Curly hair sometimes it's just too much, especially if it's long and thick, you've got your hands full! Some of us just aren't cut for the long curly hair life, so we cut it short!
Orrrr maybe you just fancy a restyle, idk! Either way, I'm absolutely not telling you to not cut your hair, I'm just telling you that there are some things to consider and prepare before you commit to the chop! And yes, this applies if you have waves too.
1. Curl shock - myth orrr?
First things first, the thing that EVERYONE is talking about when it comes to cutting curls in general, is curl shock! Yes, it's real. Let me explain.
Curl shock happens when you disturb the natural pattern of you curl, by cutting it. Imagine you have wavy hair, and your hair starts curling from about half of your hair length down. Now imagine you're cutting a straight line through it, which really means cutting off half of your actual curl.
Here's something to help you visualise it.
In a few words, you're disturbing the natural shape of your curl, and this can result in curls being mishapen, losing definition and form. You may notice your hair not being as defined, not reacting to your products and styling techniques the same as before. This is totally normal, allow it some time to grow and get adjusted to the new pattern, and it will soon be back to normal.
What you can do in the meantime is finger coil to help define and encourage shape forming. Anddd be patient!
But how can you prevent curl shock?
Curl shock depends a lot on your curl type. It cannot be 100% prevented, but someone with knowledge and skill on cutting curly hair properly, will know how to minimalize this by individual curl cutting!
Hair dressers often finish off curly cuts by attending to individual curls when your hair is dry. This is because when the hair is dry, you can see the real pattern of the curl. That means that you can go in with the scissors and snip off any uneven, wonky patterns that look unnatural as a result of the cut.
Refer to the picture below as a visual guide:
2. To the salon!
The salon/hair dresser you go to matters a lot! Many hair dressers will argue this to take your money and say 'cutting curly hair is not actually much different than cutting straigth hair' - well actually, it is! Otherwise it wouldn't be a WHOLE qualification, and we would all just go to traditional salons.
When cutting curly hair, you have to think about the natural shape, how the client wears their hair most often, what their goal is, their routine, the shape that would suit them, the individual curl types, the density, the volume - everything!
When choosing a salon, make sure you do a little FBI work. Look for their social media: if they regularly cut curly hair and have satisfied clients, they would post this on their socials. If there's lots of photos of curly hair being the before picture, and the after is a straight hairstyle, well... red flag!
Check their reviews - and search specifically for curly/wavy hair. And lastly, some salons showcase their qualifications and awards on their website. Check for any to do with curly hair. The most common one is by Deva Curl.
3. Styling - long vs short
You have to know this, styling long vs short curly hair is a whole different game. Not only you use WAY less product which can be confusing and you might end up adding lots of products and regretting it later, but your styling techniques change. For example brush styling, becomes a bit different with short hair, before there isn't a lot of it to brush style.
Oh, and wearing your curly hair short every day, is a pain. Especially if you're someone like me who's hair is up 24/7, and can not stand hair in your face. Well... say goodbye to messy buns, or nice ponytails, oh and that half up-half down? Yeah, it ain't gunna be the same. BUT there are many cute short hairstyles that you can try. I'm scaring you, ain't I? Well it also depends how short you go.
I can't really say anything, considering I've been cutting my hair very short for the past year! It's okay to go short, to explode different lengths options! Just make sure you know what's ahead, and be prepared with lots of pictures, videos and ideas of how you want your hair to look and feel like.
Personally, cutting my hair short has taken off a lot of heavy length, which felt amazing! Diffusing, washing and styling it's also a lot more quicker now. But I find styling tricky, probably because I've got a little too short.
See my cut below - click picture for instagram video (opens in a new window)
Other resources: See my Short Curls Pinterest board here for short cuts inspiration.