Master the Curl

by Antonio Gonzales on Monday, April 5, 2010

I was born in Trinidad in the height of a hurricane. I spent my childhood surrounded by the sights and sounds and smells of Carnival and the other Indian, African and Spanish festivals of the Islands. Loving the amazing costumes, I got my start dressing my sisters and doing their hair and makeup. An opportunity came up to work with Trinidad’s leading costume designers, makeup artists and hair stylists. After I left the Island, my career evolved with work in Munich, Los Angeles and now New York City. Here in New York, I am a stylist at the Orlo Salon in the Meat Packing district. Vogue magazine recently named me as one of the rising hairstylist stars in N.Y., I was awarded the best haircut of 2008 by shecky’s.com, Gotham Magazine called me a Shear Genius and Allure Magazine featured me as one of the best cuts 2009.

See Antonio’s blog here.

From the very beginning of my career I have always been told what I should and should not do when it comes to cutting curly hair. There were so many don’ts that I was afraid of even touching curls. Being the artist who loves a challenge, I decided that I would not allow any hair texture to limit me or any don’ts to hold me back. I invite you to join me in mastering the curl. When cutting curly hair we know that we all have our favorite techniques and beliefs. I want us to step out of the box and open our minds to cutting curls every way possible by using the scissors and razor, and providing a texture and style that our clients will love.

WAYS TO CUT CURLY HAIR WET WITH THE SCISSORS

At the beginning of my career this is the technique that I noticed my colleagues using the most. The approach in terms of sectioning was the same as cutting straight hair. The big difference is when cutting curly hair wet we use less tension and avoid stretching the hair, so that when the hair dries it’s not too short. It’s also important to pay attention to cowlicks in the nape and crown when sectioning the hair. Too much tension on cowlicks when the hair is wet could cause you to loose your shape by being shorter when the hair is diffused.

WHEN USED INCORRECTLY
Cutting straight lines on wet curly hair with the scissors will create blunt ends. The result is a style that’s difficult to manage in coming weeks for the client. I recommend additional techniques like point cutting, slide cutting and razoring to be used on the wet hair to soften the curl by removing bulk and adding texture.

WAYS TO CUT CURLY HAIR WET WITH THE RAZOR

Now let’s talk about the approach for cutting wet curls with the razor. The one thing that’s the same as with cutting with the scissors is less tension to the hair. Because of the strength of this tool you may want to adjust the sectioning a bit for your desired shape (you be the judge). Using the razor gives great ability to create softness to the shape and remove bulk making the curl come alive. The result is a haircut that grows out better and lasts longer.

WHEN USED INCORRECTLY
Because the hair is wet it clumps together and the visibility of bulk in the hair is lost, which can result is the removal of too much hair. The razor on wet hair also moves easily and we, the stylists, can underestimate the amount of hair being removed, resulting in a weaker shape or structure that’s hard to manage. I recommend keeping in mind that less is more, you can further remove bulk when the hair is dried.

DRY CURLS WITH THE SCISSORS AND RAZOR

This technique is generally done after the hair has been cut wet and diffused into the desired style. The technique is amazing on both fine and thick hair. Using the scissors or razor, gently cut into the shape and further remove bulk, giving lift, improving the shape and hair texture. Feel free to gently section the hair after styling so there is more access to bulkier areas. The part of the hair that frames the face can benefit best from this technique, allowing you to highlight the weaker features of the face. If using scissors cut with the shape of the curl, almost sliding around the curl where needed. When using the razor search for thicker curl, gently lift the curl and remove the heaviness. Remember the idea is to further remove bulk while maintaining the shape of the cut.

WHEN USED INCORRECTLY
If too much dry cutting is done you could loose the entire shape. Be conscious of the fact that the hair has already been cut. You probably want to be less aggressive when cutting the hair wet leaving room for more cutting when the hair is dry.

CURLY HAIR DRIED STRAIGHT AND CUT WITH THE SCISSORS

This is done when we know that the client generally wears their curly hair straight. When approaching the blow dry, ask the client how straight he or she wears their hair. You do not want to cut the hair when it is flat-ironed if the client is only going to blow dry their hair. We also know that the hair is longer because it is blown out so leave a little more length when cutting to compensate for their inability to get the hair as straight as we can. Always work with super-thin sections on fine or thick hair. This allows for softer lines and better movement in the end result. I recommend additional techniques like point cutting and razoring to soften the wet curl by removing unnecessary bulk.

CURLY HAIR DRIED STRAIGHT AND CUT WITH THE RAZOR

Like some of you, when this was recommended to me in the past, I would grab my tools and run the other direction. This is easily one of the most difficult techniques in my career. The advantages are endless!! Compared to cutting with the scissors (blunt ends), this technique allows you to work with the hair in a way that I have never experienced before working with Orlando Pita. On dry hair the lines are much cleaner than on wet hair with precision and control. The layers are blended well because you can see exactly what’s happening without the heaviness of cutting wet hair. And most importantly the client can wear their hair curly or straight resulting in a cut that lasts longer.

When hair is wet, the ends are heavier and the hair stretches, using a razor on this texture can result in over-cutting. When the hair is dry and the right technique is used, the ability to get an almost-straight line with control leaves me speechless. Not many stylists in our industry has mastered this technique. Orlando is the first person that I have worked for that has been able to train me skillfully in this technique.

REMEMBER:

Safely stepping out of the box when approaching hair is one of the best things we can do for our careers. This has been the strongest asset to my career.