PSA: I was wrong about using a razor on dry hair

For years, my old boss at the salon in Tacoma told me, 'Never, ever take a razor to dry hair, you'll ruin the ends.' I thought she was just stuck in her ways. I saw a stylist on Instagram doing these amazing textured, piecey cuts with a razor on dry hair and the results looked so modern. I tried it on a mannequin head last Tuesday, thinking I could control it. It was a total mess. The razor grabbed and tore instead of slicing, and the ends looked fried and split, not soft. I had to cut off about two inches to fix it. She was completely right, the hair needs that slip from being damp to work. Has anyone found a way to get that textured look without breaking the basic rule?

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3 Comments

betty_palmer6mo ago

Your boss gave outdated advice lol. A sharp razor on dry hair works fine if you know the right angle. That stylist on Instagram probably uses a specific technique you missed.

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the_pat6mo ago

Dry cutting with a razor is a huge risk for most stylists. The margin for error is tiny and can cause serious damage to the hair. That Instagram technique likely requires perfect conditions most salons can't guarantee. Your boss's advice is about protecting the client from a bad result, not being outdated. It's safer to follow proven methods that work for everyone, not just experts on social media.

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robertgreen6mo ago

Tried that dry razor trick once on a client. Ended up with a chunk of hair way shorter than planned. Stick with wet cutting unless you've practiced it a ton on mannequins first.

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