Stitching For Lightening Curly Hair Vs Straight Hair

Ever finish a full highlight service, only to lose brightness when styling? It could be time to adjust the size of your weave! Keep scrolling to see how 2022 #OneShot Overall Haircut Winner, Kara Williams (@haircolorkilla) adjusts her weave size for every hair type. Plus, her go-to product for keeping hair healthy while lifting!

Want to learn more? Hit play above to check out Kara’s entire technique!

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1. Create A Gameplan:

Before starting, here is what Kara looks for to ensure a successful service:

• Wearability: Does your client wear their hair most often curly or straight? How they style their hair everyday will determine where and how you will lighten. 
• Porosity: Fine hair lifts fast! Take note of the client’s porosity to determine how long the processing time should be without resulting in damage.
• Density: Kara’s tip for gauging thickness? Hold all of the hair in your hand. Denser hair will require more sections, which could add additional time to the appointment. 
• Pre-Existing Color: Does your client have grown-out color, lightener or box dye in their hair? You might need to adjust the volume of the developer to avoid uneven lift and banding. 
  • Kara switches from a 10 volume on the client’s virgin hair to a 20 volume on the client’s colored ends. The virgin hair will lift quicker. 

2. For A Soft, Blended Look On Straight Hair, Stitch Smaller

Kara’s client requested a low maintenance look, so she opted for a modern, root melt that focused brightness around the face, but doesn’t require a strict retouch schedule.

Although Kara’s client has natural texture, she prefers to wear her hair straight. So, Kara begins the appointment by cleansing and drying her hair straight, to avoid the hair reverting back to its natural curl pattern. 

Starting in the front, Kara takes smaller-sized weaves to create more dimension and softer lines of demarcation. Plus, starting at the face frame ensures these pieces will be the lightest. 

Pro Tip: While painting on the lightener, Kara suggests using a balayage board for maximum control and a seamless blend. 

3. Maintaining Dimension When Highlighting Curls

For curly clients, larger weaves are essential to not losing brightness once the hair is styled. “When the hair coils up, the highlights will actually look thinner and not as chunky,” Kara explains. 

For additional brightness, Kara likes to paint the underside of the strand. This way, when the client pulls their hair back, it looks cohesive without any dark spots.

Pro Tip: Curls and texture tends to be more fragile. You’ll want to use a lightener that protects the integrity of the curl. Kara’s go-to is the Matrix Open Air Clay Lightener because it is pre-bonded and gives her the perfect saturation to avoid splotchiness. Plus, there’s actually no smell!

Swipe to see Kara’s balayage transition on her client!

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