“Cross checking is a principle you were probably taught in school, but as we evolve as hairdressers we tend to start to rush behind the chair and don’t always take the time to cross check our work,” says Andrew Carruthers, Director of Education for Sam Villa. Cross checking is a fundamental principle that ensures a haircut is spot on.
There are two ways to cross check – vertically and horizontally.
Vertical: To check the vertical balance of a cut –the evenness, balance of the layers, precision of graduation– take a clean vertical section and elevate it back to the point of elevation used when the section was first cut. Look for evenness and balance. If there is a discrepancy, do not start cutting away, instead go back to the specific step in the process where the section was first cut and adjust from there.
Horizontal: To check the front to back balance and weight distribution, take a clean, neat, horizontal section, and working with a purpose, elevate it back to where it was originally cut. Again, if there are discrepancies, do not even out the hair at that point (it could compromise the entire cut), go back to the specific step in the process where it was first cut and adjust from there.
“I challenge you to go back to the fundamentals and slow down behind the chair to get the results you want from the very first cut,” adds Carruthers.