Decoding SUMMER CUTS

Your search for a perfect summer cut ends right here. rachna Virdi gets top hairstyling experts to decode their favourite haircut this summer. Take inspiration and add them to your hair moodboard right now.

Nothing spells summer more than a freshly done haircut. It seems like an instant solution to hair woes and helps one get summer-ready in a jiffy.

Although we all love long and lovely locks, given the troubles that come with the onset of summer, they get very tough on maintenance. Think summer season. You step out of your home and the hot and humid climate tends to make your hair attract more dirt and grime than a construction site does! By the time you return, your hair resembles a ball of mess and sweat.

With summer season upon us, most people are already on their salon expedition, looking for solutions from their hairstylist to bail them out of their summer despair or help them easily manage their long tresses.

As a hairstylist, what is your best solution to clients flocking you for a perfect dose of summer relief? A fun and flattering haircut, we suggest. Trust us, chopping off those long and unruly locks (snip snip snip!) to save them from the heat and giving them a fresh and clean look is the best bargain.

A summer haircut not just enhances the face but is easy to maintain. It is cool and casual, and can be flaunted anytime, anywhere. Your clients just have to wash and wear their hair and get ready to step out. What’s more, they will thank you for it and love you for the hundreds of likes they get on their social media feeds.

Looking for chic summer styles and cuts? You are on the right page. We serve you with loads of inspiration to help you get your clients get that perfect makeover this season.

Over to top salon experts’ favourite cut and a step-wise guide to do it.

From the classic Gradlob to Modern Mid-Length, and from the chic Squat & Sassy to spunky Ying & Yang, these cuts are not just versatile but low on maintenance.

So, what’s keeping you? It’s time to start snipping!

GRADLOB

By Savio Pereira, Savio John Pereira Salons, Mumbai

The Gradlob is the quintessential new-age look. It works best for the contemporary woman of today who wants something that is easy-going yet sets her apart and makes her a complete head-turner. Gradlob is a versatile cut that suits all face shapes, body types and outfits.

STEPS TO DO IT:

1. Take a profile section. Cut into A-line.

2. Follow through till you are above the occipital line.

3. Then take two horseshoe sections and cut A-line again.

4. Once this is complete with a clear profile, section it in its natural form.

5. Follow the A-line and cut.

6. After the perimeter is complete, start with your graduation. Your summer cut is ready.

SQUAT & SASSY

By Sidney Ho, Meraki Salon, Kolkata

Squat & Sassy is a perfect summer style to beat the heat and stand out with a cool feminine attitude. It gives a natural fall to the hair. The cut is methodical and done with consistency to create a uniform appeal.

STEPS TO DO IT:

1. Divide the hair in four sections that are parted neat and straight. The vertical part should be straight down the middle of the head, and the horizontal part should be one inch above the hairline.

2. Divide each side of the bottom horizontal portion down the centre and tuck off to each side.

3. Comb the hair flat against the neck, holding it with light tension. This will help create more blended graduations.

4. When you start cutting, take a diagonal subsection of hair from the back, and hold your hand close to the base of the scalp at a 45-degree angle. Cut the hair along the line created by your fingers.

5. Cut the hair above the parietal ridge (the place where the skull begins to curve upwards to the top of the head) at a lower elevation.

6. If you are right-handed, comb the left section aside, beginning with the right half of your first section. However, left-handed individuals should follow these directions in reverse, starting first with the left section and then working from outside in.

7. Follow the guidelines of your hand closely. You will want to cut a straight line from the outside inward. Use the straight edge of your hand to maintain your cutting angle.

8. Cross check by pulling a small piece of hair from the same spot on either side and visually checking the length.

9. Cut the left side of the first section. Do this in the same fashion described for cutting the right side.

10. Take a new section of hair at the same angle, any where from a half to a full-inch above the first section line.

11. Repeat until you reach the meeting point of the crown and the back of the head.

12. Separate the back portion by directing it behind the ear. This will connect the back and side sections properly.

YING & YANG

By Deepak Jalhan, LOOKS Prive Salon, New Delhi

The Ying & Yang cut can be achieved by using the egg break technique, especially for curly hair as well for thin and straight hair. The best part to have this shape is, one does not need to style it too much. It just falls on its own. As they say, less is more!

STEPS TO DO IT:

1. Create diagonal forward sections at the back side of the head above the nape till the occipital bone, thus creating graduation on both the sides.

2. Follow the same till the lower crown.

3. Then isolate the top taking zig-zag sections from recession till the other side of the recession.

4. Taking a new guide every time on each section to 90 degrees, create shorter to longer snips to maintain the length of the hair.

5. This technique is called Ying & Yang because it gives both volume and balance to the hair.

MODERN MID-LENGTHS

By Raman Bhardwaj, AN John Salon & Academy, Kolkata

Whether you are going for a shorter cut or simply lopping some length off your hair, an in-between style like Modern Mid-Length goes best in summer. It is the look de jour.

STEPS TO DO IT:

1. This style is a shoulder-grazing cut.

2. It looks elevated with the mussed-up full fringe on your beautiful client.

3. The cut occupies a cosy space between being chic and playful.