Mastering curly hair is one pillar of a great, all-round barber. For curly hair clients, finding a professional they trust can be a difficult task, so educating yourself on the key aspects is a sure-fire way to earn a loyal client.
Award-winning hairdresser, Jim Shaw shares his best tips for cutting short curly hair, using the style pictured above to guide us through a step-by-step. This curly hair look almost replicates a mullet, featuring super short sides with longer, textured curly hair on the top.
Although short back and side haircuts are a huge trend for clients with straight hair types, they also look incredible on those with wavy, curly and coily hair textures, allowing clients to embrace their natural hair texture and show it off in all its glory.
To achieve the look:
- Start by using clippers, taking the hair super short at the sides and back.
- Then, I would scissor over comb to get the hair on the sides even shorter, as well as to help achieve a cleaner finish.
- Ensure everything connects and then cut your hair on top with your scissors and comb, ensuring it is even and longer in length. Note – wet curls look longer in length than they will appear when they are dry, so always be cautious when cutting curly hair and cut the hair gradually to avoid going too short and taking too much length off.
- Product is key when it comes to this look – you want your curls to stand out and look their very best without frizz and flyaways. Start by applying a prep product that will provide your look with flexibility, whilst also giving it shine and a thicker fuller appearance. A great product for this is the American Crew Forming Cream.
- Next, dry the hair with a hairdryer and diffuser, working in sections to dry your curls and position them where you want them. Ensure to pull the curls above away from the head for more volume and finish drying each section of hair by pressing the cool setting on the hairdryer to avoid frizz.
- This look also features the curls hanging close to the eyes and over the forehead. To achieve this, ensure your curls fall in this area before diffusing and lightly point the diffuser up to the hair.
- Finish with a product like American Crew's Defining Paste to give your curls further definition and added texture as well as added hold and shine.
When it comes to cutting afro and textured hair, there's different techniques to be aware of. Read up on our top tips here.
