2.1.4 – Crucial Reference Points

WHAT THIS LESSON CONTAINS:

• For Symmetry – Appropriate reference points are absolutely CRUCIAL
If you’re adamant about symmetry, this video will be incredibly important to understand. Clients rarely sit with their head perfectly straight, and curly or afro hair obscures your vision. The following points will give you the best results even if you’re dealing with a huge afro and a client that sits with their head tilted.

• Ears as a point of reference
Ears are a great reference point. I ALWAYS use ears and nose to triangulate my position for sectioning. Even if I can see the clients ears I will often use my fingers for a feel and better visualization, but this is especially important with big hair such as a big Afro.

• Nose as a point of reference
When you get to the top of the head you’ll start to use the nose as another reference point in conjunction with the ears. You’ll have to be able to look over the clients head, so be sure to have them sitting low, or lying back.

• Parting as a point of reference (good for beginners)
Sometimes it’s a really good idea to just start out with a part right down the middle of the client’s head. You’ll want to take the time to do this right, have patience, and don’t take any shortcuts. I always make it perfect according to my perspective and then ask the client to check in the mirror to make sure they feel like it’s straight. This helps by getting a second opinion, but also helps the client feel more comfortable that you care about their opinion and that you’re taking the time to be precise.

You can do other variations of this with other patterns which can be discussed in future videos.

• Constant readjustments for each and every row
Think of each row as a reset. If you make each new row 100% based on the previous row you can quickly have a very crooked head. NEVER rely on the previous row, even if your brick pattern isn’t perfectly centered. You must ALWAYS refer to ears, nose, and/or the first big part you make AND THEN refer to the preceding row. You will likely be readjusting as you make each row. This is how you get perfect looking sections.

• Every time you make a new row – adjust your clients head
Most people don’t sit perfectly straight. When you move onto the next row it’s your job to get the client to sit up straight and to also straighten their head. This will help tremendously, do not overlook it.

• I will constantly be reminding you of these reference points in this course
Each row you make requires all of the ingredients I’ve just stated in this video. Therefore I’ll be reminding you of these points on most of the hands on videos as we progress through each video and each row.