Cutting Methods

Without fail it seems, every few years we learn of another hairdresser claiming to have 'invented' a new way to cut curly hair. Funny how it's always an American right? Interestingly, never an Italian, a German or a Dane. Anyway, 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 supposed new methods are anything but and certainly aren't necessary to achieve the things they claim to.

In this our oversaturated and obsessive social media era, 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. Before diving in too deep, it is important the following is stated right upfront. There are many different methods of cutting hair, and each can resolve positively for everyone involved. My method of cutting is not the one which should be branded, patented and used on everyone, nor is anyone else's. Each method has the potential for success if its results can make someone happy. Don't ever believe there is one singular way that is 'best' for everyone. As stated elsewhere on this blog, absolute, one-size-fits-all positions are limiting. Despite what the loudest, most popular groups state there are many roads to hair happiness. The key to being happy with your hair is finding someone who will listen to what your needs are and how you actually live with your hair day-to-day. While there certainly are different approaches for cutting different hair textures and shapes, the road to proficiency with them is an entirely fluid and evolving process and not something which a single individual can claim to have ever invented. To do so, reeks of ego and ignorance.

Now, about Rezo. Yes, compared to the rather one-dimensional cutting methods of the Deva cutting method, Rezo seems significantly better, but that doesn't mean that what it offers is new. It simply is a means of achieving increased shape and volume into a cut. Truth be told, this is something anyone who can cut hair well for more than 20 years has understood been likely been doing for a long, long time. Also, people who have been successful with a pair of scissors will likely develop a way of cutting which, in small ways, is unique as they themselves are. This however doesn't mean that their personal evolution in cutting is new or an invention as such. It's simply is a personalised 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 their haircuts can also straighten well, without the unevenness of a Deva cut. To be perfectly clear, the unevenness in a Deva cut is a well-known flaw inherent to the method. That fact that the Rezo method claims to have resolved that issue is strange. From my perspective and experience, this was never an issue if you knew how to cut hair well. It really does seem that the somewhere in the last 20 years, a lot of hairdressers have forgotten how to cut hair well, either that or they never learned in the first place. Regarding straightening a good curly cut, many won't straighten out perfectly. Some might - and in lots of situations they do, but I never guarantee it. That said, many of my clients aren't typically the sort that wants it both ways, it's why they are seeking a curl specialist in the first place. In the future, this may change though.

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 grow out well. This, above all else, is the most important criteria of every good haircut. After all., hair grows. It changes. It evolves over the months. This reality has been the foundation of my work for the entirety of my career. Any haircut which fails to grow out well or stops performing too quickly is not a good haircut. 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 an extensive period of time. This should be non-negotiable for every modern person. The fact all these 'new' methods don't mention this is a worry.

For any client 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 some complex task which needs 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 developing a means of cutting hair which supports all the different textures and types of hair I work with. 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 on the larger scale of history, it is not. What about my approach and philosophy or manner in which I engage with clients? While that may seem different, I certainly didn't invent anything there either. I just aim to have the client experience be much more supportive than what a conventional hairdresser or salon would 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 first 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. They certainly should be as it has been my entire professional focus. Are the results of all this effort perfect? Certainly not. I am human after all. That said, I do take exceptional care to ensure the odds of success are about as high as they possibly can be before starting. 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 of being happy with your hair than in my chair.
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