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View Full Version : Do you prefer to trim wet or dry?



Rebel Rebel
March 31st, 2017, 02:41 PM
I've trimmed mine both ways and have had good results using either method. I feel like trimming dry is more accurate, as I get to see how it looks immediately. Does it make a difference in whether the ends will split or not? What do you prefer for your hair type?

meteor
March 31st, 2017, 02:46 PM
For me - definitely dry. Cutting on dry allows me to respect the natural wavy texture better and not to cut too much off (due to shrinkage that would otherwise occur if the hair goes from wet to dry).
No difference on split ends formation for me. But then, my hair doesn't develop split ends easily anyway, even if I go for years without cutting.

Groovy Granny
March 31st, 2017, 02:48 PM
I prefer to trim my fine silver when it is DRY.
When damp it curls/shrinks and I am afraid of cutting too much.
I usually trim before I shampoo; it is more relaxed/sleek.

Bubblebeam
March 31st, 2017, 02:49 PM
I've been cutting dry for the same reasons. Straightened and dry might offer even more accurate results? Been meaning to try it but lost my British adapter that I need for my straightener.

Pamberpestana
March 31st, 2017, 02:53 PM
When I'm cutting the hemline or whenever I've cut bangs I need my hair wet for "precision" but for layers and such I like my hair dry because I like to fan out my ends in my fingers a certain way and I can't do that while wet. Plus wavy/wurly hair behaves differently on different parts of my head and so I cut to my hairs shape

Sarahlabyrinth
March 31st, 2017, 03:04 PM
I trim dry, it helps me to have better control over how much I am trimming off. Plus I can see the end result straight away.

draysmir
March 31st, 2017, 03:05 PM
I like to cut it dry. I can see where my layers and my splits are, so I know whether I should be cutting more or less off.

school of fish
March 31st, 2017, 03:15 PM
I barely dampen my ends with a few passes of a wet comb, just enough to get them to hug together a bit. I feel my trim accuracy is better if I'm trimming with hair mostly dry - otherwise if it's really wet it seems to want to slide around the scissor blades.

dansyl
March 31st, 2017, 03:17 PM
Dry! Never wet!

littlestarface
March 31st, 2017, 03:18 PM
I do it on dry oiled hair and then add more oil to the ends when i'm done.

lapushka
March 31st, 2017, 03:21 PM
Dry. At the end of the week, when my waves are all but gone, and it can be combed and brushed through, right before a wash (so it sits nicely after the trim). That's my preferred way.

Siri
March 31st, 2017, 04:56 PM
I trim dry because when the hair is wet and you cut you can end up cutting more then you thought. :wail:

Aredhel
March 31st, 2017, 04:59 PM
I do it on dry hair. :) My hair tangles way too easily when wet to try to trim properly.

lithostoic
March 31st, 2017, 05:06 PM
Wet. It's easier to get straight lines and easier to clean up the fallen hair.

Tosca
March 31st, 2017, 05:07 PM
Dry. My hair is longer when it is wet, and I don't want to risk trimming more than I planned. My mum cuts my hair for me.

Crystawni
March 31st, 2017, 05:44 PM
Previously detangled and dripping wet in the shower for a gentle precision cut as the water gives enough weight to remove much of the sproing without stretching the hair, otherwise damp with tension. Method in my blog (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/entry.php?b=129005). My hair has a set clump and curl pattern that travels down as it grows, so I prefer to cut when it's sitting uniformly and nicely compacted, before weather and manipulation can alter it and make the job a lot "bigger".

nekosan
March 31st, 2017, 09:11 PM
Wet. Seems easier to me. (I have stick straight hair, very fairytailed ends. I don't trim often - on average, once every 3-5 years.)

Rebel Rebel
April 1st, 2017, 03:02 AM
Wet. Seems easier to me. (I have stick straight hair, very fairytailed ends. I don't trim often - on average, once every 3-5 years.)

You win all of the no trimming challenges! 😊

frolickingfairy
April 1st, 2017, 05:32 AM
Wet. My hair is too bushy to cut when it's dry.

Simsy
April 1st, 2017, 05:49 AM
Dry and oiled, when I remember I need to. Usually right before I wash it.

nekosan
April 1st, 2017, 12:31 PM
You win all of the no trimming challenges! 😊
Ta! It's more lazy than anything else. ;)

TatsuOni
April 2nd, 2017, 05:25 AM
Always dry.

enting
April 7th, 2017, 02:45 PM
I prefer dry but heavily oiled. Barring that, I prefer wet. As mentioned above, I like all the "sproing" weighed out of it when I cut.

I also use Feye's method, and keeping it dry and curly would not give me the hemline I'd like, not to mention probably damaging my hair with all the scrunchie pulling. I like to ponytail and pull down the scrunchie at least three times to make sure I've gotten it even.

sumidha
April 7th, 2017, 04:56 PM
Dry and soaked in oil.

Rebel Rebel
April 7th, 2017, 05:17 PM
My mostly straight fine hair is on day 2 of not washing and has a light bit of oil on it. I can see how a little oil or "dirty" hair might be a good way to get it combed down all together and then...snip snip! It can be a bit fluffy when it's freshly washed and dry. Will try this next trim.

Coucouvaya
July 5th, 2017, 12:05 PM
Dry hair that I haven't washed them the same day. This way I can estimate better the length and of course notice the splits!

Cherriezzzzz
July 5th, 2017, 12:08 PM
I trim wet, straight out of the shower bc my hair is Ronald McDonald poufy. Wet, soaked hair is consistent for me. But I've not trimmed since nov 2017 so glad about that!

Larki
July 5th, 2017, 01:24 PM
I trim dry, it helps me to have better control over how much I am trimming off. Plus I can see the end result straight away.

I also only trim dry for this reason.

Cherriezzzzz
July 5th, 2017, 04:13 PM
I might try this heavily oiled hair trimming! Next year of course as I am in the second half of the "no trimming" challenge! Muwahahaha!

Rebeccalaurenxx
July 5th, 2017, 05:08 PM
I oil, not heavy, but i oil dry and then trim that way.

Simsy
July 5th, 2017, 05:53 PM
Both, depending on circumstances. But I prefer oiled on dry, mostly out of laziness

lapushka
July 6th, 2017, 07:50 AM
I used to (in my teens) prefer to cut when wet, I think; this was back when I treated my hair as straight. It was somehow easier to cut it that way.

Since coming here and treating it wavy, I've always waited until the end of the week, when the waves have all but sagged and I can trim on dry hair which is combed and brushed quite straight then. It is a good method for the layering technique (compact cut) that I use, so, whatever works, right?

unheardletters
July 6th, 2017, 09:05 AM
I cut it dry so I know what it will look like and won't have to do any touchups later. I only trim when I am growing out a pixie cut to keep the back short until the rest catches up. But I don't trim once I get to about shoulder length. My waves and curls are not consistant so my hemline is always wonky looking, I wear my hair up all the time anyways, so I can easily ignore the unevenness.

Zindell
July 13th, 2017, 01:06 AM
I trim my hair when it's dry since I have slight waves in the hair. If it's wet and I brush it, it'll become very straight. So if I were to trim it when it's wet, it'll end up uneven when it's dry again.

curlylocks85
July 13th, 2017, 09:49 AM
I prefer to trim my hair dry. When my hair is wet the damage is difficult to see because it all blends together with the rest of my hair. Also, my hair is curly, thus trimming when wet is deceptive to how much I actually took off, whereas, trimming dry I don't take off too much and I can see exactly what needs to be trimmed and what does not.

yahirwaO.o
July 13th, 2017, 02:36 PM
So the general censous affirms that we almost all of us do it dry not freshly washed or sucked in oil for better handling and checking the result.

My questions are Why do hairdressers do it wet all the time? Is it because we go for practical cuts and trims versus fancy elevation cuts and crazy texture layers? or because they wash heads as a mandatory thing? Is it faster with so many clients?

I do find better checking the result dry and when having such straight hair any imperfections show badly! Also handling wet water leds to split ends like crazy!

Simsy
July 13th, 2017, 07:51 PM
So the general censous affirms that we almost all of us do it dry not freshly washed or sucked in oil for better handling and checking the result.

My questions are Why do hairdressers do it wet all the time? Is it because we go for practical cuts and trims versus fancy elevation cuts and crazy texture layers? or because they wash heads as a mandatory thing? Is it faster with so many clients?

I do find better checking the result dry and when having such straight hair any imperfections show badly! Also handling wet water leds to split ends like crazy!

It's because the ends are easier to line up on wet hair, allows for a straighter cut, means they can spot any wonky bits easily before you walk back in demanding a refund. Also means the hair is clean; which wouldn't be as gross to handle if you're doing 30-60 heads of hair a day. Most of us only cut our own hair and family's hair, and we usually know where their hair has been. We also aren't going for perfect, more good enough.

Fantine
July 14th, 2017, 12:36 AM
I prefer it wet, it seems to me that it's more precise.

01
July 14th, 2017, 12:41 PM
Dry and oiled, that straightens them out.

meteor
July 14th, 2017, 03:16 PM
My immediate response was - neither. :p I kind of prefer not to trim if it's not needed, to be honest. But when I do get hair trimmed, I only go for dry trims now, because just dealing with my hair wet is quite a hassle and I can't stand the wet combing it takes... Not to mention how dry trims help limit accidental over-trimming IMHO and they respect natural texture when dry more, as well as the way hair falls naturally.

meteor
July 14th, 2017, 03:24 PM
So the general censous affirms that we almost all of us do it dry not freshly washed or sucked in oil for better handling and checking the result.

My questions are Why do hairdressers do it wet all the time? Is it because we go for practical cuts and trims versus fancy elevation cuts and crazy texture layers? or because they wash heads as a mandatory thing? Is it faster with so many clients?

I do find better checking the result dry and when having such straight hair any imperfections show badly! Also handling wet water leds to split ends like crazy!

Great question! :thumbsup: I honestly can't speak for others, but with me, dry cuts at hairdressers take WAY less time and less overall suffering for everyone involved, even when it was only APL-BSL length, it was true. Past hip length, I am actually scared to imagine what the wash in hairdresser's sink would look like, in terms of massive tangling and the sheer amount of time it could take to wash, dry and then detangle. :scared: When I go in for a trim, I have it all washed, heavily conditioned with silicones (for slip), completely dried, fully detangled and I bring my own detangling comb for them, which they really appreciate, as hairdressers over here for some reason use dense and styling combs/brushes while detangling clients - that stuff gets stuck or broken in my hair and doesn't do the job anyway, so bringing my own wide-tooth tools is a must for me. Dry cuts cost a lot less and might reduce fees in some cases, because they don't involve wash&condition and blow-out and all that crazy time involved.

Nebulae
July 14th, 2017, 04:07 PM
I trim slightly damp. As in, I spray water on dry hair (most often before a wash) to flatten any bun or braid waves, and make sure the ends line up. If my ends are dry and they bend in different directions that makes microtrimming quite darn difficult. :D

JadedByEntropy
July 14th, 2017, 04:25 PM
2 parts, one dry microtrim. wait until i've washed or slept on it. second dry microtrim to get those crazy pieces i missed.

Dendra
July 14th, 2017, 05:24 PM
Great question! :thumbsup: I honestly can't speak for others, but with me, dry cuts at hairdressers take WAY less time and less overall suffering for everyone involved, even when it was only APL-BSL length, it was true. Past hip length, I am actually scared to imagine what the wash in hairdresser's sink would look like, in terms of massive tangling and the sheer amount of time it could take to wash, dry and then detangle. :scared: When I go in for a trim, I have it all washed, heavily conditioned with silicones (for slip), completely dried, fully detangled and I bring my own detangling comb for them, which they really appreciate, as hairdressers over here for some reason use dense and styling combs/brushes while detangling clients - that stuff gets stuck or broken in my hair and doesn't do the job anyway, so bringing my own wide-tooth tools is a must for me. Dry cuts cost a lot less and might reduce fees in some cases, because they don't involve wash&condition and blow-out and all that crazy time involved.

When I used to get my hair cut at the hairdressers I always asked for a dry trim but (many different ones) said no because it was policy that they do a wash and blow dry for every cut. Probably so they can charge you upwards of Ģ30 - for a trim!

I trim my own hair now, always dry so I can see my splits and the results immediately.

If I ever go in for precision cutting I may try the heavily oiled option. You should see the trims I give myself, they would horrify anyone remotely interested in neatness.

divinedobbie
July 15th, 2017, 07:48 AM
I also always trim dry now but my mom would spritz my hair damp to cut it (copying the salons) and I always had a very nice cut. I think I would find it very hard to cut my own hair wet as it would be a lot harder and damaging to slide the ponytail down my back.

In addition to whats already been said, I would venture a guess that the cutting technique hairdressers use may work better with slightly wet hair as the hairs are less likely to fly away or go rogue in sections, and I have yet to see a hairdresser that employs feye's method.

LadyCelestina
July 15th, 2017, 08:20 AM
I've recently tried trimming my hair while wet (as in just out of the towel and brushed with TT). I quite like it, because I have more control over the ends. If I cut dry, my hair curls and I cannot cut them off straightly.

M00bles
July 15th, 2017, 08:27 AM
I usually trim after a wash, not wet but damp? It means that any kinks can be combed out whilst I do it but it's not so wet that I'm going to get an unpleasant surprise when it dries and I realise it looks far shorter than anticipated.

Garnetgem
July 15th, 2017, 09:27 AM
I have always trimmed dry..

jera
July 15th, 2017, 01:54 PM
I would prefer to trim my hair .... not at all. But when I do, I trim it dry. I trimmed my hair wet once at shoulder length. It dried to chin length and I cried for months. lesson learned. Never again.

yahirwaO.o
July 15th, 2017, 08:55 PM
Great question! :thumbsup: I honestly can't speak for others, but with me, dry cuts at hairdressers take WAY less time and less overall suffering for everyone involved, even when it was only APL-BSL length, it was true. Past hip length, I am actually scared to imagine what the wash in hairdresser's sink would look like, in terms of massive tangling and the sheer amount of time it could take to wash, dry and then detangle. :scared: When I go in for a trim, I have it all washed, heavily conditioned with silicones (for slip), completely dried, fully detangled and I bring my own detangling comb for them, which they really appreciate, as hairdressers over here for some reason use dense and styling combs/brushes while detangling clients - that stuff gets stuck or broken in my hair and doesn't do the job anyway, so bringing my own wide-tooth tools is a must for me. Dry cuts cost a lot less and might reduce fees in some cases, because they don't involve wash&condition and blow-out and all that crazy time involved.

I know!!!!!!! I completly stop going to salons because they mistreat my wet fine hair so badly that my tender head was always sore after to much yanking and rough handling. Yikesssssss shudder:shudder:shudder:

I guess i could try to they whole detangling myself but I often feel freakish at salons because it is kinda weird for a long hair guy to show up in a place for a simple trim as the connotation would be that I should go to get a buzz cut (cultural thing).

So yeah handīt visit a salon for more than a decade even when I chopped my own hair completly short and still cut it dry to keep the balance at my back. Of course I had zero experience cutting short hair on my own and razored layers (damn I did this to myself in anxiety moment) and made mistakes (had more layers on one side than another).

ErinEM
July 24th, 2017, 01:43 PM
I prefer to trim wet. I comb my hair out (pretty much the only time I brush it when it's wet), trim, and then let it dry to see what it looks like, and make adjustments from there. That was always the way the hairdresser cut my hair at the salon (wash, comb while wet, cut while wet/damp), so there must be some logic to it. I think it makes it easier to tell if you're cutting it all the same length (my hair has different textures: curlier/wavier underneath and straighter on top).

peachyleshy
July 24th, 2017, 02:02 PM
When I planned to cut it, I do it wet. When it's a sporadic trim (eek! Don't need any more of those!) It's usually dry. They both work pretty well since my hair is straight and the ends are thin. I think wet is more accurate though on my hair.