Wavies, does your hair dresser straighten before cutting?

[share801]

I don't make many trips to the sylist since it seems counterproductive to growth, but the latest one I have found washes/dries/irons it - then cuts the ends. She is the only person who has ever cut my hair that has done this. (I wear it natural, air-dried waves). Wondering if this is harmful (other than the heat of course but since it is infrequent I have decided to give it a shot).

Is this a common way to cut wavy hair? What is the benefit?

[Mesmerise]

Honestly, I think it's a bad idea! Sure it may mean that your hair looks great when straightened...but it may not sit right while natural and wavy.

I know that it's best if my hair is cut to flatter the way it waves, which isn't necessarily all even... if it's not cut to flatter the waves it may not turn out nearly as well as if it is! I don't see how straightening it before cutting can allow the hairdresser to really SEE how your hair sits naturally, or how it flows!

[celebriangel]

That's...well, I'm not a stylist, but I consider that a rather idiotic way of cutting waves. Of course, it suits most people, who wish their hemline to be even for their daily straightening, but hair which is intended to be worn wavy should be cut wavy. Obviously. Otherwise it may look odd and uneven when it waves.

Also, if I had F i hair I would run screaming from flat irons. Actually, even with F/M ii/iii hair I would still run screaming from flat irons.

My recommendation would be to either explain to your hairdresser that since you never straighten your hair, and in fact wear it wavy, you would much prefer her to cut it while wavy, and also that you would prefer no flat irons to be anywhere near your hair. If this doesn't work, find another stylist.

[Lianna]

My hair never waves the same way after it dries. I cut/trim my own hair, and do it with it wet, it's straight then. That's the best option for me.

[share801]

Hmm, sounds like I am not alone in thinking this is odd. She is the salon owner, so I was trying to think she knew best . . . And she cuts very little (which is a relief).

[MissAlida]

My hairstylist combs my hair (sometimes quite harshly:scared:, makes me want to yell at her to be more gentle), than wets it with water and cuts it. She only cuts as much as I ask her to, and does a good job, so I'm not that upset about the combing. I try to comb it out before entering the salon, so she would make less damage if she's in a hurry. But she never straightens, and I would not allow her to, even if it were only 2 times a year.

[torrilin]

That's bat**** crazy. I get wet cuts because my hair is 1c and basically straight. But the more curl you have and the more you want to retain curl, the more you need a dry cut.

[pepperminttea]

I trim my hair when it has braidwaves; strangely enough it still comes out blunt. Not really sure how, the logic escapes me.

[JuliaDancer]

My hairstylist combs my hair (sometimes quite harshly:scared:, makes me want to yell at her to be more gentle)

I didn't have my hair cut in over a year, and I went a couple weeks ago, and this happened to me! Except the hair washing lady had already washed it (with a great-feeling head massage that unfortunately tangled my hair into a wet rat's nest), then came at me with a plastic paddle brush and tried to swipe from the top of my head and tear down to the bottom! My hair is on it's way from hip to tailbone, so that was NOT happening. I said "Wait! Stop! You have to start from the bottom." She laughed and said my hair is so long. She's Chinese, and there's a bit of a language barrier, so I don't think she understood me, and kept trying to start from the top, and I kept stopping her, so she gave up, and I detangled everything with my fingers while I waited for my hairdresser. My hair is not very wavy, so cutting when wet and very straight is ok for me. My friend has loose curls, and my hairdresser cuts her hair wet, blow dries it so it becomes curly, and finishes off any additional shaping after drying. He does that with my hair too, because wet hair doesn't fall the same as dry hair. I only very rarely blow dry, so I figure the blow dry at the stylist isn't sooo bad...

[CarpeDM]

I had one hair dresser flat iron my hair before she cut it. I was pretty skeptical about what she was doing while she was doing it, but it actually turned out really even when she was done, go figure :shrug:

[neesalena]

My stylist always dries and irons my hair before trimming. Of course, I used to wear it straight as much as I could so that made sense. I've never thought about how it might fall funny if cut straight then worn wavy. Hmm... I'll have to ask her about it and see what she says! ~curous!~

[selderon]

I've seen stylists do this... If I recall correctly, it was so that the client's hair would look right whether she straightened it or left it natural.

I don't know that it matters whether your hair is cut wet or dry, provided the result is good. Do you like the resulting cut?

If you're getting a trim every 6-12+ months, I see no problem with the stylist flat ironing your hair. It is a high temperature, but only on rare occasions. If you're not comfortable with this, ask for dryer-only straightening, no straightening, or a wet cut.

[KittyLost]

My hairdresser cuts my hair damp, she used to cut my fringe dry as I like a long fringe so I knew what she was cutting and it wouldn't shrink when it dried. I never noticed it make a difference to my wavy/curly hair in all honesty as consistency isn't it's strong point to begin with. Plus my hairdresser knew I straightened it the majority of the time. This was back when I was a young teen up until I cut short at 18.

[share801]

I can't really tell whether it is "working" so far as I am just trimming off old color damage. I did a fairly sizable chop for as much as I could stand (to BSL) , and now doing the rest bit by bit.

[elbow chic]

Mine used to cut it wet, then blow-dry it and trim it up again. I guess your stylist's method accomplishes the same thing with fewer steps? I never thought it looked weird when worn natural, but few people expect wavy hair to have a perfectly even hemline.

In fact, that seems like it would look strange even if it were possible.

[spidermom]

Only if I ask her too. Usually she cuts it wet. But every once in awhile, I want my hair straightened for a change (once a year or less), so I go in with clean, dry hair, and she straightens before trimming.

[Unofficial_Rose]

Really, I think it's better if the stylist is skilled enough to do a cut that works with their client's natural waves (unless the client straightens their hair all the time).

I'm a wavy, and I once had a short, layered cut where it was straightened, then cut. The look worked when it was straight, i.e. when they had just done it. I'm useless at straightening short layered hair, so it looked ridiculous until it grew out. IIRC she cut feathery, not blunt, layers. Extra, extra curly and poofy.

[krissykins]

My old stylist used to cut my hair wet, then straighten it, then trim it to even it out. :mad:

[BrightEyes7]

Why would she go through all those steps if she could just wet it and comb it straight? I trim my own hair and that is how I do it. I can get my hair a lot straighter while wet than I ever could dry with a flat iron. Also I've found my hair splits a lot easier if it is trimmed dry, but that could just be me.

I guess if you don't mind her flat ironing your hair, and the resulting trim is satisfactory, then let her keep doing it. If you are trying not to use heat or you think it doesn't look as nice as trims you've gotten in the past, ask her to stop.

[Dragon]

I don't go near hairdressers any more but when I use to, they would eaither cut it dry or dampen it with a spray bottle.

[kamikaze hair]

my hairdresser colours it first, then does all her usual jazz in the sink, wash, condition, tone, ****awesome head massage, then she towel dries it, and trims it like this. Then she blowdries it to a fabulous look. Maybe it depends on how awesome and outrageous your waves are? I would assume that if you wear it curly or wavy naturally then this should be the first priority when cutting it, hows it going to look when dry. Maybe ask her about her technique and politely enquire why different stylists do different things even when the hair type might be the same (ie two girls with wavy hair).




:cheese:PARTY PARTY PARTY!!!!! the cheese says PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pixiedust]

I'm a stylist, albeit a young one. I am, however, specialized in cutting curly/wavy/fine hair and very hair health conscious - if only because that is specifically my hair type, haha. (:

I can only speak from personal experience, but my last stylist would flat iron my curly hair only to texturize and only because i flat ironed it daily myself. this was done only to help guide me in styling my hair at home because if/when hair is cut dry, its going to want to lay that way when it's dry. dry cutting fine hair will likely result in tangly ends and possibly tangly roots when it starts to grow out. this is due to wavy/curly strands' tendencies to want to wrap around each other, especially when ends are uneven.

I had an extremely bad experience involving dry cutting my hair while flat ironed, but it was also razor cut so i doubt it would effect you the same way. reguardless, i prefer cutting my clients' curly/wavy hair while wet/damp, making sure there is no tension on the hair when trimming the ends (aka, I don't pull the hair down with the comb before I cut). I find this method especially useful in cutting little girls' hair because even when dry, the waves stay intact while the comb is still capable of running smoothly through the hair. I'd say you should find a stylist who's trained to cut curly/wavy hair, but's its honestly not always cost effective or worth it in general :/ I'm not sure if this was super helpful or just TMI, but I tried, haha. :)

[SoulOfTheSea]

Anytime I've ever gotten my hair cut at a salon (it's been years since my last) they have wet my hair, combed it out, and cut it like that.

[TrudieCat]

^ Same as SoulOfTheSea (nice user name, BTW :D) - stylists have always washed, combed my hair wet, then cut. They pull it completely straight when cutting it wet, between their fingers. I like having my hair cut this way, it always looks nice and even when I wear it air-dried and wavy.

I am personally skeptical of dry Deva-style cuts on wavy hair, though I'm sure the right stylist could do a wonderful job of it. My waves never seem to wave the same way twice, so the idea of cutting each curl/wave unit individually wouldn't really work out longterm for me, IMO.

[SoulOfTheSea]

^ Same as SoulOfTheSea (nice user name, BTW :D) - stylists have always washed, combed my hair wet, then cut. They pull it completely straight when cutting it wet, between their fingers. I like having my hair cut this way, it always looks nice and even when I wear it air-dried and wavy.

I am personally skeptical of dry Deva-style cuts on wavy hair, though I'm sure the right stylist could do a wonderful job of it. My waves never seem to wave the same way twice, so the idea of cutting each curl/wave unit individually wouldn't really work out longterm for me, IMO.

Oh why thank you! :D Also, I do self trims/cuts now, and I do it on my normal, dry wavy hair. Doing it this way has given me a nice hemline with no effort, and I can see it how looks when it's normal, which is what anyone would want. :)