How To Cut Long Shag Haircut | Long Layered Haircut Step By Step

What'S up party people Pete Hall? Well, let the peephole get logged in change the plate, cuz! That'S essential step, one razor haircutting new blade mm-hmm! So my name is Lucas. Lucas donee, I'm saying ego, California, I'm an international trainer and artist for John Paul Mitchell Systems and we're gon na talk a little bit about some post quarantine haircutting. Today I wanted to take a quick second to thank Paul Mitchell for allowing me to do this kind of stuff on behalf of the company, I'm completely humbled by the opportunity to do that, and then Thank You Hebburn for letting us do this from the living room. I feel like my living room, has gotten to be pretty well known and they're important things that were always filming here. So once again my name is Lucas. Tony I'm gon na go through kind of maybe some scenarios we may see. As you come back to work, you know clients coming in letting your hair grow. A lot of them may want to hang on to that hair. So we're gon na work through a little bit of a shape that we're able to keep a lot of a link and we're gon na choose to use a razor as a different tool so that we can kind of get like a little bit of refinement and Space put in the hair as we cut it so that we can go through it one time for a little bit more efficiency. You could probably see more clients that way. I know that everybody's gon na be rushing back to the salon. So we'll talk about kind of the decision-making in the thought process as we work through it. I encourage you to guys to share the video share it on your page. Send it to your friends, Clinton Norris, my good friend and Quarantine. Collaborator burger is on camera. So if you guys have questions he's going to be reading them off, but yeah questions comments, contributions, everything is welcome, feel free to ask away that's what we're here for so we're more than happy to kind of share what we've been up to what we're doing and Then, specifically, what we're gon na work on today. So you get a lot of people saying hello from Mexico, South Africa, Germany, wahoo, Texas and a lot of people saying hi. So I know that for me being in San Diego, I'm gon na have a lot of clients coming back to the salon with some long hair, they're gon na, probably let it grow the entire time. They'Ve been quarantine or house arrest or lockdown or whatever you want to call it, but I think a lot of them are going to want to hang on that some of that hair, because maybe it's reached a point that they've never thought they were going to get To so, I'm going to go through this shape, as if someone has let their hair grow during their quarantine time, and they want to keep a lot of the length, but they want to make it look more intentional. So that's my goal today is to make the long hair look more intentional. I'M gon na use a razor cuz. Like I said earlier, I want to make sure that I'm able to put a little bit of space in the hair, as I cut it in the wet relationship, so that my refinement and post personalizing and things like that is minimal. And I can kind of get it done in a more efficient manner. I'M going to use the unguarded straight blade, we'll talk about a couple of different strokes as we go through, but this is gon na. Allow me to put more space in the hair. Like I said so, it's a bit looser and on long hair it looks really really nice. So your client comes in they've. Let everything grow out really really long. They'Ve got nothing going on. I want to make sure that we have some things that look intentional. So I've taken a diagonal back section on each side about that first into the hairline and I'm gon na work on that. First cuz. That'S what's gon na frame their face. So for me, I want to make sure that I choose a length and a shape that sits well and I'm able to make look intentional around the face, while maintaining a lot of length, so I'm gon na start right in the center now. This is gon na give me a clue. As far as my choice of length goes now, a choice, a link on a mannequin is gon na, be just past that chin and a little bit of a layered shape around the face. So this is the end result that we're gon na end up with we got a cooking show, so we've got one. That'S like pretty done and we'll talk about that end result here in a little bit, but that was the same exact mannequin just decided to have one pre done, so you can minimize how much you got. Ta watch me blow-dry here. That'S never an awesome! So got a lot of love coming in from Cyprus. Anthony edge is watching. I'Ve got some left from the UK from Malta yeah we're making a video for Anthony edges today as well. So what I'm gon na do is in order to give this a little bit of history and a little bit of movement when I turn this way, so you jump in the side. I'M gon na find my choice of link and what I'm gon na do is. I'M gon na elevate that hair straight out from where it lives so almost flat like a board. I'M gon na take my razor and we use just the corner of it to put a little bit of space in this hair. It'S called tipping so very lightly. I want to take some of the weight out now I have less hair to cut through and I'm putting I'm removing some of that weight, so it makes it a little bit easier. Now I have less, I can come in, come across and come across the other way. Now, the more I move, my blade, the more space I'm gon na put in the hair. Now the tighter or the less you move, your blade is called a closed stroke. So a closed stroke will look something like this lot. Smaller movements, the cut would end up being closer to like a scissor where something that's more open. I'M gon na move the blade a little bit more so from here. I'M gon na have like a little bit more movement on my blade, more of an open stroke so that the hair that comes off is a lot looser. I spin this around, so you can see on this side. Let'S talk about the elevation, I'm pulling the elevation to the same point in space, so a lot about hair from the side of the head, it's being elevated up and over directed forward. So that's allowing me to preserve a lot of length and density moving away from the face, so clients that want to hold on to their length they want to have those options. This is allowing me to do that so a little bit more of an open stroke. Now, as you can see, even if the hair wet we've cut a face framing shape around here by pulling the hair straight out and using the hairline and the roundness of the head, we it's allowed us to create a rounded shape like that. Now I'm going to drop down my next section now my guide is going to be stationary, so what I mean by that is everything is going to come to the front so create that little division point just behind the ear: pull that hair forward any of the Hair, I'm not working on I'm just keeping nice and groomed and clipped away got some love coming through lots of thumbs up hearts, hearts and thumbs. Ups yeah all right. So what would you potentially change if they had a different hair density? So yeah mannequins are pretty standard hairs sewn into the head: we've kind of managed that head shape and that texture, for you know the entire form team right. So for us I know for me when I start to look at how this translates to human being and what decisions and what factors change my thought process on the human if they had a lot more texture and density like very dense, thick heavy hair. Maybe I have to lift the hair a little bit higher or maybe my stroke is a little bit more open if they have less hair, maybe a finer fabric. Maybe my elevation is lower and my stroke is a little bit tighter or closed that just helps. Preserve density and length because if their hairs finer, I want to make sure that I make it look and feel thicker if their hairs thick. I want it to look and feel a little bit lighter. So elevation is my friend those things come into play, but I want to make sure that I keep those in mind as I'm working yeah love it. I don't think so, maybe all right so now I've got a stationary guy. I can see my hair that I've caught underneath, if I can't lift it up, I can see where that hair starts to come through. There'S my choice, Elaine. I need to make sure I get just past that link. So what I'm gon na do is I'm still going to use the corner of my blade to take some of the weight out of this before I choose my length now as I look, I've got more space in there and I'm gon na just go from underneath. So they can show you open stroke a bit longer that was longer than the first one correct yeah. Definitely so, as you see it's very soft, the cutting line is very soft, so it's gon na have a lot more space in that hair once again flat out straight out from where it lives a little bit more of an open stroke, still making sure to have That little bit of that rounded shape around the face now combing all this hair forward holding it horizontally. So I have a strong elevation in a strong / direction, open stroke right through there. Now I don't slide my fingers too much as I work. The reason being is because I want to control the hair so I'll, allow the razor and my choice of length or excuse me, my choice of elevation, my choice of / direction to help create the results I want. If I start sliding a lot, then in turn I'm gon na have hair that gets like longer towards the end of my section, just like / direction. No girly, MIDI knobbly is how you say your name she's. How do you choose where you tip to take the weight out? That'S a good question, so where do we choose to use a tipping technique? Now, if I calm this hair, it's very dense and solid scalp to ends when the ends of the hair there's a lot more space. So to me, I would want to work through this just lightly to make sure that it didn't feel or look too thick. As I started to work through it and you know, start to develop an awareness and your fingers as far as what the hair feels like, as I pinch it. If it feels thick, you know, but once again, you're gon na have a certain degree of like heaviness and thickness with this haircut, because the guide is stationary, so the hair is gon na get longer and heavier as you work. But we are looking to create that little bit of a face. Training effect thing so now directly in half now, because this hair and on a client choice, a link is the big thing: make sure that you're choosing a length that allows you to keep what they want in the back now I'll split this down the center and I'M actually gon na pull everything all the way to the front. Now, what that's gon na do is going to preserve almost all the length and density towards the back. So it's gon na allow me to kind of have that longer shag layered on a shape and because this hair is traveling, the farthest means it's gon na be the longest and the heaviest which will assess down the center and I'm gon na move. My body position. All the way back to the front again and I'm gon na wrap this hair to my stationary guide in the front so combing that hair all the way around the head. You know using the roundness of the head to wrap the hair around. I don't want to comb it up and over I'm just wrapping it around the curvature of the head right from where it lives straight forward. My guide starts to drop out open stroke. Now, that's going to put a little bit space in the hair. I know that hairs traveling forward, so I maintain length and density towards the back. Once again, if I plant my feet where I need to be, I can comb all this hair forward right to that same point elevate. It up flap use my razor coming across the hair, not on top. I want to come across the hair and remove those smaller lengths. Now I'll have something that's long longer in the back shorter in the front we get to this side once again, wrapping it around the head and coming across you good. So traditionally I would spin my client away from the mirror so that I could stand directly in front of them to make sure that this is balanced left to right. So not much length has come off for the exception of what's around the face. So now, as we work, I'm gon na go through an I'm gon na layer, the back now. What we've done is that we've chosen to pull that hair forward which, like I said, is making the back longer and heavier so a traditional round shape, depending on where you went to school or what system we learned with traditionally a rounded shape shorter in the front. Longer in the back, a lot of what you see nowadays is a variation of like a layered shape, that's shorter in the front longer in the back. But what I'm gon na do now is that we look to balance the front in the back, because I haven't necessarily layered anything in the back. The back middle is gon na, be very, very heavy, so we cut the haircut that's pushing all the hair backwards means all the weights off the face and it's all moving backwards. Now, behind the ear everything behind the ear, we have way more hair than we do in front. So in the back, I'm going to actually choose to layer, the hair so that it wants to push forward. What that's gon na do is it's going to create a haircut in the front that pushes backwards a haircut in the back that pushes forward and all the hair is gon na meet right over the ear where it's the weakest point of the hairline. So that's going to give us a little bit of benefit there to make sure that we preserve that length and density over the ears. So they don't get in me like holes and things like that. Jennifer Twohig williams says that she loves a good for me uh to hit to hagas um a hyphenated, Jennifer Williams, yeah so Jennifer Williams said. Is this cut typically starting in the fringe area? And maybe, if I added on to that, when would you choose to start in the fringe area or when would you choose to start in the back? Because I'm thinking about a client coming in maybe have some layering around the face before hand has spent the past couple of weeks. Let me grow out locked in their house, whatever that looks like so I did. She choose to start in the front because I wanted to determine what was happening around the face, so that tells me I can make sure that that shortest layer is here not sure as there's here that shortest layers here, whatever the case may be now, if they Have existing history in the back that you wanted to connect short to long? I would start in the back so based on priority and practicality right. Is it most important to frame the face and get that looking awesome and keep a lot of the length, or is it most important to connect an internal link to an external one? That'S when I would change that. So if they wanted to connect the short layer to a long layer in the hairline, they wanted to connect these two points. I would start right here on the back and cut short to long, but if they wanted to frame their face - and I was starting the front - so it's just - it depends on case-by-case basis priority yeah. If I hope that answered your question Chandra, she also has a question. Is it true that when you use a razor, it's harder on your hair, an instructor once told her that and she was wondering if it's true like debunking some stuff right now? No, I don't. I don't believe it is. I think that, if it's used improperly, it can have a negative impact on the hair or if the blade is dull or, if you're not really into you're, unsure on how to use it. Yes, but that goes with anything you could do that with scissors, so you can do with thinning scissors. The British scissors Clippers a broken beer bottle, a hatchet torch, a solar doesn't matter. I think, as long as you understand what the tool is and what its intended for, how it's best used, it can have a very positive effect on the hair. So I think when used improperly - yes, I would say your instructor is correct, but when used properly, I think that it can have a very beautiful effect on hair, especially something like this real quick. I'M going to talk about this, I took a sensual section from the high point of the head to the center knee, so this is in the center. In the back. I have an existing choice of lengths at the top here that actually got cut in the front. So that's gon na be my choice of length in the back and what I'm going to do is cut short alone, but also want to be mindful of density now. I only know this from experience, but on a mannequin - and some of you may know this as well - there's lots of hair sewn into the top of the head. It'S for the most of the areas. So what I'm gon na do is I'm actually going to use a tipping technique on the top in the crown area, where there's a lot of hair, so this could be very useful with somebody who has a lot of density things like that. So what I'm gon na do is I'm gon na comb, this hair, all nice and neat all nice and organized everything's organized from scalp to ends, and you can see how thick this hair is like. You can't see my comb through it, it sort of thing. So what I want to do is I want to put some space in there. So I want to make sure that I hold the hair in a way that I can actually lay it all flat and I'm actually going to use the corner of my razor and I'm not moving my entire body. I'M really just moving my hand or my fingers that are holding the tool and I'm aiming it towards the densest part of that section. Now I've created a little bit of space. You can see my comb through it a little bit more. I'M gon na do the same exact thing just on the other side here, so I get both sides of this section, especially in this crown area, especially in the center on a mannequin. This is where it can get really kind quite heavy, but by using the corner of the blade, it allows me to really like with minimal impact and minimal effort, really like release a lot of weight out of that hair without having a visible cutting line. So now I've cut that section. So it's just less hair. We have people saying hello from Pakistan which is great from Trinidad and I've hear from Trinidad. She wants to kind of know the first step and creating the shape she missed it from the beginning. So maybe it's a quick recap, as you cut that first section, just like a condensed little clip this region and what I did is. I actually chose the shortest length. Can I cut short to long now? What I'm doing is same principle in the back, but I'm using vertical sections. So in the front I pulled everything forward and I cut it short to long. So all that hair, I did travel really far and in turn, created this little bit of a rounded shape. So short on the front longer in the back now in the back, I'm gon na do the same exact principle thought process, but I'm going to use vertical sections with a stationary guide in the center. So I'm creating a haircut. That'S shorter in the front pushes weight towards the ear and something that's short on the back and pushes weight towards the ears so that we're saving all the hair on that weakest point of the hairline, then do did you or do you prep, hair with anything before You use a razor like what people would call a cutting lotion lotion. Your best friend razor is moisture. It'S gon na allow the blade, especially if it's not a new blade to glide through the hair a little bit so anything like a leave-in treatment. I love like Paul Mitchell makes a loop, we moisture mist, which is a great lightweight, leaving conditioner it's a spray, so it goes in evenly distributed. That'S one that I love for cutting hair just in general, but also it just depends too on the hair type. If you have hair, that's a little bit tough to comb through, what I would suggest is use a little bit of a light cream or light conditioner or detangler, or something like that. That allows you to comb through the hair a little bit easier and I was like slip. You want to have some slip, especially when you're working with a razor just because it helps the comb get through and it helps the razor get through because when hairs dry, that's when you can kind of rough up the cuticle a little bit as we spoke about Earlier impact on it, but when it's wet it's a little bit more slip and slide, so you get a nicer cut. I see work. Sally Ann brown. Car says that she says it's a fantastic shape and she loves it. And then we have a viewer from Egypt as well. Whoa, yeah, saying hello, that's cool yeah, a lot of people from all over the world watching right now. It'S great that's so I hope everybody's healthy. I hope, everybody's well. Loved ones are well so through here same thing, I can see my guide through my sections, less and less hair to cut as I move forward so essentially using a stationary guide in the back, as well as the stationary guy in the front, and that connection point Or that overlap is all the hair, that's above the ear, because that travelled forward and traveled backwards. So it's the longest part of the haircut. Now you do a little more razor haircutting than I do, or 100 percent more here's our haircutting than I do. I'M gon na cord yeah what I I have a good reason to believe that you do believe that yeah. So can you talk about tension like when you when I'm holding hair like this? If I were to be cutting this, I would be cutting on the inside of my hand, the actual tool that's making the action of the hair coming off is actually in the inside of my hand, or this is on the other side, so we're working with different. Your hair has tension on it right now when you're placing the blade whereas mine, doesn't you want to speak to maybe how you make those choices or how that can impact the end result yeah it's interesting, because when we cut hair with scissors you're cutting the hair, That'S like beyond your fingers, whether it be on the outside or the inside. It'S like uncontrolled we're gon na cut her with a razor you're cutting between your hands in the head, so you're actually cutting the hair. That'S like stretched tight in regards to tension. A lot of times people ask well how much tension do I use and everyone has their own opinion about it. I don't know I mean if you can explain it. I think you're correct for me like when I use tension, whether it be with a scissor or the B, the razor. I use enough tension to control the hair and try to make sure it's consistent got my goal trying, but you know you do want to have a good amount of tension, and I'm also you notice that I comb the hair a lot more. It'S a lot easier with scissors. If you didn't yeah good, it's a lot easier with scissors. If you don't get the section comb and you cut it, you can read comb it and cut the hair. You miss with a razor. It'S actually really difficult to do that because you have to have enough hair to hold it in your fingers. So you can't like dust it. You know you're not gon na, like dust dust it you're gon na you have to have a substantial now. You know twisty people like pinch and grab and yeah they patient with their fingers, and things like that. So there's there's reasons why you would choose different techniques, but for me I want to make sure that I have consistent tension. So I always look if hair starts to drop out. If I start to lose control like down here, I started to lose control. I saw my fingers slide like that. Hmm, I'm gon na read comb it and make sure that I hold that hair that I'm cutting, but my guide dropped out but hold the hair that I'm cutting. So I think that tension is super super important and, like I said it's interesting because you're cutting the hair between your you're cutting between your hand and the head instead of completely on the outside that you win with scissors. So it is very different, but you know I think, that the more we understand it and the more you can kind of explain it and have a relationship with it. It just makes us a little bit more versatile as hairdressers. Hmm, there's also like a misconception that razor haircutting is this. Like sloppy yeah you, which it's it's not, you know like looking at people like Gerard or Nicky rosio, and even yourself, you're doing like technical haircutting with knowledge and skill, you know to be able to create end result that you want to create with your choices. Was anybody who cut hair with a razor did it because they couldn't do it with scissors, but then the first time you see somebody approach in a technical way and have a really good understanding of it. There'S reasons why they make certain decisions and they can talk. You through that, where I think that may be my first exposure to razor haircutting with somebody just call it crazy sure, certainly to thousands, is why, for me, somebody actually approached it was like sectioning and discipline, and this is the cause and effect of what's gon na Happen and all those little things are so so so important that if you don't, if you learn money for those, then you want that person. That'S just winging it. You would do the same thing with a scissor, yeah yeah um, exactly yeah, how you do anything Tay to everything, yes matter, what tools there! So Angela Kim asked me: how often would you see this client for a haircut? So if this is, you know upon, and then I think this is a good, maybe there's a second question on that as well. How often would you see this client and then when they came back in the fact, you're creating a lot of space like that? Would you recreate the same haircut time number two, my clients come in when they feel like they need a haircut especially longer hair clients. I want them to make sure that they're enjoying it now. I don't want them to come in just for the sake of coming. In no, they have long hair and they like it. It'S still working then wear it for as long as possible, but you know, given the certain course of events, I would say that my long haired clients are closer to like every eight weeks, if not longer each n, probably on the long-haired ones, and that's just preference. You know some go longer, some go less, but texture density, hair type what they can manage when they feel like it's, not styling appropriately, then they'll probably come in. Second part of that question: is you know if we cut it with a razor and put tons of space in here? Is that something we do every time and that's a very good question? The answer is no. If this point came back in and oh my gosh, my haircuts working great, but I just feel like the ends are those straggling, and maybe I need to come in with a scissor and put a stronger outline in it and be done. Or maybe I need to go through and I need to technically put in a stronger shape so that it's a balance between how loose it is and how strong it is because we all know for me, Southern California, if I have a client, maybe they're blonde. Maybe we cut their hair this way and then they wear their hair for a while there's a certain bit of erosion that happens right hairs, blonde hair cuts itself, so I might not need to come back in and put loads of space and texture in their hair. I might need to put a little strength in there so that it kind of resets it brings it back. So a lot of times all note on my clients account razor haircuts is er razor haircutting scissor haircuts, so that I can keep track when they come back in and like Oh last time, you cut it with a razor. How is that cool? I think this time, if you cut it with a scissor because of the reasons I just shared, it needs a little bit more strength. That means a little reset. It needs a little bit more structure and next time we'll make it a bit looser. So as long as that communication is there with your clients, I think that all of them are like really receptive to that. But absolutely that's a good question. Perfect! I'M just going to cut the length here now, so I'm gon na hold it my fingers and I'm gon na hold it tight. One little tip for razor haircutting is, if you take your thumb and you press it on your index finger, you can hold on to that hair tightly to cut all the way through. Now I want to talk a little bit about this. The tendency for a lot of people that maybe don't have a relationship cutting hair with a razor is to put the razor flat and scrape the hair just on the side. This is the wrong way right yeah. This is like this will rough up the cuticles. So for those that asked earlier, this won't really make the shape, like really fuzzy, almost feel burnt shave, your legs yeah yeah. So what I suggest is always like. Okay, now I'm gon na pinch, I'm gon na hold it. This is where I want to cut it, and I'm gon na take my razor across so that I'm cutting here and I'm not scraping it so that I actually physically cut through and I'm not just shaving it. You know now straight back here, go just past. My guide, let that fall out once again come across the hair and you'll, find that, like there's a certain structure or our certain angle, that this blade needs to come across to cut hair a lot of times if you're using a razor and it's not cutting through The hair - it's not cutting through the section that just means that maybe the razor is too flat or to perpendicular. So there is this sweet spot and the more you use it. The more you'll realize it and find it is. If I come across and cut through the hair, rather than scrape it, the end result is gon na, be really really really enjoyable and you're gon na, like the outcome a lot better, and so is your planning. Okay, so a little trim on the outline, but what we did is we created something that sits off the face kind of like that modern, a shag kind of feel like a little bit more layered, but so really really long. So if you have a client, that's coming in Post Cove in for their first haircut and they've reached a link that they really enjoy and they're like man. This is fun. This is cool, then, for me I would approach it that way. Jade says your control is incredible and your cameraman is killing it yeah, it's not an easy job, so I just put you know a little bit just like you would in reality, and you can see through the back. I don't have a lot of visible layering. It all falls kind of like a bit of a waterfall, so you're not necessarily invested into like a lot of strength going this way, and I still have a lot of length on it and I'm putting that little bend on it a little bit of a style. So it sits off the face, gives you a nice end result also something really easy and using the razor, like, I said earlier, just to recap put this here for those that tuned in after we started. So when I started this haircut, I started with a diagonal back section that went all the way ear to ear. I pulled the hair straight out. I used the tipping technique, so what that means is I took the hair flat, don't tilt it this way. So you can see, I use the tipping technique so from here. I use the corner of the blade and I just barely barely barely let it go through that layer of hair and remove a little bit of weight. And then I came across and cut my leg and as I worked, I pulled all that hair straight out. So all the hair from the side of the head came up and pivoted over. So what that's doing is its allowing this hair down towards the ear to not only be over directed forward but also be elevated up. So I'm saving a lot of length and density here where it starts to get weaker over the ear right. So symmetrical everything pulled forward, cut to that same point, so that creates this short, so long rounded feel around the face. Then we went to the back. I took a central section right down the middle. I pointed the head to the center of the hairline hair came straight out and I cut short too long. So therefore, I kept a lot of the length that was already pre-existing, but I used the layering that we created on the front as a guide of length for the back stationary. So it's a 1/3 went to 1/4 went to 1, all in the middle short too long, and then we just cleaned up the outline, so it has a little bit of a nicer edge on it and the end result you get from wet to dry. So you don't have to watch me blow-dry hair. Is you get an end result? That'S a bit layered around the face and you get this invisible layering effect because we were able to put space in the hair and texturize it and remove weight as we cut it. So therefore, I didn't have to go through it multiple times with scissors and a razor and then scissors again and then a razor again. So I was able to kind of get both jobs done at the same time. So super solar reality super so unfriendly a shape. That'S relevant and a shape, that's useful and suitable to anybody coming in close cool. Nice looks really good got a lot of love. Ever since really special beautiful haircut, Rena Rena says hi she's a little wave, beautiful haircut love. It very well explained very cool yeah. Well, if you guys have questions comments, concerns contributions, throw them in the comments jump on Instagram if you're on that social platform, my name's Lucas Dhoni Clinton's on the camera lighting cuts hair happy to be a part of it. Thank you guys for having us tuning in and it could be anywhere else right now. We appreciate you being here and hanging out with us and we hope that everybody stays safe, stays healthy and we'll see you out there behind the chair soon.