How to Line Up Hairline (A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners)
In this article, we’ll go through how to line a hairline.
To do it, and to do it well, there is a specific order of steps you must follow to ensure you get it just right.
Now with that said, let’s get into it.
How to line up hairline
Quick overview:
If you’d like a visual process, here’s my process for lining up a hairline – check my channel out too!
Lining up your hairline helps to round off trim and it’s the step that puts everything together after you are done fading.
But there wouldn’t be any point in lining up your hairline if the trimmers themselves were blunt and didn’t cut sharp.
It would be frustrating and would not leave the best results in general.
For that reason, I created a guide on the best line-up clippers where I give my top suggestions on the trimmers which will provide a crisp lineup.
One of the trimmers I used in the video above…
Best Line Up Clippers (In Hand Reviewed Trimmers for Precise Edges)
Now, if your beginner, here are some steps you can use to help you get a sharp lineup.
How to shape up
To start with you want if you’re purely a beginner it’s good you start with assistance so you get the hang of steady movements with a trimmer.
Below, I’ll show you how to line up hairlines.
Putting alcohol on a paper towel, clean your hairline dabbing away at the spots you’re going to trim.
Brush the baby/lighter hairs out as much as possible and spray them down with hair spray to let them flat.
Get a cut buddy if you’re completely new to lining up.
You may also need a white crayon to help with outlining your hair as you cut.
It’s simple after this point.
Draw out the crayon line, using your cut buddy as the outer then follow it through with your liners.
After that, it’s very simple, just :
Trim brush cut, trim brush cut all whilst keeping a steady hand and only getting the hairs that stick out from the front.
Add light pressure, every time aiming for the hair on the crayon line and not going any further back from the chalk line.
I would also suggest you look into a 369 mirror especially if you’re looking to line up cuts like a taper which is all the way around.
It’s a great way to learn how to line your hair, especially as you do it to yourself at home.
You can also use it to get the hang of steady movements across a hairline.
The video below shows you the full process.
Intermediate
Now onto how to line up with someone else.
If there’s a bulk of hair over the hairline, put the largest guard you can on your clippers and go over that part of the hair to reveal as much of the hairline as possible.
Using a brush or comb, brush it down so you can see the hair strands that stick out.
For extra hold, you can use hair spray to quickly spritz the hairline with hairspray, and the blowdry so it stays in place.
This helps to stop hair from moving and keeps it steady enough to be cut.
Start at the exact center of the head/ hairline.
You can move across the hairline incrementally but my tip would be to start in the middle and just slightly roll the blade to the right as you move across toward the corners of the hair.
Remember you should roll for a bit, attack the hair that sticks and carry on until you get to the corner.
Be steady and take your time and as you move, then brush off any hairs on your trimmers to ensure the bare teeth are open to cut.
The corner
As you reach the corner of the hairline, what you want to do is while keeping the blade straight, tilts the end of the blade into the Corner.
It’s the same method you should have been doing up until now, you may just need to add a bit more pressure but don’t dig into the hairline!
360 Jeezy shows a great example of the corner and arch from 4:15.
Going down the corner
Now you want to tilt your blade die it’s perpendicular to your side hairline.
Now, just slightly push and but you should still be following the tilting method as you move across the hairline.
As you move up into the corner of your hair tilt the blade into to corner.
You’re aiming to make the corners meet at the corner at the same place.
Arch
When doing your arch, you want to use the corner of your blade.
It gives you the most flexibility to make the curse.
Denoting which way is most comfortable for you, you can either move upwards or downwards.
Again, keep your hand steady and take your time.
Enhancements
Place the card as straight as you can on your hairline and spray the enhancements at an angle.
Don’t spray more than you need.
Spray until you can see the lineup pops out.
Razor
Once you’ve added some enhancements make some that are sticking out slightly.
So with a straight razor, you just want to do a touch-up.
To do this, it’s best if your client tilts their head back as you’ll be moving the blade up instead of rolling flat, not across like you did with your trimmers.
You just want to push up any enhancements back into the hairline your not looking to trim any more hair off!
It’s a final touch-up to make everything look crisp.
If you didn’t add any enhancement, you could put a hot towel on the forehead before razor work –
But if you’ve already cleaned and hair sprayed your hairline, to begin with, you may not need to do this.
That video shows you the full process:
Conclusion
In this article, we went over how to line up hairlines.
Keep your hand steady, take your time and just brush and trim.
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