Ombré Layers, Weave Cutting and Flat Ironed Beach Waves

“We’ve definitely seen a shift over the past year from clean lines to raw edges,” notes NAHA Winner Andrew Carruthers of Lunatic Fringe in UT and Sam Villa Education Director. “The difference is, it’s not the shredded looks of the late ’90s and early 2000s. Now the texture is focused on the ends, and we’re leaving density in the interiors.”

To that end, Andrew’s Ombré Layering technique has become a go-to for hundreds of his students and colleagues because, like ombré haircolor, it maintains depth or weight at the base and produces lightness on the ends. To perform the technique, envision upside down triangles on each section. Using blunt shears or blending shears, outline along the edges of each side of the triangle, mirroring the placement of ombré or balayage color. “The amount you remove will be dictated by the density and texture of the hair,” Andrew explains, “and by the effect you want on the ends—peaked or softer.”

Weave Cutting is another approach to producing raw texture. Like Ombré Layering, it can be done with blending shears for a softer edge or blunt shears for a sharper edge. To start, identify the sections you wish to texturize. For a highly visible effect, work on horizontal sections; for a subtler result, use diagonal sections. Using your shear, weave out the section the way you would weave a foil highlight, then cut the weave. You can go over the section several times with your blending shears or nip at the section with blunt shears. If the hair is fine, stay closer to the ends. If it’s dense, you can move farther up the strand (just avoid working too close to the top of the head). “These techniques produce the specific peaks and valleys that you need for raw textures,” Andrew explains. “They’re perfect for clients who like to wear their hair messy and tousled.”

And when it comes to waved textures, those loopy, consistent mermaid coils are so yesterday, Andrew believes. Instead, he’s introducing clients to his Sleeker Beach Wave, created with a flat iron and similar to recent looks sported by actress Jennifer Lawrence as her pixie grows out. “Work in diagonal or vertical sections so that the waves don’t sit on top of each other,” he advises. “Create s-shaped patterns in each section, starting at the base and working toward the ends. Use a flat iron with soft tension, curve the base in one direction and then reverse the direction for the next curve. Repeat this pattern all the way to the ends. Do not put tension on your section in order to avoid pulling out the curves as they are created. The result is a real, DIY, lived-in feeling.”

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