When Is the Right Time to Get a Curly Cut?

While the curly hair movement has made a large comeback in the past few years, curly cuts play one of the essential roles in the movement. Without a curly cut, it might take some extra maintenance for your curls to flourish.

A curly cut is an innovative way of cutting curly hair while it’s dry. The reason this cut is done while your hair is dry is because you can see where each curl will fall once trimmed. Although wet cuts have a similar effect, the downside of the wet cut is you don’t know how your hair will look once you wash it and style it and more length tends to be taken off when strands are streched.

So, when is the right time to get a curly cut?

While you may be satisfied with your hair’s current state, getting a curly cut will bring more volume to your hair and give it a refreshed, healthier look. Not only is your hair going to be refreshed and free of split ends and flyaways, you’ll definitely learn more about how to care for your curls and possibly conduct your own mini curly cuts at home.

One thing most people with curly hair want is volume. Volume brings out your curls and makes your hair look fuller and rounder (depending on your desired cut.) If round is your style, a curly cut is essential to obtain this look. Those who have layers will already have a fuller shape when their hair is curly because of the different lengths that layers bring to your hair. Most people that desire a voluminous look typically wear their hair styled with middle part and curls that fall straight down. When you get a curly cut, those curls will spring back up, allowing each curl to sit on one another- adding volume (yay!)

Maintaining your length is another thing most people with curly hair worry about. Since curls are already tight and springy by nature, they can make your hair look short but in reality, everyone has shrinkage. Don’t feel discouraged if you get a cut and you feel your hair looks short- it’ll take a few days for you to get used to your new cut and it’ll also take a few days for your hair to get used to its new length. However, you should be extremely transparent with your stylist as to what you will truly have time for at home in your daily routine so you can get a similar look at home. Take your desired length and shape into consideration beforehand, and feel free to use pictures of other people as a reference if you can’t necessarily put your desired cut into words.

Another factor you must take into consideration is the correlation between the shape of your face and the shape of your desired cut. For rounder faces, a fuller, volumized cut will work because it’ll flow more naturally with the shape of your face. For thinner faces, a longer cut with some volume and/or a V-layer cut will complement the structure of your face and won’t hide too much of it. If your face is thin and your cut is super round and voluminous, your face might disappear by day 3.

No one knows your curls better than you do, as you’ve experienced your best and worst days with them. If you feel you want a whole new look, are transitioning from damaged hair, or want a refreshing trim, go for a cut! If you’re new to the curly life, do your research and/or attend curly hair appreciation events and learn all about how you can better your relationship with your hair. After all, grass isn’t the only thing that needs to be cut.