We all know that hair is attached to our head. It falls past the face and fits in like a puzzle piece to an overall look. That's why when Sonna Brado, KMS California Artistic Director from Jaazz Salon (Spokane, WA) creates a look for someone, she designs for the entire person, not just from the neck up.
Regardless of the person, she has three steadfast guidelines:
1. Stand the client up to see their body structure
2. The facial structure and skull shape will dictate the shape
3. The fabric of the hair plays a role in determining the shape
Before deciding to trim off a sizable length of hair, Brado had her client stand up to get an idea of how a new 'do would look on the girl as a whole. “This model has a long, lean physique - my goal was to place horizontal lines to break up the vertical line. A great way to test clients’ comfort levels with shorter hair is to stand behind the client and place all of their hair in front of their shoulders. Hold the hair in loose ponytails and slowly raise the hair until they say stop! This allows both of you to see what the different lengths will look like,” explains Brado.
To create the fringe, Brado found the high point of the head by balancing a comb on top. The true high point of the head is when the comb sits evenly.
She then placed a comb across the forehead and on the side of the head to create a right angle to determine the maximum amount of hair to place in the bangs without cutting into the shape. She highlighted the model's cheekbones by cutting the fringe farther back on her head. Brado notes, "If she had a wider face, I would have possibly used less to shadow the sides of the face."
Brado created an undercut to increase the swing and movement of this client’s hair texture by layering the hair under the parietal ridge and occipital bone. The top was then dropped and cut into a one-length bob with no tension.
Using these tips, Sonna has changed shape to a science. Try them out and see how they work for you!
[Image: KMS California/Hi Media Solutions]
