Dry Cutting

Dry cutting means your hair is cut in the state you actually wear it — dry, with its natural texture, weight and movement on show. Nothing is hidden by water weight, so your stylist can see exactly where a curl springs, where the hair kicks out, and where the weight is dragging the shape down.

It's a technique rather than a different haircut, and it suits texture and movement particularly well because your stylist can adjust as they go and see the result immediately.

• Consultation with your hair dry and worn as normal
• Cutting into dry hair to shape texture and movement
• Weight removed where the hair sits heavy
• Real-time adjustment as the shape develops
• Finishing and styling guidance

Allow about 45 minutes. Come with clean, dry hair styled as you normally wear it — this is important, because the cut is built on how your hair genuinely behaves.

Your stylist cuts into the dry hair in sections, stepping back regularly to check the balance and movement, and adjusts as the shape takes form.

Wavy, curly and textured hair, and anyone whose haircuts have come out shorter or bulkier than expected when cut wet. It also suits fine hair that needs weight removed precisely rather than length taken off.

Care for the result according to your texture — curls generally prefer moisture and minimal brushing, while straighter hair benefits from a lighter product. Avoid over-washing, and let hair dry naturally when you can to keep the shape your stylist built.

Dry cuts grow out softly, so you can usually go six to eight weeks between visits.

• Arrive with dry hair, styled as you normally wear it — not freshly washed and slicked back
• Don't straighten curly hair before a dry cut; your stylist needs to see the curl
• Tell your stylist which parts of your hair frustrate you day to day, so they can cut for that
• If you've had wet cuts that came out too short, mention it — dry cutting often solves that