Have you ever gone to your stylist and heard lingo you didn’t understand? Did you just nod and say, “Sure, sounds good. Do whatever you think is best.”? I’m here to empower you and show you what we mean when we say “perimeter” and “weight line” so you can get the haircut you want.

1. Adding texture or “texturizing”

Texture is the technique of adding movement to mid-to-ends of the hair.

You know when hair is cut straight across and looks flat? Most clients with thicker hair complain that it lacks movement and “life”. The heavy look works for some people, but for others it feels shapeless.

Adding texture means the ends will have more movement.

Think of texture as “piece-y-ness”.

For anyone who has straight hair, adding texture is amazing, because it creates movement without any harsh lines. I personally love it on pin-straight or heavy hair.

2. Taking out Weight or Bulk

The technique of taking out weight can look similar to texturizing.

We “take out weight” or “bulk” where we feel the hair is too heavy closer to the scalp. Sometimes hair is heavier on certain parts of the head than others, like at the back of the head, where the hair can be denser and thicker.

When finishing a bob haircut, for example, we tend to take out the weight or “bulk” from the nape of the neck to give it more movement so you’re able to shake it out and have that lived-in look.

We can do this with shears, razors, or texture shears.

3. Perimeter

The perimeter is the outline of the hair. We use this word a lot in the salon.

We might ask you how much you want off your perimeter, which means: how much length do you want off, or would you like to keep?

Would you like a blunt (straight across) perimeter or a more textured, feathery one?

Tell your stylist, because that’s usually where we start. It creates the foundation for the haircut.

4. Blunt

The word blunt means straight across.

If you’re asking for a blunt bob, your bob will be the same length all the way across. You can have a blunt haircut on long, medium or short hair.

A blunt haircut creates weight on the ends (perimeter) and is a great option for anyone who has fine hair.

5. Weight Line

Weight is when hair falls into a “heaviness”.

For some haircuts, we have to create weight; and for others we have to remove weight.

Here’s an example of creating weight on a graduated bob.