Understanding Graduated Haircuts

Understanding Graduated Haircuts

Of the 3 Haircut Categories (One-Length Haircuts, Graduated Haircuts & Layered Haircuts) the Graduated Haircut could be the most confusing category of all.

What I mean is this, a One-Length Haircut is very easy to define, it’s either One-Length or it’s not… It could be an A-line Bob, Graduated Bob or an Asymmetrical Bob, but the defining Designing Element is that the majority of the hair is still One-Length.

On the other side of spectrum, you have Layered Haircuts… The main Designing Elements of a Layered Haircut is that the top is always going to be shorter than the bottom… Always!.... So once again, there’s no gray area here.

But when it comes to Graduated Haircuts, there could be reason for debate and some confusion over this category’s various styles…

For Example; look at the 4-Graduated Haircuts in the image attached…Numbers 1 & 4 could easily be thought of as Layered Haircuts as well…

Remember, the definition of a Graduated Haircut is when the hair is longer on top and shorter in the bottom. So, when we think of a Graduate Haircut, most of us would think of haircuts that are closer to Haircuts numbers 2 & 3 …Those are what I would consider to be “Classic Graduated Designs“….But the fact that matter is that you could also have longer versions of a Graduated Haircut as in Haircut #1, and by the way…they can even be longer than that. And you could also have Very Short Graduated Haircut Designs as in Haircut #4…A lot of people would mistakenly label Haircut #4 as a “Uniform Layer Haircut” but I would beg to differ being that the top is still longer than the bottom…

In a Uniform Layered Haircut, the entire haircut is cut at 90° from the head, meaning that all of the hair is the exact same length, held at the exact same holding angle and which in my opinion, gives you no shape at all. The theory behind a uniform layered haircut is that by cutting the hair the same length all the way around the head, you are relying on the head-shape itself to create the style. The problem with that in my opinion, is that most people have a very poor head shape, so I wouldn’t want to accentuate that. My goal would always be to try to improve the head shape, not make a bad thing worse!

So, in Haircut #4, since the top is still longer in the back and sides, I would consider it to be a Graduated Haircut, not a layered haircut….More specifically, I would consider this haircut to be what I call a “High-Graduated Haircut”.

So, here’s the main thing to keep in mind.…Graduated Haircuts will always involve cutting the hair in a way as to create a distinct build-up of weight and volume at a certain area of the overall hairstyle, where hair is shorter in the back and will gradually lengthens towards the top. 

If you look closely at the 4-Graduated Haircuts attached, you will notice that I have put a Red Dotted-Line where this weight line is falling in each of these 4 Designs. And I also indicated what parts of the haircut remain One-Length versus the Graduated Areas of a haircut.

In my Haircutting Course at VelascoHaircuttingSystem.com I teach 12-Different Variations of the Graduated Design….Starting from the Longest possible Graduated Haircut down to the absolute Shortest Version you can cut and still have it look like an attractive hairstyle.

In the Graduated Module you will learn how to cut; Horizontal Graduation, Vertical Graduation and Increase Graduation…and along the way you will also learn other techniques such as: Point Cutting, Removing the Longest Point and how to Blend a 40° Elevation to 0° Elevation… also, you will learn when to use a Stationary Guide versus a Traveling Guide and much, much more.

If you would like more information on this topic, Download my Free e-Book: “The Path to Haircutting Mastery - A Hairdressers Journey into the Art of Haircutting” and let me know if you have any questions…..Link to FREE eBook: https://www.velascohaircuttingsystem.com/free-ebook

Cheers,

David