The undercut is a great style whether your client wants to add an edgy detail or remove weight to be able to rock a bob or lob. However, at some point they might want to grow out this style in favor of something new. “I do a lot of short hair cutting and love the versatility of an undercut, so naturally I have clients that eventually want to approach growing their hair out. This disconnected French bob is an easy way to blend an undercut back into the perimeter and still create a cool shape,” explains Twylla Jane, Sam Villa Ambassador, Redken Artist and owner of Lumos Nox Salon @twyllajane. See the technique below.
“It’s important to be honest with guests and let them know that it can be a wild journey, filled with hats, scarves, headbands and accessories. They will need your guidance and support,” she adds. “And, NEVER cut it off the first time they ask. Remind them that one week they may be miserable, but the next 7 days could be their best hair days ever!”
It takes about 6 months to grow out a short undercut and three good transitioning options are:
- Blunt bob
- Graduated bob
- Mullet/mixie
Tips for a Disconnected French Bob
- Blow dry hair as smooth as possible – the goal in drying and cutting is to get everything as close to one length as possible.
- Establish a perimeter, the back will be longer, so start with cutting the hair that was originally left longer.
- Use Sam Villa Signature Series 7” Dry Cutting Shears for detailing – they stay much sharper than using a wet shear on dry hair.
- Avoid taking out weight in front of ears, it tends to not have a lot of strength and hair takes longer to grow in. The front and sides will have less and shorter hair than the back, so be mindful when cleaning up.
- Nape: Use a Sam Villa Signature Series InvisiBlend Shear cutting up and at a diagonal to slowly remove length and leave a soft edge.
- Take out weight and build a nice shape with square layering, pull hair straight up and cut to the top guide with vertical sections. Use vertical sections with straight graduation at 90∞ and point cut to add layers and movement.
- Corners tend to get really heavy when short hair is growing out. Take weight out from underneath with Sam Villa Classic Series 14 Tooth Point Cutting Shears, they remove texture and weight without leaving hard steps/lines.
Shop The Technique:
Sam Villa Signature Series 7” Dry Cutting Shears
Sam Villa Signature Series InvisiBlend Shear
Sam Villa Classic Series 14 Tooth Point Cutting Shears
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