How To Use Head Sheets For Haircuts

Think head sheets are a thing of the past? THINK AGAIN! Using head sheets helps visually break down a haircut’s structure, but because of their technical purpose and process, they can be a little intimidating. Have no fear—curly hair expert and ARC™ Scissors team member Evan Joseph, aka @evanjosephcurls, is talking through why you should use head sheets below!

“The main reason people don’t use head sheets is because they are afraid of failing,” Evan said. But the beauty of creating head sheets is that you can use them as a place to explore your creative vision freely. “Technicality doesn’t matter. We are so concerned about what other people are thinking that we get stuck and can’t create,” he said. Use head sheets as an innovative tool to take all of your fundamental knowledge of haircutting and put it on paper to design your own cut. It can be an organic way of exploring the possibilities without the permanence of performing an actual haircut.

Why You Should Use Head Sheets For Haircuts

Outside of slaying curls all day every day behind the chair, Evan loves educating other stylists inside and outside his salon. Head sheets can be incredibly useful when teaching because they can help give visual meaning and structure to a hands-on demonstration. “Create first, then explain,” Evan says. “I cut very organically and create as I go so it makes more sense to me to explain it afterwards.” Everyone processes information differently so a visual demonstration paired with a structured diagram appeals to multiple learning styles.

If you aren’t convinced yet, a great advantage of head sheets is that they are completely customizable to your vision. Evan likes to think of it the same way as a fashion designer sketching out a dress. It may not come out exactly as it is drawn, but it is a “place to fantasize your creative vision. There are no limitations because it isn’t permanent. If you don’t love it, start over.” He also sees it as a tool for inspiration as well. “Inspire a shape and let someone else cut it the way they see it.”

How To Start Creating Head Sheets

Wondering where to start? Evan suggests pulling a generic head sheet template from the internet and using a program called Procreate. He uses Procreate on his iPad because he “can add and remove layers and save them, so they won’t get lost. For example, I will use dots to outline the silhouette, then remove the dots once I have filled in the shape. I can also remove notation, revealing a beautiful sketch.”

If you are unfamiliar with Procreate or prefer to kick it old school, a piece of paper and a few different colored markers works too! To help get your point across and keep your ideas organized, he suggests creating a key to differentiate what each line represents. Sound confusing? Let’s break it down! Here is an example of a head sheet key:

• Dotted line = the shape or silhouette of the cut
• Arrows = the direction each section of hair is pulled from the head
• Broken line = the direction the hair is cut

We want to see your head sheets! Create your own and tag @behindthechair_com and #behindthechair. You may be featured on our site!