We know that hair health is important to clients and home-friendly DIY cuts like hair dusting can be tempting, so we asked the pros what they really think about the technique.
What is Hair Dusting?
Hair dusting is a maintenance technique that allows you to cut split ends without losing as much length as a traditional trim. The point is to refresh locks to give healthy looking ends, but cutting hair at home requires a lot of preparation and technical ability and the internet is full of influencers and tutorials explaining how clients can do this at home. The question is, should they?
What The Pros Really Think
We spoke to Global Brand Ambassador for Fudge Hair, Jonathan Andrew, who told us that in the right context and circumstance in-salon dusting does help the hair grow longer. "What I find tends to happen is people who want their hair to grow, let it grow naturally and they leave it alone. They go to a hairdresser, and they sit down and are met with the damage that’s happened."
Getting the client's hair back to a healthy state usually involves cutting off more than they would like so that there is a perfect base to work from. "I tend to work with a lot of my clients by taking off the minimum of what is needed to come off so that they never feel that their hair is getting shorter. But they have to agree to come back for those regular trims and by the time they get to the point where they want to be, they’re at the length they want to be, they’ve never really experienced a drastic haircut and their hair comes back thicker and fuller, purely because we are just working and taking off the ends and letting the rest grow down," Jonathan says.
It's also important for clients to understand products and find a healthy routine for their hair. "I think dustings definitely do work, but the client has to understand the steps and the implications of just doing that. Condition is more important, products are more important and consistency of trims is paramount for that to work," Jonathan adds.
Christopher Laird, co-owner of November Collective, tells us: "Hair dusting is a fairly old technique that has seen a resurgence thanks to it trending on social media. Precision is key here, so it is a very time-consuming service." He adds: "It’s not actually a service I advocate – instead I would encourage my clients to look at their haircare regime away from the salon, and really invest in some at-home treatments to restore moisture and improve the health of their hair. Combined with regular trims, clients will feel and see the difference."
What Should I Tell Clients?
Let your clients know if you offer hair dusting in-salon so they can be reassured of a safe and quick tidy-up without having to worry about losing their length. It is a good maintenance technique but they should also consider other haircare techniques to avoid split ends such as avoiding applying heat, bleach and friction by brushing too harshly or rubbing wet hair with a towel.
Speaking of haircare, here's all the haircare routines you need to know that suits your client's hair type.