Curly Haircuts Don’t Have to Be Terrifying—Here’s Everything You Should Know for The Perfect Cut

For most of my life, my curly hair was a complete mystery. With a mom who had a completely different hair type and a dad who was very bald, no one in my life really knew what to do with my mass of fine yet plentiful coils. So, I did what most curly girls I know did throughout their teenage years: I became best friends with a hair straightener. That choice came with some unintended consequences. Slowly, my very healthy curly hair got more and more damaged and eventually, I was forced to cut it all off. As a kid, I associated long, luscious locks with beauty, so to say my self-esteem took a hit when that fateful chop came would be a massive understatement.  

When I finally decided to learn how to take care of my natural hair, alongside my trusty straightener, I said goodbye to my mom’s hairstylist. This was about 12 years ago, before I had For You pages flooded with curly hair inspiration from every corner of the world and curly hair experts showing off their gorgeous before and afters. Instead, I Googled and Googled some more until I found a salon with good reviews. My hair was already pretty short, and I knew that getting it cut to a healthy length and wearing it curly would make it even shorter. But with a goal of long, mermaid-like curls in mind, I faced my lifelong fear of haircuts and went into the salon. 

That first haircut was eye-opening. I left the salon with a lot of hair chopped off and a wealth of curly haircare knowledge. Over the years, I’ve grown my curls long and strong (and then cut them short again), and learned everything I could about caring for my hair. Embracing your curls and getting curly haircuts doesn’t have to be a scary undertaking. With 12 years of curly haircuts under my belt, I can assure you, dear curly girls, that the industry has come such a long way. If you’re looking to get a curly haircut, here’s everything you need to know to make sure you leave the salon feeling your best.

Taylor Vickers, Curly Hair Stylist

Taylor Vickers is a licensed Junior Stylist at Infinite Salon in Portland, OR. She has been working with curly clients since she began her apprenticeship in 2021.

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1. What is a curly haircut?

A curly haircut is exactly what it sounds like: a haircut for curly hair. There are a handful of different techniques for cutting curly hair, but the defining trait is that hair is cut curl by curl on dry hair to the desired length and shape. Taylor Vickers, licensed hairstylist at Infinite Salon PDX (and my personal stylist), told me stylists “prefer the dry cutting method because it helps to see the natural texture.” Essentially, cutting curly hair dry allows stylists to see exactly where each curl will fall and ensure an even, cohesive cut.

During this process, your hair might start to look a little wild (it will be about 30-40 minutes of your stylist having their hands in your hair and mussing your curls about), so when the cutting part is finished, it won’t look exactly how you expect it to. And if you’re cutting bangs, your stylist will likely cut them longer than you initially agreed and touch them up after they’re done styling your hair so they can see exactly where your bangs will fall. (Microbangs are cute, but not if they weren’t planned in advance.) You’ll see the full effect of your haircut once your hair is styled and completely dry. As someone who’s witnessed these before-and-afters quite a few times, it really does feel like curly hair stylists perform magic.

2. Who should get a curly haircut?

Whether you have loose waves or the tightest coils, a curly haircut is perfect for anyone looking to embrace their natural texture. If you wear your hair naturally a majority of the time, a curly haircut is the optimal choice because it’s tailored specifically to your hair type and will encourage your curls to retain their shape. If you want the flexibility of wearing your hair straight or blown out, be sure to tell your stylist prior to your haircut as they can adjust how they cut your hair with this in mind.

3. How often should curly hair be cut?

If I’m being honest, I am so bad at getting regular haircuts. I still have a lot of unpacked haircut trauma to deal with, but I’m working on it. The truth is, regularly scheduled trims are crucial for hair growth as they prevent hair breakage from spreading up the shaft and damaging more of your hair. I learned this the hard way with my most recent curly haircut boycott. The frequency of your cuts depends entirely on your curls and your goals. Depending on your hair type, Taylor recommends different cut frequencies. She says wavy hair should be trimmed every 2-3 months, curly hair should be trimmed every 4-5 months, and tightly coiled hair could go 6 months between trims. This advice is general, but if you share your goals with your hairstylist, they’ll be able to recommend a regular cadence for trims that will help you get the hair you’re looking for.

Before my curly haircut

After my curly haircut

4. How do you find a curly hair stylist?

Finding a new stylist is a daunting venture no matter your hair texture. How can you be sure you can trust their reviews? What if their Instagram doesn’t feature textures or styles that match yours? There is always going to be an element of uncertainty with a new stylist, but Taylor recommends starting your search on the Devacurl, Rezo, Ouidad, and Cut it Kinky websites. There, you’ll be able to find skilled curly specialists near you. I’ve also found that asking other beauty techs (like your wax person or nail tech) can lead you to salons in your area that you may not have heard of yet. And if you’re feeling particularly brave, if you see someone out in the wild with curls you’d kill for, ask them who their stylist is!

Once you’ve found someone promising, comb through the salon’s and stylist’s social media accounts until you have a good sense of the type of work they do. While they may not always have examples that fit your exact hair type or the cut you’re going for, you can get a good idea of their quality of work. When you call to make your appointment, ask what type of curly haircuts they do (you want a stylist who does dry cuts!) and what pre-appointment instructions you have to follow. If you’re not encouraged by the process after speaking with the salon, it might be best to restart your search.

5. How do you pick curly haircut inspiration?

This is the part that always stumps me before a haircut. I can never seem to find inspiration photos that fit exactly what I’m going for. They either have the right cut but a different texture or the right texture but a not totally perfect cut. I usually end up taking photos to my stylist and saying something like “Like this… but with a mix of this thrown in.” Showing inspiration photos is easier said than done when it comes to curly haircuts. 

When I talked through what I wanted with Taylor during my most recent cut, I actually didn’t pull out photos until the tail end of our consultation for this very reason. Instead, I talked through exactly what I wanted. In this case, I had some uneven growth and breakage that I wanted evened out, plus a desire to cut some curtain bangs. Easy enough, but I still have yet to find an inspiration photo featuring the exact curtain bangs I want on my hair texture. According to Taylor, finding inspiration photos that match your exact hair type isn’t really even necessary—as long as you understand that everyone has different curls, and your end result may not look exactly like your inspo photo. A good stylist will talk you through what might be different on your hair type but help you get as close to what you’re looking for as possible.

6. How should you prep your curly hair for your appointment?

When it comes to how you show up to your appointment, most salons are going to ask you to come with clean, dry, untangled curls. I’ve been to salons that request new clients come to their appointment without any styling products in so your stylist can see how your natural hair falls. I’ve also been to salons that ask you to come in with your hair styled as usual so they can see how you like to wear it. My preference will always be the latter because my hair without any styling products is completely different from what it looks like with a bit of gel and mousse. This also allows your stylist to see what kind of shrinkage and curl pattern you’re working with. If your salon asks you to come in with your hair unstyled, I recommend calling and asking if coming in with your curls styled as usual is an option.

According to Taylor, coming in with your hair styled is only crucial for your first appointment. She frequently sees returning clients with unstyled hair. At that point, though, she’s familiar with their curls and knows how they’ll react to being cut.

Before my curly haircut

After my curly haircut

7. How to get a curly haircut you’re happy with

The first portion of any curly haircut (and really any salon appointment) is a consultation. This is where you’ll talk about your hair with your stylist and explain what you’re looking for. Be as detailed as possible and upfront about your goals. Taylor sat with me for a good 30 minutes before picking up a pair of scissors. We talked through how I usually style my hair, the products I use, and what I was hoping to achieve both with that cut and in the future. In turn, she took a photo of my hair and gave me three different options for cuts, from just trimming the ends to a more in-depth cut that would have my hair all one length, but drastically shorter than what I was used to. I chose the shortest option knowing that it would be quite a different look, but I’m so thrilled we had that conversation prior to beginning the cut so I knew what I’d expect. 

Make sure you and your stylist are on the same page when it comes to how much is being cut and what the end goal is. As curly girls know, it takes a lot of time to grow out curls and the length doesn’t show nearly as quickly as it does for people with straight hair, so we want to avoid unexpected chops whenever possible. I’ve had quite a few bad haircuts in my day, but when the stylist and I spend time developing a plan of action before they go in with scissors, I’m always left happy with the result.

8. Should you just cut your curls at home?

Curly haircuts are a big undertaking and often come with a price tag to match. A few years ago, lockdown turned many of us into our own stylists (I even did my own trim during this time), but is it a good idea to regularly trim your own curls? Obviously, you should do whatever you want with your own hair, but Taylor recommends against giving yourself a full transformation at home. But if you have a good pair of hair shears and want to trim your bangs or a few unruly curls, go for it. Pay close attention to how your stylist cuts your hair when you’re at the salon, and if you feel you can handle a little maintenance trim between bigger cuts, by all means, go for it.