Thinning shears on dry hair vs wet - which side are you on?

Had a dude come in last Tuesday with super thick hair and I spent 45 minutes thinning it dry with my shears, still wasn't happy with the blend. My mentor swears by doing it wet but I've always done dry, now I'm wondering if I've been wasting time this whole six years. Anyone else go back and forth on this or got a solid reason one way's better?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_wyatt1mo ago

I remember reading something from a old-school barber who said wet hair is easier to see the texture and weight lines, which stuck with me. Thinning dry hides the real shape because the hair bounces around and lies differently, so you might be fighting an invisible battle. I'd say give wet a shot on your next thick client, it could save you that extra 20 minutes of second-guessing the blend.

the_robin1mo ago

Yeah, the "invisible battle" thing really hits home. I had a client a few months ago with super thick, coarse hair and I kept going back and forth dry, thinking I was evening things out. Turns out I was just chasing shadows because the dry hair was sitting all bouncy and unpredictable. Once I wet it down, everything snapped into place and I could actually see the weight lines like you said. It's wild how much time you waste guessing when the water just shows you the truth. I'm never going back on thick hair now, wet cuts are the only way to stop second guessing.