Hair partings are the focal point of a hairstyle. They should be neat and clean for a good appearance. If you are not careful on how to use a parting, it can enhance or mar the total look.
A hairstylist must always work according to the natural parting or a precise centre parting and natural hair stream for required flexibility, which is quite important in changing and maintaining a style. If you suggest to your client to change his parting, ask him to gradually shift the parting after every hair wash so that his hair gets adjusted over time. Sometimes, when styling according to the facial contour and texture, it is difficult to incorporate the natural parting in the style, it is advisable to keep changing the parting.
Finding the Natural Parting
Comb freshly shampooed hair back and place the right palm on the crown, pushing the hair forward slightly. The hair will separate at the natural part.
Types of Hair Partings
Partings must suit the facial contour and hide the facial flaws like imperfect features and defective growth pattern. Partings normally taken are:
1. Centre Parting Centre parting is most suited on an oval face and gives an oval illusion to wide and very round faces. People with prominent noses and oblong faces should avoid centre parts. Always try to create a hairstyle that gives an optical illusion of ovalness to the face. |  |
2. Side Parting This is the most suitable to round and square faces that require height on top and heart-shaped faces that require decreased width of the forehead. It also makes thin hair appear fuller. |  |
3. Diagonal Parting Diagonal parting is used to give height to round and square faces. A truly asymmetrical element of hair design, the diagonal parting can be used to direct the amount of volume in the style in one direction or another. It is especially good for styles that want a wide sweep of hair in the foreground of the style. Diagonal partings are also used in many up-styles to hide foundational elements of the style and prevent 'holes' in the finished hair-do. |  |
4. Zigzag Parting Zigzag parting is suitable to all the shapes of the face. A zigzag parting does look best on hair that is dense on the scalp, because the denser the hair growth, the cleaner the partings will appear. For hair that is sparsely spaced on the scalp, consider the criss-cross parting. This allows you to create an illusion of more hair on the head without resorting to a 'puffed-up' style. |  |