Just realized I was wrong about cutting wet hair for years

For a solid decade, I was a die-hard wet cutter. I learned it in beauty school in Boise, my first boss drilled it into me, and I thought it was the only 'right' way to get a clean, even line. I'd section, soak it, and go. But about 8 months ago, a stylist visiting from Seattle did a demo on my mannequin, cutting it completely dry first. I was skeptical, but seeing how the hair fell naturally changed everything. Now, I start every precision cut on dry hair to see its true movement and weight. I only mist it lightly at the end for final detail. My finishes are way more consistent, and I'm not fighting the shrinkage from wet strands. Has anyone else made this switch and noticed a difference in how the style holds?

2 comments

2 Comments

danieljenkins1mo ago

My buddy had the same thing drilled into him at school about cutting wet hair. He worked at a busy salon and swore by it for a clean line. Then he watched a stylist work on a client with really wavy hair dry first, and it was like a lightbulb went off. He said he finally saw where the hair actually wanted to sit instead of guessing where it would spring up to. Has your switch helped more with straight hair or textured hair?

thompson.xena1mo ago

So do you find dry cutting works better for certain hair types, or is it just a better method overall now?