 Without fail it seems, every few years we learn of another US based hairdresser claiming to have 'invented' a new way to cut curly hair. This time around it's called a 'Rezo Cut' and claims to be salvation for anyone wanting volume and length. As an individual who has been working with curls for over 30 years, these 'new' methods are anything but and certainly aren't necessary to achieve the things they claim to. Alas, we are now waist deep in this social media hyped era where people go to great lengths to promote themselves with the hope of driving greater success their way. Trouble is, when it comes to anything curl related, the consuming public often gets caught up in this online hype and believes that it is actually possible to 'discover' a new way to cut hair. I am writing to tell you this is all complete nonsense. While there certainly are different approaches for cutting different hair textures and shapes, the road to effective proficiency with them is an entirely fluid process and not something which any one individual can claim to have ever invented. To do so, reeks of ego and ignorance. To be fair, compared to the massively flawed cutting methods of Curly Girl and Deva, Rezo is indeed significantly better, but its supposed method isn't anything new either. It simply is a means of executing increased shape and volume into a cut -- something those who can cut hair well have been doing for a long, long time. Here's a truth. Many people who have been successfully cutting hair well for a significant amount of time (decades) will likely develop a way of cutting which in small ways, is unique as they themselves are. When working with hand held tools for a living, this is often the case. This doesn't mean that their personal evolution in cutting is new or an invention. It's simply is a tweak of something that has already been done somewhere on this planet by someone at some time. It's cutting hair after all, not modern pharmacology.
Those who practice the Rezo method also claim that it can straighten well too without the unevenness of a Deva cut. To be perfectly clear, the unevenness of both Curly Girl and Deva is a well known flaw inherent to both those methods and something which I've harped on about for years. That fact that this Rezo method claims to now have fixed that issue is laughable. From my perspective and experience, it was never an issue to begin with if you knew how to cut hair well. That said, not every well executed curly cut is going to, by default, straighten out perfectly. To that point, I don't state that they can. They might - and in lots of situations they do, but since I don't actively encourage the abuse of irons, I don't guarantee it. Overall, my clients aren't typically the sort that want it both ways, it's why they are seeking a curl 'specialist' to begin with. While we're at it, it is absolutely worth pointing out here that with each of these supposedly newfangled methods, never once is it mentioned that they (the shapes) in fact, grow out exceedingly well. This is, above all else, the most important criteria of any and every quality haircut. A client who is excited about the possibility of new cut solving their concerns needs to be acutely aware that a haircut isn't an article of clothing. It grows. It changes. It evolves over the months. This reality has been the unrelenting foundation of my work for the entirety of my career. A cut which falls apart shortly after it has been performed and doesn't grow out well is a failure. Lives are busier and time restrictive as ever. Heading to get a haircut isn't something which should need to be done all the time. A haircut which is designed properly will not only be flattering and supportive to one's natural texture, but also endure for a extensive period of time. This should be non-negotiable for every modern woman. The fact all these 'new' methods don't mention this is a worry. For any woman who has struggled to find someone who can cut their curly hair in a supportive manner, the notion of a new 'discovery' by some far away hairdresser with a social media presence can be an alluring proposition of salvation. It's no wonder I receive the messages I do from clients who thirst to have what they believe to be the latest best thing they read online somewhere. Again, they need to separate reality from online hype and understand that cutting hair isn't that complex a task which necessitates new discoveries every few years. Human hair has not evolved in the last decade, let alone the last 2000 years. I have spent more than 30 years actively evolving a means of cutting hair which supports all manner of curls equally. Have my methods changed and become better over the years? Absolutely they have. Is anything I do with a pair of scissors 'new' or never been done before? Of course not! Now, my clients often tell me they haven't had anyone cut their hair the way I do, but that doesn't mean that what I am doing to their hair is at all 'new'. It may be new for them, but in the larger scale of history it is not. What about my approach and philosophy - my way of working and engaging with clients? That I know to be quite different from anything I've come across. Still, it probably isn't 'new' as such and I certainly didn't 'invent' anything. I just aim to have the client experience be much more supportive than what a conventional hairdresser or salon would likely ever think to offer. At the end of the day, a client needs to be able to communicate effectively with me in order to have the best chance at us both feeling satisfied and happy with the result -- on the day and even more so, in the weeks and months ahead. My cutting methods are as refined and successfully proven as one can find anywhere on this planet and certainly so within Australia. And well, they certainly should as it has been my entire professional focus to cut the type of hair I do better than anyone else, anywhere. Am I and my work always perfect though? Certainly not! I am human after all. One needs be mindful that the actual act of cutting of one's hair along with the complex emotional resonances connected to it aren't an exact science. That stated, I do take exceptional care to ensure the odds of success are about as high as they possibly can be. This approach contributes greatly to the success that I have achieved. Regardless of the methods used to get there, as long as we both work together in a supportive and open manner, there is no better chance at being happy with your hair than in my chair. While online comments are always closed, I encourage any readers to email me their thoughts directly. I will always respond in kind. Comments are closed.
|