Yes, a hairdresser can absolutely help you change your hair parting, whether it's moving from a side to a middle part or vice versa, by using cutting techniques, styling, and products to retrain your hair's natural growth pattern for a fresh look that can add volume or alter your face's appearance. While it's a styling change, not permanent, getting a professional cut and learning styling tricks (like blow-drying against the growth or using clips) makes the transition easier and more effective.
Middle parts are all the rage right now, and if you, too, have been a lifelong side parter, switching to a center part is an easy way to completely reinvent your look sans a cut or color appointment. If it takes a little bit longer for your hair to rest comfortably in your new part, that's totally normal.
Legendary French hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai once told me that “changing the direction of the parting can completely transform a woman's look,” and I kept that in the back of my mind—not that I was ready for it, yet.
A hair parting which has increased in size over the past few months or has the aspect of a Christmas tree can be a warning sign of female pattern baldness. Keep reading this article to find out all you need to know about: How to tell the difference between the normal hair parting width and a widened midline part.
A normal hair part is characterized by the even distribution of hair along the scalp. This means that the hair is adequately covering the entire scalp area without any noticeable thinning or widening of the part. A healthy scalp generally produces enough hair strands to maintain a consistent appearance when parted.
The 5.5 cm (or 2.25-inch) hair rule is a guideline to determine if short or long hair suits your face shape by measuring the angle of your jawline: place a ruler vertically under your ear and a pencil horizontally under your chin, intersecting at the jaw; if the measurement from the ear to the pencil is less than 5.5 cm, short hair is flattering, while more suggests longer hair is better, though face shape and hair texture are also key.
The "3-inch hair rule" (or sometimes the 2.25-inch rule) is a hairstylist's guideline to help you decide if short hair suits your face shape: place a pencil horizontally under your chin and a ruler vertically under your ear; if the measurement from the pencil to your earlobe (where the ruler sits) is less than 3 inches (or 2.25 inches), short hair will likely flatter you, while more suggests longer styles are better, though it's just a guide, not a strict rule.
Also, these areas of the hair shaft will get the same exposure to UV light from the sun which can again lead to oxidative damage. The same parting will also expose the same area on the scalp skin to be exposed to the harmful UV rays. One should change their hair parting by some millimetres every 2-3 days.
"The middle part is one of the most fashionable hair trends," Bergamy says. "It gives a more youthful look without looking childish." It tends to work best on faces that are more or less symmetrical, but can also help elongate shorter, wider face shapes. "A middle part gives a slimmer look," Bergamy adds.
The "7-day haircut rule" suggests that while a fresh haircut looks sharp, it often hits its peak and looks most natural, effortless, and "lived-in" around one week (7 days) after getting it, as the hair softens, settles, and blends better. It's a guideline for timing major events or understanding when your hair finds its sweet spot, allowing the initial starkness to fade into a more comfortable style, similar to breaking in new shoes.
We called it as a key beauty trend this season from the catwalks for spring summer 2025 and beyond: Saint Laurent's side parts were brought with serious business in both cropped forms and with flowing, shiny waves by hair stylist Duffy, paired with statement suits.
The Multifaceted Relationship Between Hair and Trauma
In conclusion, the concept that hair 'holds' trauma can be viewed from several perspectives. While hair can show physical signs of stress or illness, the belief that hair contains emotional trauma is more symbolic and culturally based.
The rarest hair type is generally considered Type 1A, which is extremely fine, straight, and wispy, lacking any natural bends or waves, making it difficult to hold a curl but naturally sleek and prone to oiliness. While curly hair types (Type 3 & 4) are less common globally, 1A stands out as the least voluminous and textured straight hair, often seen in people of East Asian descent, though it's considered rare across all populations due to its unique fineness.
In fact, it all comes down to which one flatters your face shape. “Both options will always be in style, and both options are timeless,” Curtis says. “A middle part will complement the symmetry of your face shape as well as elongate the face, and a side part will soften your features.”
We call it the 2.25 rule.
Practically fool proof, this rule states that if the longest part of your chin is less than 2.25 inches from the tip of your earlobe, then short hairstyles are for you.
Top 5 Hairstyles To Prevent Breakage & To Help Hair Growth
Many believe that changing your part can benefit your hair's health. The longer you wear the same part, the longer one side of your hair will carry more weight, but altering your part can give those tired roots a break.
How to Choose the Right Hair Length for You
What is the 'awkward stage' in hair growth? It's the period when hair is too long to be short and too short to be long, often looking unruly and hard to style. How long does the awkward stage last? Typically, it lasts for a few months to a year, depending on hair growth rate and personal hair goals.
In haircuts, numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 refer to clipper guard sizes, which are plastic attachments that control hair length; the higher the number, the longer the hair. A #1 is about 1/8 inch, #2 is 1/4 inch, #3 is 3/8 inch, #4 is 1/2 inch, and #5 is 5/8 inch, with each number leaving progressively more hair for fades, buzz cuts, and other styles.
The “7-Day Haircut Rule”
Before you spiral into haircut regret, give it a week. Hair takes time to settle—especially after a fresh cut.
Short hair can make you look younger or older; it's subjective and depends heavily on the cut, style, and texture, not just the length, with softer, layered styles often adding youthfulness while harsh, blunt cuts can accentuate features like wrinkles, though some find shorter styles refreshing and youthful, especially with movement and natural texture.
As an example, the ideal ratio of the top of the head to the chin versus the width of the head should be 1.618. This ratio is used to mark out the ideal proportions on a patient's face and aesthetic enhancements that ignore phi may make patients look worse.