What Are Disconnected Layers In A Haircut?

Yes you heard that right, "Disconnected Layers" is really a thing? Well yes apparently so with all the young and cool kids these days. A disconnected hairstyle will test you to fight all your urges to want to blend or fix this hairstyle but disconnected layers are exactly what it sounds like!

It really is all the rage now and once we go through and list all the hairstyles that fall under the genre of a "disconnected haircut" you're going to either think "Oh yes I know that style" or "No that goes against everything I am taught and it’s wrong". Well we assure you that disconnected layers are not your enemy here and disconnected layers can help you re-discover the right way to cut those popular hairstyles that more and more clients are asking for nowadays.

So if you are like some and have never really delved deep into the new or in some ways old world of disconnected hairstyles then this is for you. You may be more comfortable in this world than you know.

So what are Disconnected layers?

When you disconnect a haircut this essentially means that the layers or part of a haircut will be cut separately from another and traditionally not blended together. A disconnected haircut will give you client's hair more movement and shape then most other haircutting techniques.

Barbering or Clipper Cut

Disconnection layering is wildly popular in barbering techniques and not as drastic as you see with longer length. To blend a disconnected men's haircut out to a blended shorter style is much easier between haircut's then blending out a longer style. A short style can be connected by blending with scissors over comb, where an undercut is when you clipper cut a section through the part, the longer hair is not connected and a comb over or even a longer section is left over and undercut section.

Think about Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders.. his style haircut is a perfect example of a disconnected haircut. Men's undercuts were very popular in the 20’s - 30’s era and are making a comeback now.

Shag Haircuts

A shag haircut is a modern take on that 80's metal band haircut but without feeling like you have a mullet. You will see disconnected layers through this cut but in a subtle way. Also curtain bangs will be seen in this shag style that may be connected to the layers at the front or disconnected. Shag haircuts are better suited on medium length hair and that wavy or straight textured hair type.

Mop of curls

A mop of curls is a hairstyle where the curls sit heavy on the top of the head and are disconnected to the length through the ends. A mop of curls is not preferred to be one length as natural curls that sit at one length will end up having a triangle shape to the style. A mop of curls will range from a disconnected hairstyle to layers that are more random and true to following the natural shape of the curl.

Mullet's

Mullet style haircuts are the more extreme version of a disconnected haircut. We all would know what a mullet is as we may have worn the hairstyle in the early 2000's, or may even seen this hairstyle on that uncle stuck in the rock band era or even a fellow Aussie mate. A Mullet haircut can really be two haircuts in one, where the top layers may be cut separate to the longer bottom layers.

Shaved or Undercut

Traditionally a disconnected haircut is a separate haircut within a haircut. An undercut or shave area of the haircut is a perfect example of two different haircuts within a haircut. Shaved areas can be seen through the sides and an undercut is seen with a shaved area underneath. This is a popular hairstyle for those with extremely thick hair as thick hair can only be thinned out so much and the next option would be shaving off an under section to entirely remove weight from your clients thick hair.

So there you have it, if you didn't know what disconnected haircut's were now you will hopefully have a better idea. Even though we said it will go against everything you know or have been taught, maybe it won't and it's just a haircutting technique you have always been looking for.

A disconnected hairstyle is becoming wildly popular in many different hair trends you see. A disconnected haircut does not always mean a mullet, shag style or any other drastic hairstyle. A disconnected hairstyle could just simply mean a haircut within a haircut, like a fringe that may not connect to a face frame, or the side shaved that can only be seen when the client has their hair back.

So be inspired, keep those scissors sharp and happy cutting!