02 UNDERSTANDING HAIRCUTS & STYLES THAT WORK WITH YOUR NATURAL HAIR
So, we are going to use the words “curls” and “curly” as blanket terms to mean hair with movement because it is easier than saying, “curls, coils, kinks, and waves” every time. If your hair has natural bends in it of any sort, then we’re talking about your hair for now. We will get more specific about the differences between the types, sizes, and strengths of movements when we need to.
CURLY STYLES
We are going to start by throwing out the idea of choosing a “style” for our hair or even having to “style” our hair. Our hair naturally has a curly style or movement in it already so we don’t have to put a style into it. We set our hair up to dry in its curl groups (or with its natural bends for wavy hair) ...that’s it and it stays the same process and time commitment no matter the cut. We just might let the curls sit in a different spot as they dry, yet that isn’t any more work on the “styling” side. So we don’t have to consider whether we can pull off the styling of a specific curly look or not.
The Cut sets the shape into the hair and it does all the “style” work—changing the
cut and “style” doesn’t mean any change to our day-to-day routine or interactions
with our hair. Freeing, right? Also, when hair is cut in ways that work with the natural
movement then it normally looks great as it grows out.
SIDE NOTE:
If our hair is longer, then yes it can take
more time than if it is shorter because we
obviously are dealing with more hair.
SHAPE & SILHOUETTE
With Curly Cuts we approach things by considering the shape or silhouette. There is an expansion element to curly hair, so it occupies more of a “three-dimensional” space than straight hair. When we embrace this and help it look good as it expands, then we unlock a lot of the hair’s uniqueness and potential. Taking a more sculptural approach opens up a lot more style options for us—even with long hair. When we get a good shape into the hair, it is like a beautiful boundary—it has the freedom to expand, shrink, and move around; and all that does is show the shape more or less—we don’t have to worry about the hair staying tamed or staying down. We actually can take advantage of the fact it doesn’t want to stay down.
CUTTING DRY VS. CUTTING WET
Each head of curls normally contains multiple types of Curl Patterns that can function differently and curl up to differing degrees. When cutting, if we get curls wet and stretch them out, then as they dry, curls shrink up differently in different parts of the head, so we end with a different shape than intended, and oftentimes there are disconnections and weighty spots.
SIDE NOTE:
There are few situations where wet
cutting curls work, yet only if we are using
it to put in the general shape at a longer
length, then cleansing, defining, and
drying the curls; followed by spending
more time than usual refining the cut
after it is set.
We can use a wet cut on curls if:
1- We are unable to see the true curl
groups or Curl Pattern;
2- We are making a big length change
that we know will cause the Curl Pattern
to change.
These two situations can also be cut
dry in the same manner. The only
times I recommend using a wet cut on
curls is if the hair is truly wavy and the
movement doesn’t change much from
wet to dry; also if the guest comes in
with tangles and you don’t have time to
do a detangling and setting service first
before starting the cut appointment.
CARVING INTO CURL GROUPS
Another element of dry cutting curls is that we can see them with their natural Curl
Pattern and groupings (definition). We can cut curl group by curl group and carve
into them along with the bend of the curls so that it encourages them to group
together and to curl up more.
SIDE NOTE:
Carving into the curl groups doesn’t apply as much to tight curls/coils which can do fine with a blunt cut, yet working with curl groups while cutting can help make sure that the curl definition is encouraged and the shape is set in strong. Plus, we can make sure that all of the ends are addressed when working with High-Density guests.
FINDING THE RIGHT CUT & SHAPE
When finding the perfect Cut for you, we start by considering the health of the hair.
We look at what damage there is and how much the ends have split. It is the natural
progression of hair to begin splitting at the ends over time—you can slow this process
by being gentle with your hair, and making sure it is getting the hydration and
moisture that it needs. It can never be fully stopped though, and once the ends start
to split they continue to split up the strands and they grab onto their neighboring
strands- often requiring more stress to be put on them during the detangling process.
Your hair functions its best when we remove all of the split ends and do regular
upkeep cuts that keep them at bay. It is the trick to growing healthy, long, full hair
that is easier to manage. In the end, the amount that is removed over time is less with
regular split end removal, than with letting it grow without being cut (because once
you go in for a cut, the amount needed to be removed will be so much more).
With mid-length and longer hair, the length underneath determines the length of
the hair, and what is on top of it determines the shape. So even with long hair, we can
end up cutting a lot off of the top layers without affecting the length, depending on
the shape we are trying to achieve. We use layer length to redistribute where weight
lands and to free up the hair to have consistent curly movement throughout.
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN SELECTING A CUT/STYLE/SHAPE
A. Health of Hair
I prefer to let the needs of the hair determine the length. As we talked
about earlier, healthy hair is better looking and better functioning—
it’s easier to work with and live with, and it means happier curls. It is
best to remove lengths that are damaged and dwindling and work
from a base of health—then you can keep it healthy and looking great
as it grows. Let go of the stress and bad memories that the unhealthy
hair holds! It is freeing for you and your curls!
B. Density
How much density do you have? If you have more hair per square
inch than the person in your goal pic, then you know that your
shape will be more exaggerated than theirs, and vice versa. With
lower-density hair, we have to be conscious of keeping in balance
the length and shape, since there isn’t as much hair to create the
shape with, especially as we stretch it over longer lengths—so with
low-density hair, more length equals less shape (or a leaner shape)
and often that means less volume as well.
C. Natural Volume
Does your hair stand up as it comes out of your head (natural volume)
or does it hug the head? Is that the same as in the goal pic? We can
encourage the hair to lay down more or have more volume, yet it is
freeing when you embrace what it wants to naturally do and choose
shapes that work with that.
D. Face Framing
The key element that plays into whether a haircut looks good on you
is, “How does it frame your face?” We can use the curls around the
face to flatter the face—we can cut into your natural face shape with
the curls to create a new shape. We can draw attention to features
or draw attention away from certain features. Where the length and
weight sit in the overall shape is important too, yet the key is how it
frames your face.
E. Function
Do you need to have your hair completely out of the way for work?
Do you have hair that always falls into your face? I encourage my
guests towards choosing lengths and styles that work with these
things and that lets their curls live doing their natural movement as
much as possible (not stretched out and tucked behind your ear, for
example).
F. Time Commitment
How much time are you up for spending on your hair? I always go
towards setting my guests up to have to put in the least amount of
work necessary to keep their hair looking great. Sometimes there is
a bit more work at the beginning if your curls are confused (more on
that later), yet it is always moving towards letting your hair, routine,
and products do most of the work for you. I think that is what most
of us want. If you have a crazy ton of hair (high density), consider
that the longer it is, the more time and energy it will take. I think it is
worth it and we can still keep it to a doable routine (an hour a week
tops, though most curls take considerably less even when there are
a lot of them). Yet, if you have a lot of hair and don’t like having to
interact with it much, then consider a shorter cut—it will mean more
frequent cuts, but you don’t have to do anything except show up
and relax for that.