IS THE RAZOR BAD FOR CURLY COLOR TREATED HAIR?

Well we have all met some one who has had a bad experience with a razor cut. Why is that? Is it because the razor is really that bad for the hair? Or is it because the person behind the tool needs proper training? I guess anyone can do damage even with a butter knife if they use it incorrectly.

From my personal experience, I went from being afraid of the razor to using a feather razor with a guard to a razor without a safety guard. And the journey has been quiet a learning experience especially after being told that it damages the hair. Over the years, I've been taught and mastered the art of razor cutting and want to share with you a few words and images of why and how I razor a client's hair.

My model has curly, color treated hair. Because she prefers to be a brunette with subtle high lights, I decided to place some images with an article to give my readers the full experience of a simple brunette color formula and a razor cut on thick hair with a medium curl.

My model has been a friend as well as a client for seven years from when I first moved to NYC. She has witnessed my growth first hand and we have so much fun when we get together. Our desired look is long layers with removing bulk in the hair. It must be easy to manage especially since the hot summer months are ahead. We also want her to be able to wear her hair curly or straight.

THE COLOR

My model is a natural level 4 (dark brown). I decided to place a few foils at the front of her hair and color everything else at the same time, allowing the highlights and the base color to process at the same time. I choose to use color wear by Alfaparf. It's an amazing product with great shine leaving the hair always feeling and looking so healthy. I first placed Alfaparf bleach in about 5 foils weaving a little thicker than normal. I mixed 1/2 7/3, 1/4 7/0 and 1/4 7/32 with double the amount of peroxide and applied it to the rest of the hair leaving it all on for 25 minutes. At the end of the processing time I applied heat for 5 minutes. After processing I rinsed and did a 7 minute glaze with 1/4 of 7/32 and 3/4 of 10/32 to add an even tone to the highlight.

I followed with a clear Color Wear for an amazing shine.

THE CUT
We decided to save the length on her hair cut and focus on layering and removing unwanted thickness. Starting at the back of the head I gently razored the bulk in the one area where she would miss it the least. This is important because when we look at a woman from the profile sometimes the silhouette is never following the shape of the head, which when done correctly is very feminine.

When using the razor there maybe a part of the section of the hair that I'm holding that may appear to be thinner, so I avoid cutting it. I only thin what needs thinning

As I cut the fringe I pay particular attention to creating softness without over layering the hair line. This area can be finer in texture so my focus is cutting length. Then I will carefully remove bulk where needed. Sometimes I will do the entire hair cut by scissors and do the hair line by razor.

As I go towards layering her hair I keep in mind that I want to stay away from a shape that's triangular which is normally what happens to thick hair just past the shoulder length. Using the razor at this angle allows me to focus on the heavy corners without removing length and without cutting layers at the top too short. Remember; to create height the answer is not to create super short layers on top, it's about giving a well balanced hair cut.

Because I used the razor, I decided not to dry cut her hair after. Sometimes I feel you can over cut the hair so I try to refrain from taking too muck bulk from the hair. Less is more in this case. For styling product, I decided to keep it affordable. I used Kiss My Face Hair Gel and Liquid Mousse. They work well with out being too heavy and smell great. The shine is good and did I mention affordable?
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