When you go in for a haircut, you may notice that the stylist parts your hair in a different direction than you do. This is because hair dressers have been trained to use a process to determine exactly how your hair grows. Each person's hair has a unique growth pattern that must be analyzed prior to being cut. Learning this process may help you better understand why certain styles don't work well with your hair.
Step 1
Wash hair thoroughly with shampoo, followed by a treatment with conditioner to help the hair lay more naturally.
Step 2
Dry the hair with a towel. Do not use a blow dryer, as it could affect the natural lying patterns of the hair strands.
Step 3
Comb the person's hair in every direction from the center culmination point-of-growth on the top of the head. Extend these combing strokes the full length of the person's hair. This whirl of hair should somewhat resemble an umbrella, centering all hair on the head to one point.
Step 4
Look for any secondary growth points. These separate patterns of growth are known in layman's terms as cow licks. Inspect the entire head of hair, shifting your eyes from the original center point to the frontal bangs, making note of any cow licks.
Step 5
Comb the bangs straight down. Note any irregular discontinuations of growth or changes in growth angle.
Step 6
Part the bangs. Depending on the presence of any irregularities, try to part the bangs in each direction, beginning at different points until the most natural lying point is found.
Step 7
Inspect the length of the hair, noting any changes in length or growth speed. Former cuts could be influencing the varying lengths on the head. This is especially evident in children, who may have tried to cut their own hair.
Step 8
Part the rest of the hair. Follow the point in the bangs at which you found the hair was easiest to lay, and follow it up the entire length of the head until the crown is reached.
Step 9
Hold a section of hair on either side of this parted portion between your fingers. Move your hands toward the part without moving or sliding your fingers away from your originally grasping point. Note where this section of hair begins to bend. This is called the natural bend and is where you can assess the hair's potential volume and height.
Tips and Warnings
- It is important to analyze hair growth patterns because certain bends in hair must be accounted for, as their length could affect the overall evenness of the cut. For example, accidentally cutting below a natural bend means that severe spiking may occur that gel or hairspray is unable to fix.
Things You'll Need
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Towel
- Comb
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