The Benefits of No-Tension Cutting

“Sometimes, holding hair in our hands to set guides leads us astray. Our desire for exact shape can set us up for failure if there’s not a natural distribution and good balance of hair,” says Roger Molina (@rogermolinahair), Sam Villa ArTeam and master stylist at Lunatic Fringe. “In some cases, like bobs or other free-falling shapes, the most natural fall and distribution can be found by switching your guide while holding it in the comb rather than your fingers.” 

No-Tension Cutting Benefits 

• Airy texture—Elevating sections with less tension at the mid-strand and working through to the ends allows bulk to be removed while producing a more open, loose effect. 
• Correction—A good technique for fixing or removing something that isn’t desired. Softer edges and texture can hide more. 
• Soft edge—Some shears are designed to allow hair to slip as it’s being cut without tension to create a really nice soft edge. This coupled with a comb holding the section creates an even more diffused effect. 

Tips for Holding the Comb 

• Use equal tension—all hair rides in the same side of the comb, whether it be the fine or wide side. 
• The fine side of a comb provides more control. 
• The coarse side supports natural tension and fall. 
• Use a comb in a contrasting color from hair to better see the cutting angle.

Some key things to remember: 

• Use two different pairs of shears (Sam Villa Classic Series Dry Cutting Shears and Signature Series InvisiBlend Shears). The teeth cut on different sides of the section—underside, outside, underside, outside—so hair has equal drift even though bigger sections are being cut. 
• The sections work better when cut wet; spray each before holding in the comb. 
• Use the comb to not only hold hair but also as a guide to create the proper angle and elevation. 
• Twisting the fringe in the comb and point cutting a horizontal line creates a nice curtain fringe. 
• The principle is to keep striking shear to hair from the top surface, meaning keep the blade hitting from the top down to build graduation correctly.