Cutting Curly Hair: I Prefer Wet
by Chair to Chair/Shannon McCarthy on Monday, December 20th, 2010
Shannon McCarthy is a senior stylist and educator for James Joseph Studio and James Joseph Salon. James Joseph Salon and Studios are the most award-winning salons in Boston with more than 30 local and national awards. James Joseph Salon has been named one of the Top 100 Salons in America by “Elle” magazine, and James Joseph Studio has been named the Best Affordable Salon in Boston. James Joseph has also been one of the Salon Today 200 three times.
When trying to decide the best approach for cutting curly hair, consider these techniques. There seems to be a lot of people who are under the impression that when getting their hair cut, a dry technique is always best. The only time that cutting curls dry is useful is for clients who are wearing their hair one way. If you are working with a client that is always styling straight then doing a dry cut on flat ironed hair would be desirable. If they want to be able to do both, employing this technique will give no insight to the way the hair is in its natural state. For a client who is always wearing their hair curly, start wet. Wet hair is easier to manipulate to see where the curl is falling. You can literally look and see how the weight proportions of the curl are falling.
For shorter hair clients, you can move the hair around with your hands and see which way the curl would like to go. This is a great way to help us decide optimal shape for short hair. Whether working with bob lengths or head-hugging tapering, cutting the hair wet allows you to see how the curl is going to fall as it begins to dry. You can see the hair in its natural state and decide where to cut more or less hair. When working with long-haired clients, try to scrunch and fluff the hair to get a good idea of where the layers are falling. Curly hair also has a tendency to not curl evenly around the head. Unbalanced curl patters can become more apparent in longer lengths. Oftentimes the curls around the perimeter can hang and not be as tightly wound as curls in the crown and front of the head. Look carefully and asses where the curls are tighter and looser. Then you can decide how to approach the cut to enhance each curl pattern within one head. After diffusing you can then chip at the curl to detail and remove weight.
Playing with asymmetry can be a great way to give some edge and interest to a head of curls. There is nothing that should be or is symmetrical about curls. Curls fall in different proportions all around the head. You can use this to your advantage. As stylists we often see curly hair that looks like a bell. This is the result of improper layering and shaping. This looks like all the weight is falling all to one place. Creating different layers in different parts of the head can do wonders for managing curls. Cutting around the face to give different curl proportions can allow the curls to flow in a soft and less structured manner.
When trying to decide the best approach to your cutting technique, listen to your clients. Figure out what their ideal style is and approach your cutting techniques to suit that style. Mix wet and dry cutting. Start with a wet cut, and then detail with dry cutting. With this approach you will be thanked for addressing all of your client’s needs. Once she can trust and see what you are able to create employing many different techniques, we will start to break the assumptions of one technique being the best approach for many different, unruly, and versatile types of hair.
The Clipper Guy: Top 5 Tips For Securing Sections
by Ivan Zoot/The Clipper Guy on Monday, June 21st, 2010
Ivan Zoot is the director of education and customer engagement for the Andis Company and the founder of Zoot! Hair professional hair care products. Ivan identifies, recruits, trains and manages Andis’ team of professional beauty industry educators. Ivan continues to be a featured presenter at industry shows and events, sharing his unique blend of information, education and enthusiasm for clipper cutting and the entire professional beauty industry. Ivan’s background includes experiences ranging from salon ownership to achieving 3 Guinness World Haircutting records.
Clipping and securing hair sections during cutting is a reality of hair cutting. How to clip up and secure hair is a subject of debate. There are concerns of damaging hair with rough clips or harsh tools. There are issues of presentation and theatre. How does the client look during the performance of the cutting service with hair piled up on and all over their head? Here are my top five tips for securing sections during hair cutting.
1. Clip it: Classic sectioning clips are the standard. Today, sectioning clips are better than ever. The new wide-jaw clips are designed to hold larger amounts of hair gently. There are soft-touch, coated clips that are nice to hair and feel great to use. The old-style steel ones can be put to pasture in favor of these newfangled options. If you prefer clips, today’s choices just rock.
2. Knot it: Another option is knotting the hair in subsections. You can subdivide main sections into subsections and twist and lock these in on themselves. These little knotted sections look great, neat and organized, during cutting. There are online tutorials showing how to twist and lock these knots. Try it.
3. Gel it: If the hair you are working with is not too thick, long or heavy, you can secure sections by just loading the hair with a medium-to-firm-hold styling gel. Partings and sections can be laid over and will hold and cling in place. This is my preferred method for sectioning control. I like to work with styling products in the hair for a number of reasons… more on this in my next blog. This reason is to secure sections in a snappy and professional manner.
4. Comb it: You are using a comb to comb; use a comb to lock extra hair up and away. You have plenty of combs. Grab another and use one as a hair clip. Slip it into the hair section and back lock it into place. This works great, looks professional and all those combs are right there at your fingertips, anyway.
5. Customize it: The standard clips or your convenient combs just do not reflect your artistic creativity. It is time to express yourself when in hair cutting mode. I have seen a lot, but I am sure I have not seen it all when it comes to hair section clipping. Chopsticks, pipe cleaners, kids hair accessories, etc. They all can be pressed into service for holding hair. Use a bit of creativity and see what you can come up with.
Try a few of these techniques and discover which one is the right one for you. Maybe it is not just one. Maybe more than one of these are right for you… the right one at the right time on the right client.
I would love to hear of your opinions and success stories. Please share!
Antonio’s View: On the Razor’s Edge
by Antonio Gonzales on Monday, March 8th, 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.
As we all know (hairstylists and clients alike), the razor has been given a bad name, especially for curly hair. I am here to say that it is not the razor, rather the person using the razor. The razor is a tool from the heavens, literally. Its ability to be so gentle and precise on curly hair surpasses scissors with results that leave curls speechless.
Here are four important topics covering the do’s and don’ts to help you better understand this amazing tool.
1. The type of razor
The Feather Razor
I recommend not using a Feather Razor on curly hair. This razor comes with a guard, which limits the use of the blade. The guard is for us not to cut ourselves or the client, but it takes away from the magic of the razor and is far more aggressive. If you see someone using this razor, you can witness its scalping action. Yes, some of us are strong with this tool but with a lot of practice we take it one step further and use a Classic Razor.
The Straight Classic Razor
Now this baby is what I’m talking about. The difference is like cutting top sirloin with a good steak knife versus a butter knife. This razor can be used with such precision that a haircut can maintain its shape and last long. There are so many parts to that single blade—I can twist my wrist and get results that no other cutting tool can give me. I cannot only remove bulk with this, but I can also create amazing lines for length that’s soft without being shredded.
However, there are times when a pair of scissors is called to do the job. That’s when we professionals decide what’s best for the hair type and the look we are trying to achieve.
2. Thinning Shears
This tool is good for finishing a man’s haircut (very final step), not for curly hair. It’s the number one mistake that makes curly hair weak and lose its shape quickly. Because it goes deep into the hair, it is targeting the structure in a line across the section of hair. Keep in mind that curly hair needs to have a foundation in order for it to move like real hair and grow out well.
3. Razor on Wet Hair
Yes, this can be done. When it’s done the focus is on the size of sections, sectioning, texture and hair type. Remember, when hair is wet it stretches and is extremely vulnerable to over cutting. This is also when the Classic Razor is the client’s best friend allowing the stylist to have full control and cut the hair without aggression.
4. Razor Cutting on Dry Hair
This is where serious cutting skills come in. My boss and mentor, Orlando Pita, recently taught me to approach a Classic Razor cut on dry hair when the hair is blow-dried smooth. I’d never seen this done before and I’m grateful to have learned from one of the hair masters. When cutting curly hair that is blown out, the focus is on whether the client is wearing his or her hair straight only or straight and curly, as well their ability to master the styling themselves.
Start doing your research for a hairstylist that’s strong with the classic straight razor and go in for a consultation. As you can see, there are many ways to approach cutting curly hair wrong and right. So it’s about you the client finding a hairstylist (referral preferably) to cut your curly hair.
I wish you beautifully razor cut curly hair!
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Globetrotter Antonio Gonzales got his start doing his sisters' hair in Trinidad.
Ivan Zoot addresses haircutting.