Clean sections are the foundation of every haircut. It is important to learn how to section the hair properly in order to advance your cutting skills. A good section will help guide your cutting technique. If you are new to cutting hair, you may find yourself focusing on the cutting technique itself and overlooking how important it is to establish clean sections. Clean sections will help you to achieve visual clarity, making it easier for you to see the head shape, weight distribution, and balance. Unclean or unclear sections will result in an uneven cut even if your cutting technique is correct. If the section is messy or dirty, it will be difficult for you to see where you are cutting. The hair may be slipping out of the section or falling over on top of the section, hiding the cutting line from your view. Taking the time to develop the habit of establishing clean sections will improve your cutting results dramatically.
When learning how to establish clean sections, work on damp hair and use a fine comb to create a center parting that runs from the forehead to the nape and a second parting from ear to ear across the crown. This will divide the head into 4 sections. Practice parting and sectioning the head without picking up your scissors to cut. Take a moment to observe how the hair falls in each section. This simple exercise will help you begin to recognize the density and texture of the hair as well as the head shape, growth patterns, and weight distribution. Practice parting the same head multiple times until it starts to feel more comfortable for you. The more comfortable you become with establishing clean sections, the more time you will save in the long run.
A common mistake that new students make is taking sections of hair that are too large. Although it may seem like you will work more efficiently if you take larger sections, you will actually be able to see the cutting line much clearer and achieve a better cut if you take smaller sections. When you take a section of hair that is too large, you will not be able to see the individual hairs as clearly. You may miss hairs or ends of hairs when cutting. You may not discover this mistake until after you have dried the hair and see that it is still uneven. To avoid this mistake, take smaller sections and comb them out smoothly before you pick up your scissors to cut. If it is difficult to get the comb to run smoothly through the section of hair, it may be too large of a section.
You can develop the muscle memory necessary to establish clean sections by practicing daily. Set a timer for 15 minutes and practice parting and sectioning a mannequin head. Do not pick up your scissors to cut the hair. Start by parting the center parting and the horizontal parting 3 times. Each time you create your partings, run your comb through the hair to smooth it out. Next, create horizontal partings on the back of the head and clip the hair up and out of the way using a clipper clip. Comb the section of hair back down to ensure that your parting line is square from one side of the head to the other side. Repeat this process daily for a few days and you will begin to feel more comfortable establishing clean sections.
The outcome of establishing clean sections before you cut will be a more organized haircutting process. The lines will be easier to see and follow, the tension will be more even, and you will feel more confident when cutting the hair. Many students comment that it feels like their cutting technique has improved dramatically when in reality they feel more comfortable with their cutting technique because their sectioning skills have improved. It is always easier to cut hair when it is clean and organized. This will result in a more predictable outcome and help you to achieve the results you are looking for in your haircuts.