Imagine hanging the person upside down by their feet. Imagine the hair hanging straight down. Now flip her over and cut it like that lol. Think they actually tried that in the 80's.

You would cut your perimeter line in, then you would cut your section on top as short as you wanted it. Then you would pick up your verticle sections above the occipital and cut from your shortest layer on top to your longest layer. Bring your two guidelines together. Does that make sense?

If you cut the layers in below the occipital you might loose your perimeter line. There is a haircut you do that for but thats for another thread.

AMirage

Alright, thanks....I guess that kinda makes sense.

I guess a better question to ask though would be what is the best way to cut short layers up to the occipital bone on a person who has very long hair after I cut the perimiter first of course to her desired length.  I don't want a mullet look either.  Thanks.

90 degree straight off the back of her head. Comb your verticle sections back to meet the center guide. This will create a longer layer by the ear leaving you a guide for the front that won't mullet on you.

Make sense? Then hold it out  90 degrees and notch V's into it about 2 inches deep......weeeeee I digress.

Have fun. :)

AMirage

AMirage ... settle down!  You're having too much fun.

This sounds like a bad haircut, waiting to happen. RockStar ... not all haircuts are worth doing, even IF you can figure out how to connect everything together.  I'm think mullet ... in this situation.  This is where you will learn to use your expertise, to consult with the client ... and then bring them to your way of seeing the situation.  If that doesn't work ... then it is OK to step aside.  They'll find another person to give them the bad haircut.

I cut into almost every cut I do. I am known for it. When people see my cuts they ask who did that and where is she. But I don't need to convince you. I hope Rockstar isn't going to cut 2 inch v's into the hair either, it was just an added random comment. I would do it, but I know where I would do it, and why I would do it. Would hate to encourage creativity.

This so called bad cut I describe is layered and wispy on the bottom. It removes bulk. One needs vision to understand. You pretty much hold the hair out and remove the blunted point. If you don't follow your perimeter guide you'll have chunks missing. It's a great cut I've done it many times. I can name a few celebrities who have worn it.

It is especially great on heavy thick long hair to remove excess bulk. You can flip the hair out, or you can tuck it under. Now how would you answer this question? No more insults please they are a lot easier then answering the question at hand. This post belongs to Rockstar, not me. I'm just a flower on the wall. Tell him how you would achieve the look he is looking for. Do not discourage him, guide him. He asked so he could learn something he was curious about, lets help him out by not telling him Oh no you can't do it, pass it on to someone else. If he is confident enough he should do it, he was confident enough to post on this board.

Imagine this........... a large round brush! Roll the hair on the perimeter under and in wisped around the face. Continue to do this holding hair out at 90 degrees at the occiptal bone. Ohh what pretty waves. As you work your way to the crown blow dry from roots to ends at 180 degrees. Ohh what nice glam volume...... Continue to blow the sides out at 90 degrees to create volume at the roots and soft bends at the ends. Ohhh look at that movement! Grab hold of that front hairline and dry that at 90 degrees towards the face working to the crown just above the ears. Now hit that root with high air and blow all the hair in front of the ears up against the root angled towards the face. Behind the ears up and back. Below the occipital over the shoulders and forwards. Can you see the C formation starting? Now last 5 minutes go in, grab the whole side of the hair brush up 180 roll on the brush and apply heat from underneath follow around the head with this technique. Now put some Dimethicone in your hands rake that front section back with your fingers, smooth those sides back and lifted at the roots open near the face, and tucked in or out at the ends, find your part if you want one, and finger style it. Grab your tease comb and give that crown a little oomph. Viola superstah!

To each his own. I have clients who wear candy cane colored stripes on their hair. Once apon a time I would never have done that totally un-natural look on someone. I was high on my horse and thought, the key to good hairstyling is making it look natural. Now 20 years later I find that was a bologna attitude. Hair art is fun. I totally enjoy it. I have clients who totally enjoy it. Pink would be a blast to work with, she's an adventurous soul.

I've seen the most beautiful woman in the world in my opinion with this hair. Zeta Catehrine Jones, Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra to name a few..... It's a glam cut. Perfect for the wearer of the cut to roll it in large rollers while dry, spray it with styling spray (not finishing spray) and hit the whole head with a hot blow dryer on their own.

Ofcourse this cut can go wrong, ofcourse any cut can go wrong. I would hate to see this cut on my grandmother. You need to know your clients, what they can do, what they can't, what is too glam for them and what is not. I have cut that silly meg ryan look on many people. I can't stand the look and it has such recognition. Personally I am more into the glam hair like I described  above.

So what would you do?

Perhaps you misunderstood, AMirage ...

My comment about "bad haircut waiting to happen ..." was aimed at RockStar, and the cut he was describing.  He said it sounded like a mullet ... does to me, also.

No one is more creative than me ... I invent haircuts that I demo on stage, at trade shows, where stylists are expecting something new, even unexpected!  That is what I am known for.  I encourage experimenting, but with knowledge and proper foundation.  Even the most adventurous creation, should have some basis in one's experience.  That is also, what I am known for ... art, but with substance.

Art is almost impossible to discuss in a text based forum.  Too many grey areas ... we'd have to write a volume, to properly decribe some esoteric concept.  I guess the old adage stands ... "You had to be there."  We all have to understand, that much of what we discuss here, is necessarily, somewhat vague and generalized.  Thats a forums disadvantage ... but part of it's fun.

Peace ... Love ...

Sorry for the misunderstanding............

OMG my daughter made me do a haircut from Aeon FLux, Charlize Theron. Good thing edgy haircuts look good on my daughter. We adjusted it slightly, and left it a little longer. Personalized it.

Check out this cut, type Charlize Theron Aeon Flux into google. Black edgy haircut. Pretty cool cut and it looks great on Charlize. Love that womans face. Today I found a few more angles of the cut and I may go back into my daughters hair to adjust it. She does like to look different. My daughters hair is black with orange splices. Chi makes some wild colors. Between her and my mother they keep me on my toes with the edgy, wild hair. If my mother was younger her and my daughter would be splicing pinks and purples into their hair.

Happy cutting......and coloring.....

AMirage

Well this reminds me...........

How about what Tabatha called Tyson last night.......did you hear her?

She called him FIGJAM.    Then she said--you know "F%&$ I'm Good-Just Ask ME!"   LOL-I have never heard that one!