Hair can be cut in a graduated or stepped way or it can be extremely thinned out. Graduated haircuts come in many variations. They can give bounce to curls and can add the appearance of volume to straight hair. We show you the most beautiful stepped hair styles and explain - step by step of course - how the hair is cut
You may call it shag or you may call it a graduated (stepped) haircut. Whatever you call it, graduated haircuts work virtually for every hair quality, length or hair structure. However, you must pay attention to some details. If you have very thin hair you should be careful not to thin out the ends of your hair too much. In a good haircut, your stylist must create optically pleasing transitions between the different lengths of hair. Otherwise, the hair style will quickly look scraggy.
Graduated Haircuts - Pay Attention to Your Hair Structure
Fine hair should not be cut in a graduated way if it has grown beyond your shoulders because the ends of your hair would look too thin. On top of the head even thin hair may be cut in a stepped way to create more volume. Short fine hair looks great when the shortest covering hair is at least five centimetres (2 inches) long. Hair strands of this length fall softer.
Steps reduce the weight of your hair and are therefore ideal for thick hair. It is alright to cut steps up to ear level into long hair (hair of more than shoulder length). Limb curls have more spring after a stepped haircut. Here as always, transitions must be created between the different length of hair and the curls on top of the head should not be too short to avoid the dreaded poodle look.
This makes graduated haircuts great hits:
- Highlights or streaks emphasise the look of a graduated or stepped haircut. The hair style looks especially beautiful when the hair is streaked in two or three different shades
- Hair styles based on graduated cuts may well look a little disorganised. Work styling crème, gel or wax through the dry hair to emphasise the stepped nature of the haircut
- It is usually unnecessary to style graduated haircuts for short and medium-length hair using a round brush. Instead, a flat paddle brush ideally suits this purpose. Blow-dry your hair against the grain and then first to one side and then to the other. Finally you should blow-dry your hair to the front and then to the back. Using this method, the hair gains great volume and shine while staying smooth and straight
- If you have thick hair you should ask your hair stylist about the point cut technique. In this method, larger gaps are cut into strands of hair using ridged scissors. This creates overall softer contours and the haircut appears less compact