Update: I gave up on my usual way to cut thick, curly hair

For years, I thought dry cutting was the only way to handle dense curls, but a client from Atlanta with 4C hair asked me to try cutting it wet with a specific tension method. I used a 0.5 guard on my clippers for the undercut and held each section straight out from the scalp before cutting. The shape turned out way more even and the client said it was the best shape she's ever had. Has anyone else found wet cutting works better on some really thick curl patterns?

4 comments

4 Comments

erickelly27d ago

Honestly, that's not really wet cutting if you're using tension to pull the hair straight. That's just a solid technique for dealing with shrinkage on really tight curls. The water just makes it easier to see the true length before it springs up. Glad it worked out for them though.

knight.uma27d ago

Okay but "that's not really wet cutting" feels like such a weird hill to die on. Who decided on the official rules for what counts? If the hair is wet and you're cutting it, that's a wet cut to me. Getting this technical about tension just seems like splitting hairs, no pun intended. The end result is what matters for the client, not the exact textbook definition.

kevinking27d ago

So when you say you held each section straight out... was that just to get past the shrinkage, or did the wet hair actually let you see a more true shape as you were cutting it? Like, was it easier to spot uneven spots before it dried?

kevin3317d ago

Well, at least we're not fighting over the official rules for what counts as a sandwich.