W: shear, short, graduation, layering

This is a short haircut cut about the level of the bottom of the ear. The hair is first cut to one length in the back and then this section is graduated and this is continued into the side. The other side is done and then layering is done to connect the graduation on the sides to the layering on the top.

Assess the hair line, hair growth patterns and head shape.
Decide on length and manually form the design.

Make a horse shoe shaped parting starting at the highest part of the recession area and continuing it to the crown area.

Make a center part in the nape area below the horse shoe shaped part.

Make a part from the horse shoe shaped parting to the top of the ear.


Cut the back
In the nape area make a horizontal section from the part in the center of the nape to the middle of the ear. Comb to natural fall.
Hold the hair in the first two fingers of the non cutting hand and cut with one finger elevation against the skin about 1 inch below the ear lobe.
Continue up the back with sections parallel to the first horizontal section and cut to the guide with one finger elevation. Work up to the horse shoe shaped section.

Graduate the back
Starting at the meeting of the part in the center of the nape and the horse shoe shaped parting. Take a diagonal forward parting which runs to the nape hair line about an inch to the side of the center part in the nape. Pull the section out to the rear along the part line. Use the bottom of the section for the guide and cut the graduation angle.
Take diagonal forward sections parallel to the first all the way to the front hair line. Cut to the guide in the previous section. Once the ear is reached, the sections in front of the ear are over directed to the section behind the ear.

Refine the perimeter of the cut hair with point cutting . The nape line is cut to angle up to the ear.
In front of the ear, a line is point cut so that it rises toward the eye. This makes the ear the low point of the side perimeter.

Go to the nape area of the other side and work the same steps.

Connecting the graduation below to the top with layering
Divide the hair into 4 sections. There is a center part which runs from the forehead to the nape hair line. There is also a part which runs from the apex to the top of each ear.

Go to the center back and take a diagonal forward section starting in the lower crown. Comb this straight back. The hair that was previously cut will provide a guide line which is to be cut into the hair from the crown and above.
The next sections are taken up the part line in the crown area up toward the apex. Each is diagonal forward. The hair is cut to the guide in the previous section which means it is combed back some. At the ear the part line is center to side from the apex to the top of the ear. In front of the ear the part lines move along the center part. The sections are over directed back to the section behind the ear.

The other side is done the same way.

Connect across the top
Re establish the original horse shoe shaped section but make it a little wider to incorporate some hair from the sides. This newly incorporated hair will act as the guide.

Take side to side sections starting at the back of the horse shoe shaped section. Comb these straight up and flat to the ceiling. Once the side to side sections reach in front of the ear, the hair is over directed back and cut to the guide established in the section at the ear.

Finish
Product and wrap blow dry