How To Control Thick Dense Hair When It's Cut Into a Pixie

The Challenge:  You have a guest sitting in your chair with a short haircut and a lot of weight and density throughout the hair.  You know that you'll need to go in deep and texturize the hair to eliminate the excess weight, but the way that you're going about it just doesn't seem to release enough weight.

The Solution:  Let’s dig deep without fear!  The technique Andrew Carruthers is going to show us to achieve a pliable short haircut on a guest with extremely thick, dense hair is simply called, "Pre-Texturizing." We need to knock down the excess density BEFORE we go in with visual texturizing techniques such as disconnection, point cutting and any other technique you are currently performing that is focusing on the ends of the hair.

Think about it…, when dealing with heavy bulk and weight, taking hair away from just the ends or the interior (disconnection) does not solve the challenge, especially with short hair. We may be a little hesitant to get in really close to the scalp, but not any more! You are about to experience a huge ‘ah-ha’ as Andrew takes us through this simple pre-texturizing technique!

Recommended Tools For Success

• Sam Villa Essential Series Blending Shear.
  • Why?  We need to release a soft amount of hair with each open and close and this shear performs to the max!
• Sam Villa Short Cutting Comb.
  • Why?  You want a comfortable length with wide teeth at one end to move your sections away from each other.
  • Use a black comb for lighter hair and a white comb for darker hair – the contrast will enable you to stay on point and see what you are doing.

How To Pre-Texturize The Hair

• Begin on the top with diagonal sections – this will help the hair lay better.
• Be sure your sections are clean and move previous sections out of your way as to not cut into them.
• Stay far enough away from the natural growth pattern at the crown.
  • If you texturize too close to this area you will end up with alfalfa sprouts that will stick straight up and be seen.
  • It's important to stay underneath the surface in this area.
• Using your blending shear, make sure the blunt blade side of the shear is at the scalp facing up and the teeth are facing down toward the scalp.
  • This positioning of the shear influences the hair to move in the direction the teeth are facing – toward the scalp.

Tips & Tricks:  You only need one cut at the scalp. If you are more aggressive and channel cut at the scalp you will create more volume instead of removing weight.

• Open the shear.
• Close.
• Slide out.
  • Do not keep opening and closing the shear throughout the section – you only want wisps of hair to be removed.

Tips & Tricks:  Do not go back over the same area too often or you will create a cluster of short hairs that will actually create more volume. Once you have completed removing enough weight and have the desire shape, then go back in to give more aggressive texture to the surface and ends. We are confident your outcome will be everything you hoped for and your guest will be thanking you for an amazing haircut. Their hair will have more movement, more pliability and will feel lighter than ever before! The real beauty in all of this is when you pre-texturize the hair, it remains hidden! No one will see it except for you when your guest comes in for the next haircut.

Click here to learn more about the difference between our 42-tooth Reversible Blending Shear and our 30-tooth Reversible Blending Shear.

Check out video and learn all about the fundamentals of texturizing hair - a necessity if you are new behind the chair!