Hair Cut - is this weird?

[figgy1982]

Hi all
While I was living in the city studying for a few years I had an amazing hair dresser. He was very $$$ (it was a day spa as well, gorgeous place), but I always loved going there because he knew my hair (fine, with lots of cowlicks!) and always cut it well. I loved going there because I always felt great when I left. I have now moved back home to the country, and for a start kept travelling 2hrs to the city to get him to cut it, but now have started going to a friend in my home town who is a hairdresser, mainly because I feel guilty about not going to her. She is not a BFF or anything, but a friend.
What she does is weird though, well at least I think. She straightens it, then cuts it while it's dry. Even if I was to get a colour, she would dry it after rinsing out the colour, straighten it, then cut it. And while I am not a hairdresser so I'm in no position to criticise there seems to be no process to the way she cuts it. She kind of chops at the ends and randomly for the layers, which I know a lot do, but there doesn't seem to be any ryhme nor reason to it, and she doesn't even seem to do it even. It's not that its a bad hair cut, I think she does the same cut on everyone, regardless of hair type.
Was talking to my mum about it the other night and decided I might just grow the layers out (I have longish hair) and go back to my old hair dresser for a re-cut.
Sorry that was long winded which wasn't my original intention!
So the question is -
1. is it weird for a hairdresser to cut your hair while it's dry, or is it common and I just haven't come accross it before.
And
2. what would you do if your friend was a hairdresser, and you wanted to support her, but just weren't that thrilled with the cut. Like I said, it's not a bad haircut that you would look at and go OMG what did they do to your hair, its just kind of ok, and I have fine hair and a cowlick half way through my side swept bangs (among others randomly placed on my head!), so I need someone who cuts it well and knows how to work it.

 

[MissAlexisDDD]

There are hairdressers that cut hair dry, it's just not very common. As for the friend part, I'd just tell her that you loved the cut but that the other stylist knows the ins and outs of your hair to a tee. It shouldn't hurt her feelings, I know if someone told me that I wouldn't be offended in the least!

 

[kimmy]

usually hairdresser only cut curly hair when it's dry because wet hair that dries curly will look way shitty if you cut it wet. some people do cut all hair dry though, it just isn't very common. straightening it first though? that's weird imho, i have never heard of anyone doing that.

i don't think she'll be offended if you just tell her flat out like alexis said. i know i wouldn't be.

 

[InspiredBlue]

Cutting hair dry is something that is done, but from what I understand it's more difficult. Whether you hairdresser actually is any good at dry cutting is a whole other question.
Either way straightening hair first seems like a bad idea, since then the cut wouldn't follow your natural texture. In order for it to look like it did at the hair dressers, you'd have to straighten your hair every single day, and that doesn't seem like a practical hairstyle.

 

[ShortnSassy]

dry cutting is one technique when it comes to cutting hair, but personally i find that it's hard to get a precision cut with dry hair. most stylists i know who do use dry cutting do the majority of the haircut on wet hair and then do the texturizing on dry hair so they can see what the hair is doing and where it naturally falls. that being said, the fact that she's straightening it first and THEN cutting it (in my opinion) defeats the whole purpose of the dry cutting technique. i would say if she gave you an amazing haircut, don't worry about it. but the fact that you're really not that happy with your hair means you need to move on to a different stylist.

i wouldn't worry too much about hurting her feelings. she wasn't your initial stylist to begin with... you were seeing someone on a regular basis before her. i would just not book appointments with her anymore and if she happens to ask why you don't book with her, just say something like "i missed my old stylist, we got along great and i decided to start going to him again". there's nothing wrong with that! it's part of the business of hairdressing.

good luck!

 

[figgy1982]

Thanks everyone for your advice!
I'm so surprised to hear that others do cut dry - to be honest I was starting to wonder if she did it because maybe it was easier or something (not that I know anything about cutting hair!). She hasn't been a hairdresser for long, probably qualified for a couple of years, and the girl that taught her that she did her apprenticeship with, well I have never liked either of the haircuts that they have had themselves, which is why I always stayed with mine in the city.
I like your idea ShortnSassy, I tell her that I miss him - she's pretty cool, so hopefully she takes it well. As much as I would like to support her, my hair isn't something I want to mess with - luckily it grows really fast!
I have kind of wavy hair, it dries wavy, so unless I straighten it - which I rarely do, or blow dry it straight, I don't think the layers are going to look right. Like you said InspiredBlue - not a practical style to have if you have to straighten it everyday - which i certainly don't!

Thanks again everyone!!

 

[COBI]

I go to two salons: a local one and one that I found last year while visiting where I grew up.

The local salon uses "traditional" wet cutting. The second salon (in a small city), she has been trained in dry cutting. I have been going to the one that is 90 minutes away more often now than the local one.

A google search will bring up lots of information on wet, dry and combo methods, theories and comparisons. The overall vibe seems to be that dry cutting requires more skill, results in better styling and is being introduced at more and more high-end salons. It would seem (from some of the articles) that dry-cutting is not taught in school and stylists need to find other means of training or apprentice.

 

[purrtykitty]

I recently got my hair cut and the stylist cut the length and the general shape while my hair was wet, then dried it and did the finer detailing while it was dry. Then she straightened it and did the finishing snips to even it out while it was styled.

I'd just go with who you're more comfortable with. Honestly, when I pay to get my color done, I go to one guy, but he's just not great with cuts. I think I'll go back to the girl that recently cut my hair because she cut it exactly how I wanted. No shame in going to two different people. Maybe use your friend if you just need a quick trim, and the other guy for major cuts.

 

[GLAMORandGORE]

i cut most of the bulk when the hair is wet, then dry it and go in and detail the cut. you should be honest with your friend, because if not, how will she grow as a stylist?

 

[ruthless]

This idea is for people on a budget, or if your stylist lives 2 hours away.

Go to your fave dude and get the cut you like-when you need a trim in a few weeks go to the girl and say "See how this is done? I need you to replicate this cut" wet, dry whatevs if she can get the job done fine. You can go to the good guy who is far away a couple times a year and use her for touch ups.

If not go without the trim and keep planning day trips for your hair.

If feelings are involved, maybe go to your quasi friend hairdresser for a blow out every once in a while? That way you can maintain your service linked relationship (I hate those personally, I don't want someone I have any kind of social relationship doing services of any kind on my person) just explain you aren't getting your hair cut at that time.