How To Do The Slicing Hair Cutting Technique for Professionals

Taking the time to explore new hair cutting techniques should be on every hairdresser’s or barber’s to-do list. It can elevate your cuts to have a variety of skills in the bag, and what better way to start than to learn how to slice cut?

So, what is slice cutting hair and how do you slice hair? We’ve covered everything you need to know about slice cutting below. 

What is slice cutting hair?

Put simply, slice cutting is a quick hair cutting technique that allows you to break up solid shapes and remove weight from the hair. It adds volume, texture and movement without compromising the length of the hair.

This is not to be confused with ‘slicing’ which is also used in hair colouring to section hair for foils.

Which clients should you use hair slicing on?

We recommend avoiding clients with fine hair. Usually, you’ll use this technique on those with medium to thick hair to remove density, as those with fine hair will want to keep as much thickness as possible.

However, the only time you could use slicing on a client with fine hair would be to add layers. These layers should be short in order to create a thicker appearance, rather than remove weight.

How to slice hair: Cutting technique explained

1. Decide whether to work on wet or dry hair

Before you even begin, decide whether it will be more suitable to work on wet or dry hair. To aid your decision, look at the thickness of the client’s hair. Wet hair makes it easier to take off lots of hair, so this is a good option for thicker haired clients who want to remove weight.

2. Section hair based on desired results

Sectioning correctly can really elevate the final results. Generally, you’ll simply pick up vertical sections of hair for this technique. However, you can change this up slightly based on the desired finish. For example, try taking square, zig zagged sections to create beautiful layers.

3. Bring the hair up horizontally

Once you have your sections, slicing is really all about the angles. Bring the hair up horizontally and allow the ends to fall with gravity. With open scissors, position the blade a few inches from the ends of the hair. 

The further up your scissors start from the ends, the longer the layers will be and the more hair you will remove.

4. Flick the wrist upwards

You’re all set for your first slice, so now you’ll want to flick the wrist in an upwards motion along the strand of hair. Move along the ends of the section, making sure that each strand is even. 

Keep in mind that the more slices you do on each strand, the more hair will be removed. 

5. Drop sections and work around the head

Once you have worked all the way along your first section, you can drop the hair and move onto the next. Dropping the section allows you to pick it up again if you need to, and also means you can pick up a little bit of the old section along with your new one to act as a guide.

Which scissors should you use for slicing?

When choosing scissors for hair slicing, it really depends on your desired result. If you want more precise slices with more texture, shorter scissor lengths will be ideal. 

We might sound biased, but LEAF Scissors really are an incredible option for so many different hair cutting techniques. They come in a variety of lengths and are handmade from Japanese steel to ensure high quality cuts every time. 

Additionally, if you’ve tried slicing and it’s not for you, you can achieve similar results with texturising scissors. Read our previous blog here to find out everything you need to know to master this technique. 

Learn more cutting techniques with LEAF Academy

Whether you want to learn how to use a new tool, master a cutting technique or learn the ins and outs of a new haircut, LEAF Academy has an array of video tutorials made by industry-leading experts.