Dramatic transformation
Supremely talented master barber Max Backshell demonstrates an exemplary restyle on willing long haired music student Jake. You can check out the full video by following the link from the button below to watch how Max uses a selection of Dark Stag barber tools in this transformation which offers plenty of tips and guides on multiple cutting techniques and barber skills including both scissor over comb and point cutting, assessing hair growth patterns and working with natural fall to achieve a rather dapper result.
Starting out with wetting the hair, the first aim is sectioning off the hair based on how it grows. Once the sectioning has been done, Max then works to check the balance whilst removing length by utilizing scissor over comb cutting. He mentions that long hair can often develop habits where it can become used to falling a certain way. By taking off length gradually the jumpiness of long hair can be given a chance to settle into being a bit shorter, which will help in developing the shape by using observations on natural fall to ensure a good foundation shape for the cut.
Bulk removal
Once the bulk of the length has been removed from using scissor over comb cutting, Max explains how he will then cross check his progress on reigning in the heavy and thick hair into a more square shape sitting slightly flatter against the head, taking into account the natural curvature. This is a key principle in good cutting that Max reinforces time and time again – working with and not fighting against the clients natural hair type and texture, head and face shape and the way the hair wants to fall to more easily achieve absolute synergy in the end result.
Moving onto the refinement of the shape, more length of hair from the top and front is removed by holding straight out from the top of head with no over directing. Then Max uses a Dark Stag DS+ Thinning scissor to remove bulk, all the while following the guides made from sectioning the hair with a comb. After shaping around the ear the majority of the hard work is done.
Personalising the cut
More scissor over comb is used to further refine the shape bringing the transformation into focus. Some length is left at the front with a soft parting to allow for several style options. Max then takes clean sections of hair straight from the top with some light elavation of the hand, working through the profile section of the head, again working to natural fall.
Once the hair is dried off, the final stage can commence. Max gets to work on fine tuning the shape using point cutting to add a little bit more texture and remove any remaining weight round the perimeter without wrecking the shape that has been put in.
Fringe
Max then demonstrates use of slice cutting through the over directed and layered part of the fringe and some clipper over comb to tidy up the nape of the neck before applying product for a dramatically different end result.
