Hair Tapering

Styling Hair using Tapering to Create the Bobbed Hairstyle

A fine pair of scissors should be used for tapering. The blades of the scissors must be sharp, otherwise they pull and tear the hair. In tapering, the hair to be cut off should be held firmly between the thumb and index finger. When you begin tapering a head of hair, start in the back. The scissors are worked up the hair strand. (See Figure 31.) Open the scissors wide and use the same movements of sliding as in thinning—a "slither" movement, so to speak. Open and close the scissors very slightly, as they slide. Start with each stroke at the fingers which hold the hair and slide the scissors toward the head. The finer you desire the ends, the longer you make the stroke of the scissors. Too short a stroke will produce an almost straight, cut-off effect and the result will be stubby ends.

Always thin the hair before starting to taper; however, when you have finished tapering the hair, you may find that the portions behind the ears are heavier and must be thinned again. When you have finished the back, start on the sides. If the customer wears a part, thin out on the heavy side first. The first, or top layer of hair, regardless of whether it is worn pompadour or parted, is never thinned.

Having finished the heavy side of the hair, start from the bottom and shorten the hair by tapering. Here you must keep in mind just how the hair is to be coiffed. If the hair is to be worn back, hold it back when tapering. When cutting for a swirl, hold the hair in the direction it is to be combed later. It is always advisable to taper the hair the way it is to be dressed.

A great deal of practice is necessary to become an expert in thinning, tapering and cutting. Practice tapering on an old hair piece first, until you accustom yourself to the handling of the scissors, hair and comb. You may also do some charity work in an orphan asylum. This is an excellent way to acquire experience and at the same time do a good deed. If you will get in touch with the directors of such institutions and explain to them what you have in mind, you will, I am sure, secure their hearty cooperation and sincere gratitude. Not only will you be rendering the unfortunates a real service, but you will receive valuable ex-perience in working on every type of head and with every texture of hair.

• Fig. 25

Before cutting. As this hair is rather heavy, it needs to be thinned all over the head. If the hair is worn parted on the side, thin it less on the small side.

• Fig. 26

The hair is parted off from ear to ear. The top is twisted into a knob and side parts are held in place with side combs. The thinning starts in the back. (See section on Thinning and Tapering.)

• Fig. 27

Thinning of layer D. From this layer on downwards, you will find that the hair grows somewhat heavier and therefore needs more thinning than the upper layers. You proceed in the same manner with thinning all the way down to the neck.

If the hair in this particular area should be too short to allow a free sliding movement of the scissors, you may use the thinning scissors by holding the hair as usual and cutting straight or slightly slanting in the portion of hair being held. Or you may use the comb, using the shingling movement. Lay your thinning scissors flat on the comb and cut as you move the comb. Repeat in the same manner until you have reached the desired or necessary thinness of the hair. After finishing the thinning, you part the hair as shown in the following illustration.

How to Create 1920's Hairstyles

1920's Hair Styling and Design
- Foreheads
- Cowlicks
- Neck Lines
Hairdressing Tools
- Combs
- Razor Comb
- Scissors
- Thinning Scissors
- Clippers
Thinning and Tapering
Cutting and Thinning the Hair for Permanent Waving
Scissors Hair Cutting
Tapering
Shingling
Razor Hair Cutting
Hair Form and Structure
Layer Hair Cutting
Alteration Hair Cutting
Bangs


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