Authors: Lorraine Massey,Michele Bender
B003YL4KS0 EBOK (23 page)
One of the biggest complaints I hear from curly girls around the world is, “I can’t find someone to cut my curls!” This doesn’t surprise me. When it comes to curls, the beauty school curriculum is dated and archaic. The hair academy should have a whole wing dedicated to curl
facts and the cutting and care of natural curls. But until that happens, here are some things to keep in mind before you let anyone approach your hair with a pair of scissors.
The surest way to find someone who cuts curly hair correctly is, of course, to see a haircutter’s work. So when you spot someone with curly hair that looks wonderful, ask her where she has it cut. (Don’t hesitate just because you think it’s intrusive; most people will feel flattered.) If you live in a big city, you might flip through magazines for a style you like, then check the credits for the name of the salon or stylist. Otherwise, keep asking around until you find someone whose hair looks great.
Before making an appointment, phone the salon and ask these questions:
Is the stylist an expert at cutting curly hair?
Does the stylist have naturally curly hair? Does she wear it curly? If so, this is a good sign; if the stylist’s hair is blow-dried straight, ask for another stylist.
Will the stylist see you before a cut for a consultation? Don’t be offended if the answer is no; it could mean he’s so popular that he has no time. Some places charge for a consultation.
Does the salon offer the option of drying the hair under hooded dryers and diffusers rather than with blow-dryers? Explain that you want to keep your hair curly.
Does the stylist cut curly hair while it’s dry? If the answer is no, is she open to trying a different approach? Unless a stylist can see how much spring there is in your curls, she won’t understand your hair and she’s likely to cut too much when it’s wet, only to discover that fact after your hair dries.
What products does the salon use? If you don’t use shampoo and have a favorite conditioner, bring it with you and politely ask them to use it. Most stylists won’t object, especially if your hair is in good condition.
Let’s assume you got all the right answers and have made an appointment. But if, when you arrive, you’re told to change and get your hair shampooed, an alarm bell should go off in your head.
After the hair is dried, the stylist might handpick and cut a few curls around the face.
Instead, the stylist should sit you down, examine your hair, touch it, talk with you about your hair and what you envision having done—all before picking up the scissors. Pull a typical curl down to its farthest point and let go, so the stylist can see how tight the curl is. If your curls vary in tightness, show her which ones have a smaller spring factor. This is important so that she doesn’t cut too much. Finally, explain that you’d rather leave your hair a bit too long than go too short.
Ideally, after the cut, the stylist should wet your hair and let it dry to see the finished results. This is the point when she makes those all-important final touches, picking up split ends that were missed the first time around or adjusting how the curls fall. You may want her to handpick and cut a few curls, especially around the front of your face. Don’t be afraid to talk to the stylist about your preferences, as long as you’re polite and diplomatic while being firm. After all, whose hair is it, anyway?
CURL CONFESSIONDebbie Sable
My mother’s generation liked the clean look of straight hair and even as a young child it was obvious that my mother didn’t accept my curls. That had a huge effect on me. As an adult who finally learned to embrace her curls, I try to help several of the curly haired daughters of straight haired friends. I know how hard it is to have curly hair and that it’s something that someone with straight hair can’t understand. Recently, an eleven-year-old girl I’d helped thanked me profusely, and I felt such satisfaction. Her childhood with curly hair would be different than mine.
CURLY CUTTING DO’S AND DON’TS
Pass This Along to Your Stylist•
DO
cut the hair when it is dry.•
DO
avoid blunt cuts, which ignore the spring factor and stretch the hair to an unnatural state so it’s too short when it dries.•
DO
cut just before the crest of each curl or trim a few millimeters off the ends where they look frayed and knotty.•
DO
cut the top front of the hair last, and
DON’T
take too much off here because it’s where the curls are shortest and most fragile.•
DON’T
thin out or debulk curly hair. The gravity and weight of the original curl formation is what gives hair its definition.•
DON’T
cut with a razor. Razors aren’t as sharp as scissors, so they can create badly ripped and frayed ends.•
DON’T
brush, comb, or run fingers through curly hair when it’s dry.•
Top Salon Crimes Committed Against Curly Girls
DON’T
layer the hair too much unless you’re cutting an advanced curly girl’s hair.•
Razoring, slicing, carving, thinning out, or debulking.
Razoring and thinning curls deforms the actual curl structure and makes the ends look ripped, frizzy, and weak. Since curly hair is almost weightless, this method reduces the hair to a bunch of fishhook strands—thicker at the carving point and very thin at the end of the slice. Plus it grows out terribly. Curls rely on a sharp scissor and a clean cut so the haircut lasts longer and the ends look healthy.•
Texturizing.
By “texturizing,” salons mean they are going to slightly relax the hair without overstraightening it. But there’s a very fine line here and it’s very difficult to achieve. I don’t recommend this treatment, as it tends to leave the texture of the hair uneven and cause breakage—and oh, then there’s the root grow-out in a couple of weeks, which just isn’t pretty.•
Extensions.
These pieces of extra hair are sewn on to your existing hair. Extensions are pricey and time consuming and their weight can pull out your real hair and make your hairline recede so far back you look like Queen Elizabeth. (Extensions can also fall out at the most inopportune times. It’s just not fun when someone says, “Excuse me, Miss. You dropped your hair,” and, trust me, I’ve actually seen this happen—more than once!)