Avoid the Feathered Look

Hairdresser cutting a shag with layers — Photo: Shutterstock

Q: I have thick, colored, mid-length layered hair with bangs. I would love to have my hair cut shorter or cut in a "long shag" style. I would prefer the longer shag but my hairdresser somehow always gets that 70s feathered look going on and I really don't care for that.

I would prefer it to be longer, more pointed layers but I can't seem to get her or anyone else to be able to cut my hair that way. I have an oval face with high cheek bones. My hair gets very "puffed" or frizzy when it's humid outside, which is almost daily where I live in the summer. Any hair care products that you would recommend or another way to explain to my hair dresser would be appreciated.

A: The shag haircut is simply a long, layered haircut. The best way to ensure you get exactly what you want is to make sure to give your stylist as much specific information as possible. To avoid a feather look, for example, explain that you prefer chunkier texturing in the finished style. Point-cutting the ends at a shallow angle will help to give your hair a more pointed finish in the layering.

Remember the more texturing done and the steeper the texturing is, the more feathered the hair will appear, since the ends of the textured hair will be closer together.

As for products to help control frizz, I highly recommend using a smoothing serum on your hair. Simply apply the serum to your towel-dried hair and comb it though the hair evenly. The serum will coat the hair and help to seal it against the humidity of your environment.

Additionally, using a fine mist hairspray on the hair once it is fully dry will further seal the cuticle layer and prevent the humidity in the air from penetrating.

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See also:

What does feathering mean?

How to cut a shag

How to cut a long-layered feathered shag