Throughout my career, I've always taken interest in the divide amongst haircutters who have a preference for wet or dry cutting. In most cases, I've heard great arguments for why one is superior to the other. I've gone through phases of experimentation with both and have concluded that there are certain variables at play when cutting hair dry vs. wet and vice versa. Let's take a look at the benefits of each more closely.

Cutting Wet Hair 

Cutting wet hair offers you a great deal of control. This may be necessary when working with heavier densities and coarser textures that may prove problematic when cutting dry. The moisture in the hair acts as both a lubricant and adhesive, binding hair and acting as a sort of detangler, making it easier to part and secure. Wet hair also has greater elasticity than dry hair. This helps the hair to stretch more, resulting in strong shapes that are retained for long periods of time. It is also the recommended method for those precision cuts. As for the downsides, cutting hair wet takes some effort as often you will still have to check the hair when it is dry, which takes time. Wet cutting sometimes makes hair look choppy once it has been dried. This is a balancing act that most stylists encounter. Ask if wet cutting is best for your look and finished style.

Cutting Dry Hair

Cutting dry hair allows your stylist to create softer shapes more easily. In most cases cutting hair, dry allows your stylist to create shape and texturize at the same time. This can be done by pointing or notching into it, a process that is slightly more difficult with wet hair because of its binding properties. Cutting hair dry is ideal for refinement as the effects can be measured in real-time without the weight of moisture, as the hair lives where it is cut. It is for this reason many hairdressers have a preference for cutting hair dry. Trimming, low densities and finer textures are also good conditions for dry cutting as they require less control and may be more easily handled. Maybe a client is reluctant to have their hair cut at all. Dry cutting is a great way to minimize the amount of hair taken off and could be a better fit for these clients than wet cutting. Lastly, cutting hair dry can be done at a fast pace so don’t think the stylist is just being lazy or short of time. Dry cutting often takes greater skill and talent.

There are pros and cons for both wet and dry cutting, and although the case can be made for choosing one over the other, I've found a lot of control in using both when the situation calls for it. Ask the question of your stylist and decide which one or if both might be the magic approach to tame your amazing locks.

Remember your hair is your #1 fashion accessory!

Hardwood flooring is one of the best decisions you can make when it comes to interior home design, as it is a product that never goes out of style. It’s easy to assume that all hardwood flooring is the same when it comes to durability, but this is actually quite far from the truth. Hardwood’s actual hardness is measured by something called the Janka hardness scale. Let’s take a look at what the Janka scale is and how it works.

What is the Janka Hardness Scale?

The Janka hardness scale is a way of measuring the hardness of a given piece of hardwood. It was invented in the year 1906 by an Austrian wood researcher named Gabriel Janka, and it is an adaptation of the Brinell hardness test for metals. In order to better understand the Janka scale, you first need to know how the Brinell test works. The Brinell hardness test is used to test metal materials that are too coarse or rough to be tested by other means. The test involves a steel ball with a 10mm diameter being pressed into the material’s surface under 3,000 kgs of pressure. The resulting indentation is then examined to determine the hardness of the material.

How Does the Janka Hardness Scale Work?

The Janka hardness scale works in a very similar way to the Brinell test. It measures the pounds of force (lbf) it takes to drive an 11.28 mm diameter steel ball halfway into the surface of a slab of hardwood. A test done on the surface of a board, perpendicular to the grain is called a test of “side hardness”, while the same test being performed on the cut surface of a stump is called a test of “end hardness”. Every hardwood board will not yield the same test result, seeing as the hardness of wood varies with the direction of the wood grain, and will be different from one board to another. While durability issues come up when we look at different types of wood grains, there is usually not much deviation when it comes to differences in separate types of wood material, as estimates usually find the difference to be about plus or minus 10%.

Why is a Janka Hardness Rating Important?

First of all, engineered hardwood has a better reaction when it comes to both temperature and humidity. There are many reasons why companies prefer engineering flooring, it can be built and modified to be longer-lasting, more durable, and more cost-effective than some of its contemporaries. That's not the end of the story, however, so let's take a look at more of the differences.

In order to install Hardwood flooring, it is required that the floor be nailed into the ground. This is not the case with engineered floors however as glue can be used, or in some cases, staples. So far, we are painting a picture together that highlights engineered flooring as the winner of this battle but there are still two sides to this story. 

Let's say that you have been using a hardwood floor for over 20 years in your home. The chances are that by then it may start to lose its original finish. A tremendous benefit to Hardwood floors is that they can be easily sanded and refinished. This is not the case with engineered wood floors as the amount of true wood surface that on has to work with is limited in comparison.

Hardwood flooring will typically cost more money than its engineered counterpart. However, this is not always the case as there are many different kinds of materials that can be used to construct an Engineered Wood floor. One of the benefits of Hardwood is that it has a reliable material that one can expect to last for decades on end. This is not to downplay engineered hardwood, however, as there are many brands that offer tremendous quality and value for the product.