Dry-Cutting Curls

FROM AVOIDING SHRINKAGE TO CREATING THE PERFECT SHAPE, THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS TO DRYCUTTING CURLY HAIR. WE CHATTED WITH TWO TEXTURE EXPERTS ABOUT THEIR TOP CURLY CUTTING TIPS.

When working with curly hair, we can all agree that it requires a different process than straight hair, and that’s no different when it comes to cutting hair. With more and more clients embracing their natural curls, there’s no better time than the present to take a deep dive into dry-cutting and how it can help you create the best result for curls.

“The cool thing about dry-cutting curly hair is that you really get to see how the hair sits,” says Glenna Sandy, a Toronto-based celebrity hairstylist and textured-hair specialist. “Curly hair has a lot more volume than straight or wavy hair, so the main thing is that you really have to see the shape with curly hair. Curls have a mind of their own; not every curl is always going to curl the same, and dry-cutting really allows stylists to see as much of the natural hair as possible and cut accordingly.”

Back to Basics

A key factor in the dry-cutting process is the consultation. While it’s important to take the time to assess your client's curl type and pattern, it’s also vital to discuss their ideal result.

“I always ask for an inspiration photo first,” says Sandy. “I’ll ask some lifestyle questions that can include things like how they like to wear their hair, how much time they like to spend styling their hair, what products they like to use, etc.”

“I check through their whole head so I can really understand all of the textures we’re working with since not everybody has the same texture throughout their head,” adds Michelle St Hill, a Vancouver-based salon owner and educator. “For me, the rule of thumb with curly hair is that you always dry-cut it since you want to be able to see where the curl lives. When you wet the hair, you straighten it out. So when you’re cutting the hair, you’re forgetting the spring. Because curly hair isn’t always even, you could end up giving the client an uneven haircut. When the hair is dry, it’s living how it would normally live, so whatever hair type or texture the client has, it’s presented to you in its natural state and you’re able to really work your magic from that point.”

Trust the Process

After determining the client’s curl pattern, it’s important to get to know their lifestyle and how they like to style their hair at home. Once you understand what they want their hair to look like, you can start sectioning the hair and begin making the cut.

“I like to start by sectioning the hair into three vertical sections in the back, from the crown to the nape, and then those can be divided into subsections when I actually start to cut,” says St Hill. “I also have a section at the temple and one at the top of the crown, so in total I’m working with about six to 10 sections, depending on the length and density of the hair.”

From there, St Hill prefers to start her cut at the nape of the neck while working her way up the head to reduce weight and create shape.

Sandy starts by brushing out the client’s hair, which allows her to stretch out the hair a little bit while keeping shrinkage in mind. “I start with the perimeter of the hair and, during this, ask the client how long or short they want the look to be,” she says. “I start cutting from there, starting to build the shape and adding layers to the hair, making my way up the head. After I’m done with a majority of the cut, I style the hair and apply product to see how the hair reacts, and then I go in and cut any final touches.”

When selecting the right tools to dry-cut curly hair, experts say it’s important to be flexible. “I’m a righthanded stylist, but I do have some left-handed shears because I sometimes need to change the angle that I hold my shears at, so the left-handed ones may work better for me,” says St Hill. “I recommend having a pair of long, medium and short shears so you can decide which ones to grab, depending on your client’s hair. When dry-cutting, it’s all about the hand work. There are no combs; it’s just your scissors, your hands and section clips, which you want to make sure are big enough to hold the hair.”

Elevate the Experience

A common misconception around drycutting hair is that the client is going to miss out on the opportunity to get their hair washed, styled and finished, but that shouldn’t be the case.

“Just because we don’t follow the same order as a wet cut doesn’t mean the client isn’t getting the full experience,”

WHEN DRY-CUTTING CURLS, BOTH ST HILL AND SANDY SAY LESS IS MORE. REMEMBER: YOU DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO CUT THE SAME LENGTH OFF EACH STRAND OR SECTION OF THE HAIR. START OFF BY CUTTING LESS, SEE HOW THE HAIR SPRINGS UP AND GO FROM THERE. says St Hill. “We still wash and style the hair, but we reverse the order so that part comes second to the cut. Part of the process is letting the client know what the appointment is going to be like. If you walk them through the process and they know exactly what they’re getting, they won’t feel like they’re missing out on anything.”

Taking the time to educate your curlyhaired clients can also be a great way to add value to their service. Teaching them how to properly wash their hair and selecting the right products are just a few examples of how you can help your client maintain their results. “Part of deciding what stylers I end up using comes into play while I’m doing the consultation,” says Sandy. “Clients have their own preferences on what products they like and how they want their hair to look, so I pick my products based on that. Although some clients might not listen to your recommendations, taking the time to really understand them during the consultation and providing them with product recommendations and your own reasoning behind those recommendations, as well as walking them through the process, is a great way to make them feel more comfortable.”