Getting Even – With Sideburns

Sideburns should be even.  Or, should they?  I ask that question during cutting classes when we get to that part of a guy haircut.
 Most audience members declare, “even”.  I say otherwise.  I believe the object of the game is to make them APPEAR even.  Not necessarily to make the hair even.  Ears are bolted to heads at different levels.  People are not built symmetrically.

Cutting sideburns uneven might just be the way to create the appearance of evenness.  Keep in mind, we seldom view faces and heads dead straight on from the front.  Many times we cannot and do not see both sideburns at the same time.  If you can get them close to even, you are doing quite well.

Here is my system for getting sideburns as close to even as the client’s head will allow.  The most important tool for cutting sideburns is your styling mirror.  Take a good look at both sideburns.  You will be working to, at best, match to the shorter one.  I do not have a way, yet, to match to the longer one.
 Cut the shorter sideburn to the length you want to display.  Clean up around the ear and the rear quarter panel to finish the “short side”.  Now turn this shorter, finished side towards your mirror.  Stand at the other side and position yourself so that you can see the uncut side on the head where you are standing and you can see the finished side reflecting in your mirror.  Shift your gaze back and forth between the cut and the uncut side.  This will allow you to look at both sides of the head at the same time.  You will see exactly where to cut the second side to achieve a match.  Notice I did not to say to make them even.  I said to get them to “match”.  That is to say to LOOK similar.

Step back and admire your work!

Hair Stylists, this should give you a solid skill to put into action immediately to raise the bar and enhance your skills and results.

I will share more cutting tips in subsequent posts.

Happy clippering.

Ivan