Why is it advised to avoid cutting wet hair with scissors?

Cutting wet hair is generally advised against because when hair is wet, it has a tendency to stretch. This stretching can create the illusion of length, leading to potential misjudgments in the cutting process. As a stylist cuts wet hair, they may inadvertently adjust the length based on how the hair appears while wet, which can result in an uneven cut once the hair dries and contracts back to its natural state. This phenomenon can be particularly problematic for precision hairstyles that require accurate lengths and shapes.

In contrast, while hair can indeed become tangled when wet, and it may take longer to dry, these factors do not directly impact the accuracy or evenness of the cut as significantly as the stretching of wet hair does. The management of wet hair, while it presents its own challenges, is not the primary concern regarding the cutting process itself. Hence, understanding the behavior of wet hair in relation to cutting techniques is crucial for achieving the desired results in hair styling.