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BOB LOVE: Hair designs by Casi Stauffer @hotsaucehair

We have tapped into Casi Stauffer (@hotsaucehair), a Phoenix, AZ stylist, and her stylist smarts for tips on when to finish a cut and now, how to create a banging bob. These are Stauffer’s six suggestions for ensuring your bobs will be hot, hot, hot:

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Casi Stauffer (@hotsaucehair)

  1. CONSULTATION: I don’t think anyone will  be surprised to see this as number one. Having a detailed consultation is without question the most important part of our jobs as hairstylists. What hair type do they have? What cut is best suited for their face shape? Are they prepared to style and maintain a bob? Have they had short hair before? All key questions to strategize your best custom haircut. 
  2. PERIMITER/ANGLE: This is a huge part of bobs! Most people come with inspiration pictures in hand but if they don’t, it’s so important to figure out what kind of perimeter they are looking for-- A-line, classic, blunt, soft-blunt, shattered, layered, graduated, etc. These are just a few key words to help with the consultation and to help map out the haircut. 
  3. EQUIPMENT: Are your shears sharp? Freshly oiled? Does the hairstylist clean their shears after every haircut?! This helps the shears work at optimal levels thus giving hairstylists less of a headache when it comes to cutting/detailing. I believe a hairstylist who believes in their skills should believe in their tools as well. I personally use and love Shark Fin Shears and I use a variety of lengths for different types of bobs/haircuts. My favorite for intricate precision bobs is actually a 5.5” shear. 
  4. WEIGHT REMOVAL/ DETAIL WORK: I prefer to use the term ‘ weight removal’ to ‘thinning out.’ Thinning out sounds reckless and can damage a look very quickly if a hairstylist isn’t careful. I like to look at areas to see where too much bulk is compromising the shape. It’s important to carefully seek out these areas and use different techniques for the desired result. From slide cutting to spice it up a bit, to deep point cutting to shatter it a bit, or even using texturizing shears when necessary. Detail work is YOUR sauce. Detail work is what separates a $6 haircut from a $60+ haircut. I have my clients move their head in every direction to make sure we have cut every single hair that needed to go. It goes a long way to the client as well to feel like a hairstylist is really taking their time to give them the best possible look. 
  5. EDUCATION: Trends can change with haircuts as quickly as they do with color so it’s very important to keep learning. It’s very important to have the knowledge needed to complete these first few steps. I also personally think cutting is best learned ‘hands on.’ I like to keep mannequins and a tripod at work just in case a client no shows or has to cancel. This way, even though I may not be profitable in that time frame financially I can be practicing/ perfecting my short cuts. Education will also be a key factor leading into my last saucy secret... 
  6. CONFIDENCE: Having confidence with your cutting is a very important factor. If the hairstylist is confident, most often it will help the client be confident. There are a great number of clients who have had bad experiences with short haircuts and if the stylist can assure them they are in good hands then they will relaxed and turn into a frequent guest on the books. Short haircuts are a show stopper and they always will be! They are my favorite to do in the salon and I know I have benefited from these six steps! 

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HAIR by @hotsaucehair

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