Chapter 14: Men's Haircutting and Styling Vocabulary

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms and definitions from Chapter 14: Men's Haircutting and Styling.

angle

the space between two lines or surfaces that intersect at a given point; in haircutting, the hair is held away from the head to create an angle of elevation

arching

method used to cut around the ears and down the sides of the neck

balance

the equal or appropriate proportions that create symmetry and harmony in a design

blowdry styling

technique of drying and styling damp hair in one process

clipper-over-comb

cutting over a comb with the clippers

crest

the widest area of the head, also known as the parietal ridge, temporal region, hatband, or horseshoe

cross-checking

the process of parting off subsections opposite from the elevation or direction at which they were cut to check the precision of cutting lines or blending

curved lines

lines that move in a semicircular or circular direction

cutting above the fingers

cutting of the hair is performed on the outside of the fingers; used with horizontal or vertical $90$-degree projections of hair

cutting below the fingers

cutting of the hair is below or performed on the inside of the fingers; used in $0$- and $45$-degree elevation cutting

cutting line

the position of the fingers when cutting a section of hair

cutting palm-to-palm

cutting of the hair is performed with the palms of both hands facing each other; an alternative method used in layering vertical or horizontal sections of hair

design line

usually the perimeter line of a haircut

diagonal lines

lines positioned between horizontal and vertical lines

elevation

angle or degree at which a subsection of hair is held, or elevated, from the head when cutting; also referred to as projection

envision

the ability to picture or see something in your mind

facial shape

oval, round, inverted triangular, square, oblong, diamond, and pear-shaped are the seven facial shapes

fingers-and-razor cutting

cutting technique performed by holding the hair section between the fingers and cutting either from the top to the bottom of the section or from one side to the other; also known as freehand slicing with a razor

fingers-and-shear

technique used to cut hair by holding the hair into a position to be cut

form

the outline or shape of a design

freehand clipper cutting

generally interpreted to mean that guards are not used in the cutting process

freehand shear cutting

cutting with shears without the use of fingers or a comb to control the hair

freehand slicing

method of removing bulk from a hair section with the shears

guide

section of hair, located at either the perimeter or the interior of the cut, that determines the length the hair will be cut to; also referred to as a guideline; usually the first section that is cut to create a shape

hair locking

the process that occurs when coiled hair is allowed to develop in its natural state without the use of combs, heat, or chemicals

hairstyling

the art of arranging the hair in a particular style that is appropriately suited to the cut

horizontal lines

lines parallel to the horizon

layers

graduated effect achieved by cutting the hair with elevation or overdirection; the hair is cut at higher elevations, usually $90$ degrees or above, which removes weight

outlining

finish work of a haircut with shears, trimmers, or razor

overdirection

combing a section away from its natural falling position, rather than straight out from the head, toward a guideline; used to create increasing lengths in the interior or perimeter

parietal ridge

widest area of the head, also known as the crest, hatband, horseshoe, or temporal region

part

a line, created naturally or with a comb, that divides the hair at the scalp, separating one section of the hair from another

parting

a line dividing the hair of the scalp that separates one section of the hair from another or creates subsections from a larger section of hair

projection

angle or elevation that hair is held at from the head for cutting

proportion

a design principle that measures or shows the comparative relationship between two or more design elements of a form

razor-over-comb

texturizing technique in which the comb and the razor are used on the surface of the hair

razor rotation

texturizing technique similar to razor-over-comb, done with small circular motions

reference points

points on the head that mark where the surface of the head changes or the behavior of the hair changes, such as ears, jawline, occipital bone, and apex; used to establish design lines that are proportionate

rolling the comb out

a method used to put the hair into position for cutting by combing into the hair with the teeth of the comb in an upward direction

shear-over-comb

haircutting technique in which the hair is held in place with the comb while the shears are used to remove length

shear-point tapering

haircutting technique used to thin out difficult areas in the haircut, such as dips and hollows

stationary guide

guideline that does not move, but all other hair is brought to it for cutting

taper

haircuts in which there is an even blend from very short at the hairline to longer lengths as you move up the head; to taper is to narrow progressively at one end

tension

amount of pressure applied when combing and holding a section, created by stretching or pulling the section

texturizing

removing excess bulk without shortening the length; changing the appearance or behavior of hair through specific haircutting techniques using shears, thinning shears, clippers, or a razor

thinning

removing bulk from the hair

traveling guide

guideline that moves as the haircutting progresses; used when creating layers or graduation; also referred to as moving or movable guidelines

vertical lines

lines that are straight up and down

weight line

a visual line in the haircut, where the ends of the hair hang together; the line of maximum length within the weight area: heaviest perimeter area of a $0$-degree (one-length) or $45$-degree (graduated) cut