Shoutout to the old barber in Tulsa who showed me the 3-pass trick on a kid's double crown
Last week a 9 year old sat in my chair with a double crown that always sticks up, and I was about to grab the clippers when the 68 year old guy at the shop on 5th walked over. He told me to keep the hair wet, cut with the grain first, then go against it just on the cowlick with a #2 guard, and that kid walked out with the flattest top I have ever done. Do you all cut cowlicks dry or wet, because I am still not sure which way gives a cleaner blend.
Kept reading this over because I cut cowlicks wet for years and I have to say I mostly disagree with the dry crowd. Wet hair lays flat and stretches out, so you can see the actual growth pattern and the swirl instead of fighting it blind. The old guy's trick works because the wet cut sets the base, then that #2 against the grain on the cowlick just cleans up what the water was hiding. Going dry first always leaves me guessing where the crown really starts, and the kid ends up with a hole or a hard line a week later. So keep it wet for the shape, dry check at the end if you want. That Tulsa guy knew what he was doing.