“One of the things we’ve discovered after traveling around teaching in salons is, many stylists are unsure of where to start texturizing hair in bobs and layers to decrease bulk and increase movement,” says Andrew Carruthers, education director for Sam Villa. It may seem like a very elementary concept, but it’s one of those theories that is worth brushing up on.
As a rule of thumb, Carruthers advises to start texturizing where the actual weight is. It sounds like the obvious, but it is easy to get sidetracked from this concept.
Bobs
Heaviness usually occurs at around the base of the hairline, so section out within the cut, clip top layers away and starting at the bottom dense area, use a Sam Villa Signature Series InvisiBlend Shear to gently remove weight. These shears only take away a small amount of hair at a time, so a stylist can be aggressive while texturizing without taking out too much hair and creating peeks and valleys. So, start at the bottom and approach removing the weight from the inside out and then start to work up in sections.
Layers
Due to low elevation, some layers appear to have a shelf-like feeling, and it’s tempting to grab that top shelf area and texturize to try to diminish it. But, if both the underlying hair and the weightier sections of hair are being lightened, there is not actually going to be a change in the balance. Instead, address the weighted area directly, just grab it and cut into it to soften it.
“Again, this may seem pretty basic for some, but that’s what education is for, to cover all aspects of our craft from the practical honest information to the more complex…anything and everything that is going to help stylists every day behind the chair,” adds Carruthers.
Photography: Courtesy of Sam Villa
Andrew Carruthers’ career as a hairdresser has been extremely diverse. Fueled by over 17 years of full time work in a salon, his experience also includes salon ownership, photographic work, as well as personal and professional coaching. As an educator, Andrew has worked for many national cosmetology brands and is currently the Education Director for Sam Villa®, a brand that provides a wide variety of both online and live education. From small hands-on classes to large stages, his love for supporting others personal growth and sharing his discoveries has been a passion since the early days of his career. Primarily focusing on women’s and men’s haircutting and finishing, his approach to education is all about connecting with the everyday hairdresser and offering them the tools necessary to build a fulfilling and long-lasting career. "I'm not trying to impress the top 5% with what I do, I’m thinking about how I can serve the 95% of our industry that works at XYZ Beauty Salon to make every day stronger in their career.”
