Somebody please clarify.....
- Thread starter IMFOCSD
- Start date
lboogie2679
New Member
I thought that it was the opposite.
silverlotus
Well-Known Member
Yea, I dont see how hair can look "dry" when it's wet. Not sure tho, hopefully someone more knowleadgeable will chime in.
I've had my hair trimmed both wet and dry & it doesn't seem to make much difference. I did have a hairdresser tell me once that I would lose less length trimming it wet. (I guess since the hair is stretched out?
)
Legend
Trichological Alchemist
I think it is.
You can see the damage much better when hair is dry. If you're getting a precision cut, maybe wet is better.
erplexed But, for a maintenance trim, I believe it's best done when the hair is dry. Then again, maybe each stylist has their personal preferences. But--and this is just my personal experience--when my hair was cut some years while wet, the stylist took off way too much hair than was needed--more than just the damaged ends. I was ticked!
Never again. 
IMFOCSD
Well-Known Member
Hi ladies
Thanks for responding...I should have added more detail as to what I think they meant. I will just give an example: When I air dry my hair I notice that my ends are the first to dry and I do notice that the ends of my hair that has dried looks split, uneven, damaged and raggedy so I blew the rest of my hair dry (cool setting) I made a side part and flat ironed my hair straight. Starting in the mid/back of my hair I started to trim and worked my way around until my ends were nice and even. A couple days later I washed/air-dried and some parts of my ends still looked slightly damaged but since I previously trimmed my ends it was not that much. I took it as an indication that I need to trim a little more, which I will probably do sometime next month after my relaxer.
I hope I clarified myself a little better...so does this make sense or does hair ends always dry looking...basically unhealthy?
Thanks for responding...I should have added more detail as to what I think they meant. I will just give an example: When I air dry my hair I notice that my ends are the first to dry and I do notice that the ends of my hair that has dried looks split, uneven, damaged and raggedy so I blew the rest of my hair dry (cool setting) I made a side part and flat ironed my hair straight. Starting in the mid/back of my hair I started to trim and worked my way around until my ends were nice and even. A couple days later I washed/air-dried and some parts of my ends still looked slightly damaged but since I previously trimmed my ends it was not that much. I took it as an indication that I need to trim a little more, which I will probably do sometime next month after my relaxer.
I hope I clarified myself a little better...so does this make sense or does hair ends always dry looking...basically unhealthy?
Legend
Trichological Alchemist
Ahhhh, that is clearer.
Ends are the oldest, most damaged part of your hair so they tend to look raggedy quickly. I, too, find mine tends to be more porous and dries quickly, but because they are not splitting, I just leave them alone as I don't particularly keep my ends even anyway. I haven't trimmed or even dusted my hair since Aug. 2006. My big question is: are you trimming for aesthetic reasons, or are your ends truly damaged/splitting? Maybe it's both?
That is just to say, trust your own judgment on how you'd like your hair trimmed and what you are comfortable with. I don't think either method is nessesarily incorrect.
Close examination of your tips - while dry - is crucial. If your ends are just especially porous and raggedy-looking (I know mine can be
), adjusting your products and styling methods may help tremendously. For example, to keep my ends smooth and correct porosity, I do wet sets using TIGI Ego Boost and Lottabody. It’s like night and day. 
Sistaslick
New Member
I personally would not trim wet hair for a few reasons.
1.) It can actually mess up your (new)ends you create, leaving them more vulnerable to splitting later on. That is especially true if your scissors are cheapies, non-hair shears, or need to be sharpened. I think of it like cutting wet paper vs. dry.
2.) Also, you get a better feeling of the final length result on dry hair. If you trim on wet hair, you'll see one length and then when the hair dries, it's typically much shorter than you would have expected due to shrinkage.
3.) I think for straighter hair types, wet cutting wouldn't be as problemaic. But for those of us with curl patterns that aren't exactly uniform and those of us that are either relaxed or color treated, we have to think about the porosity and texture differences throughout our hair. Some areas might lengthen more when exposed to water than others. More porous areas will lengthen the most, less porous areas will resist that extra lengthening. Tighter coiled areas may not "release their curls" fully, like looser areas would. If you use your wet hair as a guide, you may end up uneven in some places.
Finally, if you are some weeks post relaxer, you have to take into consideration the differing growth rates in different areas, too. I'd make sure to straighten or relax first then trim.
1.) It can actually mess up your (new)ends you create, leaving them more vulnerable to splitting later on. That is especially true if your scissors are cheapies, non-hair shears, or need to be sharpened. I think of it like cutting wet paper vs. dry.
2.) Also, you get a better feeling of the final length result on dry hair. If you trim on wet hair, you'll see one length and then when the hair dries, it's typically much shorter than you would have expected due to shrinkage.
3.) I think for straighter hair types, wet cutting wouldn't be as problemaic. But for those of us with curl patterns that aren't exactly uniform and those of us that are either relaxed or color treated, we have to think about the porosity and texture differences throughout our hair. Some areas might lengthen more when exposed to water than others. More porous areas will lengthen the most, less porous areas will resist that extra lengthening. Tighter coiled areas may not "release their curls" fully, like looser areas would. If you use your wet hair as a guide, you may end up uneven in some places.
Finally, if you are some weeks post relaxer, you have to take into consideration the differing growth rates in different areas, too. I'd make sure to straighten or relax first then trim.
IMFOCSD
Well-Known Member
Ahhhh, that is clearer.
Ends are the oldest, most damaged part of your hair so they tend to look raggedy quickly. I, too, find mine tends to be more porous and dries quickly, but because they are not splitting, I just leave them alone as I don't particularly keep my ends even anyway. I haven't trimmed or even dusted my hair since Aug. 2006. My big question is: are you trimming for aesthetic reasons, or are your ends truly damaged/splitting? Maybe it's both?
That is just to say, trust your own judgment on how you'd like your hair trimmed and what you are comfortable with. I don't think either method is nessesarily incorrect.
Close examination of your tips - while dry - is crucial. If your ends are just especially porous and raggedy-looking (I know mine can be
Thanks Legend,
I trimmed my ends because they looked damaged while wet and dry, but when I let it air dry my ends looked super damaged,split and raggedy...I personally can judge better on wet hair...not sopping wet but as the hair is drying the ends looked bad. My ends were also tangly. I should also add that I do not have a specific product line...don't really know how important this is.
IMFOCSD
Well-Known Member
Hey, I was just thinking of you, I would not trim my hair while wet but I'm saying that I can see the damaged ends easier on wet hair...now let me go back and read your post....
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Sistaslick
New Member
Ohh, okay. How are you determining that they are damaged Sweet? Is it by looking at your wet hemline? Or is it from actually looking at the shafts there? Most ends do look a little thinner when wet. They may not be damaged per se'. I'd hate for you to whack off hair just for that.
IMFOCSD
Well-Known Member
thanks Sistaslick,
As soon as I step out the shower from washing/wetting my hair my ends are dry, and look extremely damaged, raggedy and split...just plain ole unhealthy.
I wish I could take pictures, I trimmed my ends last week sometime so they don't look as bad as they did but I feel I may need to trim a little more. I know your ends can frizz up during air drying but my ends looked terrible and they were tangled thats why I decided to trim...on dry hair of course. How does healthy air dried ends look? I may decide to do small dustings until my ends look better, which will mean that I am going to be stuck at this length...but O well.
I'm somewhat confused...
Soliel185
New Member
Actually I've heard that it should be always be done on wet hair unless you have naturally curly hair. If you go to a high end salon or even watch some of these makeover shows they always trim it wet. Curly hair is the exception b/c it shrinks as it dries and the hair's wet appearance can be deceiving. I think this is because you can get wet hair to lie flat and smooth so you can see the uneveness more readily. I personally never trim straight across. I twist a section of hair and then trim all the ends that stick out. This way I get rid of splits while not greatly affecting my length, and I don't have to worry about it coming out uneven. I forget where I read that though.. 
IMFOCSD
Well-Known Member
Actually I've heard that it should be always be done on wet hair unless you have naturally curly hair. If you go to a high end salon or even watch some of these makeover shows they always trim it wet. Curly hair is the exception b/c it shrinks as it dries and the hair's wet appearance can be deceiving. I think this is because you can get wet hair to lie flat and smooth so you can see the uneveness more readily. I personally never trim straight across. I twist a section of hair and then trim all the ends that stick out. This way I get rid of splits while not greatly affecting my length, and I don't have to worry about it coming out uneven. I forget where I read that though..
thanks solie
I trim straight across because my hair is basically one length. I am always open to new ideas/techniques I can try...so you twist your hair and trim...I'm trying to picture that in my head....no luck, but thanks anyway.
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