How To Customize Your Curly Cuts

Curly-haired clients know their coils have a mind of their own, which makes cutting them a difficult skill for stylists to master. The consultation is key in helping you understand how her curls behave and how the length and density determine your cutting technique.

To help stylists feel a little less intimidated when it comes to working with curly hair, we hosted a Facebook Live with Sexy Hair International Master Hair Artist Dawn Atkinson. Watch the video below to see how Dawn breaks down curly cuts so you can learn everything from customizing the cut based on the thickness of her hair to getting rid of extra weight without creating the dreaded triangle shape.

But first, some important takeaways from Dawn:

Cut Down On Density

• Know This: If she’s looking for a lot of bounce, Dawn says you’ll need to alleviate the density in the midsection.
• Do This: Use a down-and-out movement as you cut along the back of her head shape. If she has thick, course hair and you want to remove a lot of density, enter in with your shears closer to the head. If she has fine to medium hair, enter in with the shears farther away from the head to remove less density.  
• Takeaway Tip: The higher the elevation when cutting, the more hair you’re going to remove. The lower the elevation, the less hair you’re going to remove. 

Avoid Slicing Her Strands

• Know This: If your go-to texturizing tool is a razor, Dawn says to think twice before using it on your curly-haired clients with fine hair because it’ll soften her ends too much. 
• Do This: As you cut along the section, use an incising technique—opening and closing the shear ever so slightly—to create texture without slicing through the hair. 

Watch the full Facebook Live below!