A barber cutting his hair.
A graduated cut is a hairstyle where the hair is cut at an angle, creating an angular look. This type of style can be applied to hair up to the chin or longer. The graduated cut is most commonly worn by women with hair between their chin and shoulders. While women with hair longer than the top of their shoulders can have a graduated cut, the style is less apparent and less dramatic with these longer lengths.
In most cases, a graduated cut is made so that the hair closest to the face is the longest. The hair becomes shorter and shorter near the nape of the neck. The hair on each side of the face should be the same length and the graduation on each side of the head should be even to meet at the midpoint of the nape of the neck. It is rare that the graduation angle goes the other way as this is a haircut that is meant to frame the face.
This type of hairstyle is more common in women with straight hair. The visual effect of the cut should be a sharp angle, which is best seen on short straight hair. Curls are more difficult to tame in straight lines than straight hair strands. Women with wavy hair or hair that falls naturally into loose curls sometimes cut it gradually and then blow-dry their hair every day. By doing this, the angle becomes more visible. In order for the angle of the cut to be especially visible, the hair can be styled perfectly straight with an iron.
Depending on the style of the haircut, the graduation angle changes. Someone looking for a very urban, edgy, or modern look can get a very severe angle in their graduated cut, around 45 degrees.
A graduated cut is a style that can be worn with or without bangs. Using bangs in this type of style just allows for a different way of framing the face. If the bangs are cut into the hair with this type of cut, they will usually be cut straight across the forehead and without any bias.