
You can make these bangs obvious or subtle depending on what you’re going for. Subtle, like Jenna Ortega’s, where the shortest pieces are still long enough to to sweep off to the side. If you want to make more of a statement let your stylist know you want your shortest pieces to be above the brow.
Best For
Middle
Parts
Popular Cuts
90’s Blowout
Thanks to my amazing hairstylist Whitney, my hair has 10x the volume now, compared to before my hair cut. She calls this cut a 90’s blow out. It is a combination of wispy layers and face framing pieces.
Follow Whitney at wm.hair on Instagram linked…. HERE!
Before
You can tell that my hair, for the most part, is weighted down because it’s all one length. You might also notice that my ends are absolutely cooked.
After
The layers provided texture and movement that makes my hair appear more voluminous and c*nty.
lily_charliandkate on Instagram
I feel like this look is universally flattering for all lengths of hair (below the chin)
scorpiomood_ on Instagram
70’s Fringe
This may blow your mind, but when people say 70’s fringe they are quite literally just saying 70s bangs. Just think to yourself fringe=bangs, and the bangs that were popular in the 70’s were heavier curtain bangs!
A 70s fringe looked like a curtain bang on the sides, but usually came across the forehead slightly shorter in the middle than a curtain bang would be.
Decide if you want a more or less dramatic curtain bang. More dramatic, you could tell your stylist you would like a 70’s fringe. less dramatic, or starting the bang off longer, say curtain bangs.
Remember showing a photo and having a discussion about it always helps!
Hopefully you read something that can help you describe the perfect hair cut to your stylist.
