“There’s a difference between blending lines and adding in texture. I remember when I client would ask me for texture, I would whip out my texture shears and go to town. However, the result never gave me the texture I was looking for. Fast forward 10 years and I now know that my approach must be different,” says Sam Villa Ambassador and RedkenPro Artist, Jamie McDaniel.
She explains, “We have to notch or take chunks of hair away in order to get visual texture within a haircut and blend to create softness.” McDaniel’s easy to understand visual demonstration breaks down the real difference between blending and notching as well as showcases why the approach and tool of choice matters just as much as the technique itself.
Her demonstration includes:
- Utilizing elevation while notching out chucks with a Sam Villa Signature Series Reversible Blending Shear. Elevation instantly adds softness, as does the curved teeth on the blade. The higher the elevation, the softer the result is. The lower the elevation, the more noticeable the texture will be.
- Notching out diagonal lines. Diagonal lines also add softness to a shape. For fine hair clients that are looking for visible texture lower the elevation or chunk out horizontally.
- Notching out with a blunt cut using a Sam Villa Signature Series Dry Cutting Shears 7” will provide structure for the texture to support the end result. The longer blade is great for deeper point cutting.
“Blending shears are great for blending haircuts, but if a client is looking for more visible texture without applying a lot of products, then we need to work with stronger peaks and valleys. It’s kind of like if you were to babylight curly hair, you could lose the dimension when styled. However, if you were to foil thicker pieces, the hair will have visible dimension. The theory can also be used with medium to long hair as well, on the ends of the hair or even through the midshaft,” adds McDaniel.
For more education from the Sam Villa team, click here.
