"I remember when a client would ask me for texture and I would whip out my texture shears and go to town. However, the result never gave me the texture I was looking for," recalls Jamie McDaniel, a haircutting and finishing educator and Sam Villa ambassador.
“There’s a difference between blending lines and adding in texture."
Fast-forward 10 years, and now McDaniel is teaching the difference to others. "We have to notch or take chunks of hair away in order to get visual texture within a haircut and blend to create softness,” she says.
McDaniel breaks down the difference between blending and notching below, showcasing why the approach and tool of choice matter as much as the technique itself.
“Blending shears are great for blending haircuts," McDaniel says, "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."
Points to note:
- Utilize elevation while notching out chunks. Elevation instantly adds softness, as does the curved teeth on the blade. The higher the elevation, the softer the result. The lower the elevation, the more noticeable the texture will be. (For this step, McDaniel is using a Sam Villa Signature Series Reversible Blending Shear.)
- Notch out diagonal lines. These will also add softness to a shape.
Note: For fine-hair clients looking for visible texture, lower the elevation or notch out horizontally!
- Notching out with a blunt cut using dry cutting shears will provide structure for the texture to support the end result. McDaniel is using a 7" Sam Villa Signature Series Dry Cutting Shears — the longer blade is great for deeper point-cutting.
"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," McDaniel explains.
"The theory can also be used with medium to long hair as well, on the ends of the hair or even through the midshaft."
Tap here for more Sam Villa education.