Ghost Layers: Change Up a Look & Keep Length - Bangstyle

Sam Villa Signature Series 7” Dry Cutting Shears

Is your client looking for a change without sacrificing length? Ghost layers might be the perfect answer to add movement texture while keeping a lengthy silhouette. To understand the technique more, Becka Bradshaw, Sam Villa Ambassador @beckabradshaw, explains how she created a fresh look for her guest, Rachel. In addition to ghost layers, Becka chose to dry cut the hair for a more collaborative experience. “Rachel was looking for a shape that moved with her, something that felt fresh and less weighed down. We dry cut the entire shape releasing weight and length on the top of the head to create a layer shape reminiscent of the ‘70s shags,” explains Bradshaw.

Ghost Layers

To prep, Rachel was advised to arrive washed and styled as usual. From here, she added layers.

Dry cutting is a great choice when transforming long hair. It puts the person in the chair at an advantage to see exactly what is happening as it happens and allows them to feel more comfortable to make change.

When transforming longer lengths, best practices for putting a guest at ease is to layer the top and crown first. That way the perimeter length is preserved as a collaborative decision between stylist and guest once the silhouette is complete. Sam Villa Signature Series 7” Dry Cutting Shears have the best glide and effortless texture on long hair like this, making it easier to manage.

Below the crown, use a ghost layer technique to add mobility to hair in the back and nape. It is not necessary to create visible layers to create the movement. Use Sam Villa Signature Series 6.5” Reversible Blending Shears on medium to thick density hair to control the direction of movement and Sam Villa Signature Series InvisiBlend Shears for hair that is fine and/or blonde. Remove weight from the mid-strand of the hair through the ends for maximum movement.