Hairstylists On Instagram Are Bringing Back The Razor Cut – & We're Into It

When it comes to hair trends, we've been spoilt for choice this summer.

Strandlighting was the first on our radar and the secret of the ultra clever technique is in the name: dyeing just a pinch of hair strands instead of a whole lock of hair for a subtle, natural balayage effect. Yep, sold.

Then came super sharp blunt ends. Championed by hairstylists all over the globe, from LA to Australia, the cut moved away from the wispy, ethereal look typical of the season and radiated a sense of edgy cool instead.

But it looks like there's a newbie on the block. Enter: the razor cut.

Okay, so it's not exactly brand spanking new. In fact, you probably remember your mum dragging you to the salon back in the day to have her hair styled using the exact same technique, which takes a blunt razor to the hair instead of a sharp pair of scissors to carve out layers and give hair dimension.

But this time round, it's much less '80s mullet and a hell of a lot more chic, and if Instagram is anything to go by, the trend is once again taking the hairdressing world by storm, bringing us a hoard of seriously stylish cuts and finishes in the process.

So what does the retro technique entail and why has it come full circle?

"Razor cutting is certainly an older styling technique, but I think the look is making a comeback as the trends turn to softer, more rock’n’roll styles, inspired by the likes of Arizona Muse and Jenna Dewan," says award-winning hairstylist and colourist, Jason Collier.

"Razor cutting is all about creating a lighter texture in the hair that looks free and easy, rather than blunt or chunky," he continues. "There are no blunt edges in the hair, just soft tapering and dreamy lines. There are definite retro vibes with this look à la Jennifer Aniston and 'The Rachel' cut, but to make the look contemporary, it’s about taking inspiration from those styles and modernising them, to make sure that the finished vibe is soft, bohemian and a little bit edgy, rather than fully vintage or stuck in the past."

Sounds pretty great. Even better? It's perfect for those with thicker, fuller, longer hair types, which are typically a little harder to style.

"I would definitely recommend the razor cutting technique for girls with long or thick, heavy hair, to lighten it up and give it a looseness and a great sense of movement," says Jason. "The technique is quite clever because it removes bulk and provides a softness to thick hair that’s almost impossible to achieve otherwise. It's also great to use on fringes, especially if you want a softer fringe rather than a Zooey Deschanel-style blunt set of bangs. Just remember to employ the technique sparingly, to ensure that the hair still looks polished rather than straggly."

If you have thinner hair, opting for a razor cut might not be the right technique for you, though.

"I think girls with thinner hair are best sticking to traditional scissor-cut layers," advises Jason. "This is because you need to be more careful with the distribution of weight in thinner hair types. Razor cutting fine hair can make it look droopy and flat, so you’re better to opt for long layers to give weight and movement to the hair in this instance."

This is something Sam Burnett, creative director at Hare & Bone seconds. "A razor hair cut will not grow out as well as a technically approached scissor cut so those with thinner hair should not opt for this technique," he says, and if done wrong, it could result in split ends.

Got it.

Now, a lot of us are known to skip the salon entirely and attempt to cut our own hair. What can we say – salon-grade scissors are in abundance on Amazon. But Jason recommends leaving razor cutting to the professionals – and for good reason.

"I always recommend going to your hairdresser, whatever the circumstances," stresses Jason. "Razor cutting might seem like an easy technique in theory, but there’s lots of things that could go wrong. At the end of the day, you’re taking a blunt blade to the hair, and if you’re attempting to do this yourself, you could very easily hit the wrong angle or cut too high, and as we all know, you can’t stick hair back on! Put yourself in the hands of an expert for any kind of restyle, for peace of mind that the finished look will be something you’ll love."

Now if you'll excuse us, we're off to book a salon appointment...