Short Cut - US phenomenon Head Shape Master

Ever wondered how the same haircut could look so different from one client to the next? Our editor Emma speaks to Kim Moore, owner and founder of the new US phenomenon Head Shape Matters, a patented hairdressing formula that will blow your mind…

It all started in 2008, when two back-toback clients entered the salon and asked for an identical haircut and as always in the industry, we learn how to cut hair in certain ways, and for each client we follow that pattern,” explains Kim Moore, “but not on this occasion. I used the same pattern on the first client as I did with the second, and got two very different shapes and styles.”

Puzzled as to why, Moore began to look at the head shape of the second client and it was at this point she noticed that it was completely flat. “Once I saw this, it opened my eyes – head shapes clearly affect the way I cut the hair. If I’m going to be an expert I need to know, 'how do I adjust my angles on different head shapes?'”

After this, Moore spent two years trying to figure out how to cut hair perfectly while standing behind the chair. “I had to understand why in order to be an effective educator; I was
behind the chair cutting hair as a salon owner, educator for Aveda and a single mum with two kids. Finding the time to research this was impossible,” Moore explains. It was at this point she decided to shut up shop and spend time formulating the perfect “head shape” pattern, which finally got patented in June 2014.

Maths doesn’t lie

Realising that every client has a different head shape, Moore decided there was a need for a new hair cutting system that would enable her to achieve the same look for everyone. After years of research, Moore discovered that the traditional 90-degree formula rarely layered the hair, but actually built weight. “This is because the shape we cut falls with gravity and gravity changes the shape,” Moore explains. “I also saw the importance of working off each plane of the head. If we pull hair from two different planes and cut them as one, we could be layering and building weight at the same time.”

Using geometric methods was key to creating the Head Shape Matters system. According to Moore; she says the system created allows you to cut with absolute accuracy – regardless of what head shape your client has, by sticking to the patented formula of "head shape + length of hair + cutting angle = the fall angle, to create the perfect hair cut. “If you're on the horizontal plane of the head and the hair is six inches long and you want it to fall in a particular shape, you get a projection chart given to you to tell you exactly how to cut it in the shape you want,” Moore explains. “You can formulate a hair cut, not only from the shape you want but also because it’s mathematically correct; each cutting angle that you do increases or decreases the length of hair by a very specific amount. We work on one-inch-tall sections; within that one inch it’s absolute that if you use a certain cutting angle it will increase your length by a specific amount.”

The Head Shape Matters system allows hairdressers to formulate the equation first on paper before cutting the client's hair, giving hairdressers the chance to consult on whether the style will suit the client first, before they cut. Moore explains there is a method in the madness, “maths is absolute, it doesn’t lie. If you work it out on paper beforehand, and the maths works for you, go back and cut it. I guarantee it will be exact.”

Tried and tested

The new system was tested in a school in 2012. “It was the most mind-blowing experience,” she says, “I asked friends on Facebook to send me pictures of difficult hair cuts. I printed each one off and gave them randomly to the students to recreate. Without me even telling them what to do, every single one of them created the look perfectly on the mannequin, simply by following the steps of the system.”

Traditional hair-cutting teaching methods don't leave room for students to play around on different head shapes, they simply stick to learning how to cut hair based on the style the client wants. Moore’s future plan with Head Shape Matters is to get the system into US and schools around the world. “Students are taught traditional hair cutting in schools; they pick up the hair, and make sure is blended. What happens more often than not is the student cuts off the points they need – what they don’t realise is every time the head shape changes you need a different angle.”

With one-to-one classes being a sell out in the US, Moore has designed a seven-week online course, giving hairdressers and students the chance to qualify anywhere in the world. “If you want to keep your client retention at an all-time high in your salon, then it’s essential you incorporate this into your styling methods - as you can never go wrong.”