Razor cutting can produce easy, flawless looks, but they can also spell disaster for you and your client if you don't know how to handle your razor properly. Waving that baby around may look easy, but there are important razor cutting rules to live by. I've created a list of commandments that will produce flawless razor cutting results, every time. Read on to become a master of the razor cut.
1. Wet 'er Down!
I don't care where you've seen someone do it.....don't cut dry hair with a razor! Always razor hair when it is wet. This is one of the most important rules when razor cutting. Using your razor on dry hair will result in torn and jagged edges, though this damage will be microscopic at first, as the hair grows out you will see that the hair develops split ends much faster and will have an overall frizzy look. Wet hair allows the razor to move though it smoothly and gently and you will always have a cleaner cut when you do it this way.2. Continuous Motions
When using your razor, remember to use it gracefully. The razor is a sharp and powerful object and if you come at the hair the wrong way, you can damage it. Celebrity hair stylist and master of the razor cut, Nick Arrojo, has this great tip, “When razor cutting, get the actual razor action going before you reach the hair to eliminate jaggedness,” he advises. “If you start moving before you make contact with the hair, each hair will be smooth and lay softly on top of each other.”3. Sharpen Up
Not only is it important for you to find a razor that you feel comfortable using, but it's just as important, if not more, to continuously change your blades. Yes you can do twenty hair cuts with the same razor, but only the first few are going to look good. Change your blades every two or three hair cuts to insure that you're getting a clean smooth cut, every time. You loose the whole beautiful effect of the razor when you're using a dull one. Great news is, replacement razors are cheap and a pack usually comes with a dozen or so, so you have no excuses to get caught with a dull blade!4. Practice Again and Again
It took me awhile to warm up to the razor, but once I did, I couldn't imagine cutting hair without it. Point is, if you've tried using a razor a few times, but don't know what all the hype is about, then you're probably not using it right! Sorry to be so blunt, but practice makes perfect, and this is one tool that definitely takes some getting used to. Watch your coworkers or check out videos online to get the hang of the razor in action. Also, don't be afraid to use the razor on different types of hair textures, you'd be surprised how versatile the razor can be.
Here is a gallery of razor cuts to show you the endless possibilities.
