Precision Haircutting – What is a Precision Haircut? Explained – Tips from a Hairstylist
What is a precision haircut or precision haircutting? Or has the precision haircut been here all along?
Precision Haircutting Explained – What Is a Precision Haircut?
Precision cutting is the opposite of the trending disconnection and texture haircuts that we see today.
It is a straight haircut. Precise. No angles. No layers.
Precision is directly focusing and concentrating on the details. Straight and clean lines. Emphatic and dramatic.
Mostly one-length haircuts.
The natural eye sees lines subconsciously either vertically or horizontally. Up and down or side to side.
Precision haircuts have both! The eye is drawn to the length – up and down. As well as side to side – the precision and super straight line cut at the bottom.
Different Styles of Precision Haircuts
Precision haircuts are usually one length, whether it is shoulder-length or chin-length, shorter or longer.
Who should get a Precision Haircut?
As salon professionals, it is our job to understand that the haircuts our clients receive have to match their lifestyle. Right?
Professional businessmen should have professional, clean, and well-kept haircuts. For busy moms, we typically recommend haircuts that can be pulled back into a ponytail as well as be able to wear it down and styled as needed.
So which clients should we recommend precision haircuts to?
👉 Clients that want a low-maintenance hairstyle
👉 Guests that want their hair to look the same every day
👉 Those that need it to take little effort in the mornings
A precision haircut would be a good option for those that have the preferences above.
How to do a Precision Haircut
Again, precision means paying attention to the detail and the straight lines.
When performing a precision haircut you will first want to see what your client’s hair looks like dry and in its natural state.
The best precision haircuts are typically on straight hair, but it can also be the perfect technique to use on wavy or even curly hair. But we’ll talk about that in a minute.
Tools to Use for Precision Haircutting
Flat Iron – A flat iron is a heat tool to help de-frizz and straighten the hair for a more precise detailed straight haircut
✂️ 4″ Shears – The shorter the shears the more control over the hair the stylist has to achieve the precision needed for this haircut
✂️ 6″ Shears – Though the 6″ is longer and the stylist has less tension on the hair, the hair can be without having to comb it more for each snip, which means there is less room for error
Precision Haircutting Techniques
- Use a flat iron to straighten the hair first
- Make sure your shears are sharp, not dull for more precision
- Cut with the client looking down – a precision haircutting technique though should be used for every haircut
Starting the Precision Haircut on Fine Hair
For straight hair, spray the hair and comb all of the knots and tangles out
↔️ Start by parting the hair at the nape of the neck and starting your guide there
⬇️ Have your guest look straight down to ensure the detail of the precision cut won’t change when your guest looks straight again
💇♀️ Watch the tension that you hold the hair with. It should be not enough tension to hurt your client but just enough for the hair to be straight and precise
❌ Hold the hair flat against your client’s body. Do not lift to create graduation.
🚫 Do not flip the hair up when cutting. Cut with careful straight lines
📏 In 1 inch sections work your way up each section until all of the hair is cut
🟰 Check for symmetry around the length of the precision haircut
Side note: A precision haircut can also be done on dry and flat-ironed hair.
Though keep in mind that if the client doesn’t have naturally straight hair but wants the straight-precision cut they may need to flat iron their hair for the same effect on their own.
Precision Haircuts for Curly Hair
Curly hair can also have precision haircuts. In face, it might be better for curly hair because you se detailed precision haircutting techniques and cut with straight lines.
But the precise ‘straight line’ cut on curly hair is each curl is cut separately, which is a different technique, but the results make a more controlled, perfected, precise precision haircut for curly hair.
How to do a Precision Haircut on Curly Hair
Here is how doing precision haircuts on curly hair is a little different than on straight hair.
- Only do precision haircutting on curly hair when it is dry and in it’s natural curly state
- With precision you only cut with clean cuts, do not use any kind of texturing that could encourage frizz
- Envision the shape that you want the curly precision haircut to be in the end. Precisely how are you going to achieve that in it’s natural state?
- Cut each curl individually. If your client wears their hair curly in it’s natural state everyday, why not cut it that way?
Why should we adopt these cutting methods daily?
If perfection is what we want to achieve for our guests daily, why not do our utmost to achieve it in every haircut? Whether your guests want texture or a perfect, one-length precision haircut, we should strive to give them precisely what they ask for every time.
Perfect practice makes perfect. Do your utmost using these precision haircutting techniques and it will stand out.
Thinning Shears vs Texturizing Shears – Ask a Hairstylist
FAQs for What is a Precision Haircut?
What are the 3 types of haircutting?
Layered, One-length, and combinations of the two.
All of the variations of these 3 types of haircutting make every haircut we have ever seen. However, not all are precision haircuts.
If you are just doing a one-length, or simple layers, those are precision haircuts. But if these were done with a feather razor or another type of texturizing tool, the end result may vary from what qualifies as a precision cut.
What are the 4 Haircutting Techniques?
- 0 degrees
- 45 degrees
- 90 degrees