It is been one of the natural hair mysteries that I’ve pondered over for a while. We’ve all been there, standing in the mirror looking at the ends of our hair thinking it’s time to get a trim but worried about how much hair we’re going to lose. So, you put if off for a little while, then months pass and before you know it it’s time to cut a big chunk off anyway. *cue the violins*
I’ve always put off trimming my hair because I thought I would have to go through the process of straightening it before trimming and I didn’t like the thought of causing possible heat damage. But that wasn’t the only deterrent. I didn’t want my hair to appear shorter once I wore it curly again.
I’m going to be honest, when I first went natural I really didn’t know how to properly take care of my hair, and I also failed to go to a stylist who knew how to care for my curls. After a couple of bad experiences at a few salons I stopped going, but I knew I had to find a way to get a trim when needed.
I began to research the best ways to cut/trim curly hair, and was enlightened by how many curly hair cutting methods there are. You can trim curly hair wet vs. dry, straight vs. curly and much more. The number one comment that I consistently came across was that you DO NOT HAVE TO STRAIGHTEN CURLY HAIR to trim it. Not only can it potentially damage your hair, but it can leave your hair shorter than expected once worn curly again.
Here are some tips for cutting/ trimming curly hair that have helped me
Know your curl pattern. How you cut your curls will depend on what your curl pattern is. Looser curls will probably achieve a more “accurate” cut ; tighter curls require a more conservative cutting approach.
Cut hair dry. You’ll achieve a more accurate cut because some pieces may be looser than others.
Cut in sections.
Twist the curl at the end. This helps reveal your split ends.
Only cut what needs to be trimmed. You may not need to cut or trim a lot of your ends.
Moisturize, moisturize, and moisturize between trims to retain the maximum amount of growth between each trim.
Keep these do-it-yourself tips in mind the next time you’re trimming your own hair. If you’re not comfortable with trimming your hair on your own, simply set an appointment with your hair stylist. However, please research to make sure that your hairstylist is a specialist in curly hair.
