A guide to getting the best haircut for curly hair
WORDS BY ALICE JOHNSON
Bad haircuts, be gone.
Recently, I overheard someone sobbing on the train over Facetime to their friend about their haircut. As someone with curly hair, I could sympathise with the word vomit that poor girl was managing to get out between sobs. “The world is falling out from underneath me, and OMG I have a party tonight! I can’t go looking like this!”
It’s no secret that curly hair can be hard to cut and style, and not too long ago I thought a dodgy trim was something I was just going to have to put up with from time to time. But after committing a crime in my bathroom with a pair of Kmart scissors trying to resurrect a bad haircut, I decided it was time to seek out a hairdresser and haircut experience that gave me the Pantene-ad glow I deserved.
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While I’ve always appreciated my hair’s natural texture, it wasn’t until finding a great hairdresser and the right routine that I started to learn how to really take care of it. One of the best things I’ve learnt along my curly hair journey is that a good haircut is always the best place to start. And because we don’t gatekeep here at FJ, I’m going to share some of my tips for getting a great curly cut!
Chop chop
Before you rush to book the next available appointment at your local hairdresser, you’re going to want to do your research. Not all hairdressers are made equal, and not all salons will be the right fit. Just like doctors have different areas of expertise (you wouldn’t go to the dentist for glasses), you can’t expect every hairdresser to know what to do with your curls.
If you haven’t found your perfect match yet, a simple Google search can be a great place to start. You will want to keep an eye out for salons with hairdresser bios – this should identify whether they have a cut specialist who knows and loves curly locks. The key to the perfect mane also relies on understanding your curl type, and what kind of cut is accessible to you.
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There are a bunch of online resources that can help you understand your curl type (like this quiz), but your newfound curly expert should be able to give you a deeper understanding of your curls’ natural ability. With that in mind, you will need to manage your own expectations (boring, I know, but stay with me).
Reference pictures are an amazing way to help communicate to your stylist what you want to achieve, but try to keep it realistic. If you have thick ringlets, a wavy ’80s-style mullet might not be attainable, but some choppy layers that highlight natural texture could be a really lovely way to achieve the look you want. It’s super important to communicate how you style your hair day-to-day.
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Preferences like going between wearing your hair natural and heat-styled straight, needing to keep your hair up for work, regular exercise that affects your washing cycle and how often you can get a haircut are all examples of important things to share with your hairdresser to ensure that they are keeping your curl type and lifestyle in mind.
Mane-tenance
Your perfect haircut needs your help. Curly hair needs a lot of love. If you are good to it, it will be good to you! Ask your stylist how long they would recommend going between cuts based on the style you have. Finding the right wash routine, products and regular trims are all things that I find help me maintain a good haircut.
For more on achieving the perfect curly cut, head here.
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