Golden Spiral Haircutting

Nautilus shell
Image: Depositphotos
Q: My hairdresser in California just recently passed away last week. He cut my hair for the last 15 years. I would travel from Phoenix, Arizona to Pasadena, California. The style he used was "Golden Spiral" can you refer me to anyone who practices this style of hair cutting in Arizona? Thank you!
 
A: I was very sorry to hear of the loss of your stylist. Unless I am mistaken, I am familiar with his work by reputation, and I know that he had many very loyal clients who loved his skill and talent with hair design.
 
Unfortunately, I can’t give you the name of a new stylist in your area that practices the “Golden Spiral” haircutting technique. The reason for this is that “the Golden Spiral” referred to isn’t a “haircutting technique” but rather a visual representation of an ideal. Allow me to explain:
 
The “Golden Spiral” or Fibonacci Spiral is an image that represents a concept known as “The Divine Proportion” (shown mathematically as 1:1.618). This proportion has been found in virtually every area of the natural world. The Golden Spiral was decided upon as the representative image for this ideal because it is the “spiral” shown in the curvature of the Nautilus shell and follows the Divine Proportion unerringly. (Each chamber of the shell when compared to its next larger chamber follows the 1:1.618 ratio.)
 
This is not a new ideal. The first and most influential literary work on the Divine Proportion was a three volume work entitled “De Divina Proportione” by Luca Pacioli in 1509, during the Renaissance. Pacioli was a longtime friend of Leonardo Da Vinci.
 
How does this apply to your hairdresser? Well, that is less certain. Many salons and stylists look for inspiration from many sources. They may take many approaches to reach a decision on what makes the best style for you. For some it is simply a matter of innate “talent” – an eye for hair design, if you will – while others use standard principles of design to approach the situation.
 
I have seen stylists who use spiritual methods to determine appropriate hair design, everything from prayer, to meditation, to feng shui. I have also seen stylists who claim the best hair designs come from a simple matter of following the individual’s hair’s natural needs.
 
My own feeling is that much of the explanation used by hairdressers for their inspiration and methods are simply window-dressing. All hairdressers work toward the same goal: creating a hairstyle that best suits the client – one that is easy to live with and requires little maintenance. Every hairdresser – in order to achieve this – must consider the lifestyle, needs and wants of the client, as well as noting the facial features, the hair’s texture and its natural flow patterns. Some stylists claim that this is achieved through their preferred ideological system.
 
It’s very difficult to find a stylist who precisely follows the same philosophies as one who uses even similar terminology in their practice. If having a stylist who uses a holistic approach is important to you, you should look for newspapers and periodicals in your area for New Age services and hopefully find a suitable stylist there.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
What is a Feng Shui haircut?
 
What is the Pyrametrics haircutting system?
 
Can you tell me more about a haircut based on Sacred Geometry?