3 Dry-Cutting Tricks You Didn’t Know

What you see is what you get—when it comes to dry-cutting hair, that statement couldn’t be more true. So whether you’re new to the technique or trying to master it, we caught some key tricks you need to know from Dilek Onur-Taylor while on location at the JCP Salon/The Salon By InStyle Trend Shoot.

DID YOU KNOW:

Dry-cutting offers more control?

• “Wet hair lies and dry hair tells the truth,” says Dilek. Cutting wet hair requires leaving the length about 1.5 inches longer than the desired end result because of the bounce when hair dries—meaning you never know exactly where it will land.
• Dry-cutting lets you see exactly how the hair will fall and ensures no surprises when the guest leaves the chair.

DID YOU KNOW:

Dry-cutting can save time and boost your clientele?

• This technique is a great way to build your book because it is always personalized and specific to the individual guest, which makes it hard to replicate. So, once you master it, your client becomes committed to you.
• “It can be a faster service. I’ve had clients who’ve started coming in with clean hair that’s ready to be cut, so I flat iron it a little to get the kinks and waviness out, then I’m ready to start and finish the service,” Dilek says.
• It’s faster because you eliminate an entire step in your routine. If you typically cut wet hair, then blow-dry to see and feel where volume and density live before detailing the hair dry, try dry-cutting—where you detailing the entire time you’re cutting.

DID YOU KNOW:

Dry-cutting can be done on any type of hair?

• For fine layers, it’s better to cut on dry hair versus wet hair because you can see how the hair responds while the guest is in the chair.
• With curly hair, ask your client how they wear it—do they air-dry, diffuse, or twist it into its shape—then work with that texture. Pick up sections like you’re sculpting the hair. “It sounds silly to say, but think about it like someone trimming bushes in the garden. It’s a similar process,” says Dilek.
• If you want a rounded shape on curly hair, lift to the elevation that you want, then clip the hair away.