How short can you go when it comes to cutting hair and keeping your client happy? Sam Villa shares his secret.
“Ever have a guest ask you if they would look good with short hair? Ever get the feeling that you don’t know?” asks Sam Villa, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Sam Villa® and Global Artistic Ambassador for Redken.
Face shape, hair texture, personality and maintenance must all be considered. But Villa recently shared a failsafe tip he learned in Paris for determining if someone will actually look good with cropped locks. The post was from an Oriac event where he spilled the secret equipped with just 2 Sharpie markers.
“The French are very much about suitability in terms of what style and length of hair will look good on someone. So they measure the face to determine it,” explains Villa. “They divide the face into thirds – hairline to bridge of nose, bridge of nose to tip and tip to chin. The lower third is what is being measured as that is the area that is highlighted mostly by short hair. This technique is an answer to the question, but as we all know, anyone can wear their how they choose…you don’t always have to be a rule follower.”
Measure:
- Take 2 markers and place one vertically where the earlobe connects to the face.
- Place another marker horizontally under the chin and mark the vertical marker where the two markers touch.
Readings:
- If the mark on the vertical Sharpie is 2” or shorter, short hair will compliment that person.
- If the mark is 2” or longer, medium to long hair will best suit the person.
Sure, there are Apps, wigs and the old fashion “let’s just cut it and see” …but isn’t it so much better to have predictable results?
Short hair takes skill, it doesn’t hide mistakes well, so it requires CONFIDENCE on the part of both the stylist and guest. Stylists must feel self-assured in delivering a well-designed and executed short style that enhances the guest’s features, and guests should feel excited and empowered to hold their head high and strut out of the salon with their new crop.
C’est ça!