Effilating, also known as _____, is the process of thinning the hair to graduated lengths with shears.

• A. Slitting
• B. Slithering
• C. Shingling
• D. Texturizing

Answer: (B)

Effilating means thinning the hair to graduated lengths using shears, creating a softer, lighter silhouette rather than a blunt cut. The term that best describes this sliding, gradual thinning is slithering. In slithering, the blades are opened and closed in a book-like, sliding motion along the hair to remove small amounts of length and weight, which blends lengths smoothly and adds movement—especially useful for thick or tangled hair where you want to reduce bulk without losing all length. The other terms describe different techniques: slitting implies making cuts or channels, shingling is a straight, all-in-one-direction cut to achieve a smooth surface, and texturizing covers removing texture or bulk in a broader sense, not specifically the graduated, feathered effect produced by slithering.