If you have curly hair, you may know the feeling of sitting down with a new stylist and hoping for the best. You ask for a trim, your hair dries, and it is shorter than you expected, wider at the bottom, or flat on top.
This guide explains why curly hair needs a different kind of cut, what usually goes wrong, what to ask before anyone picks up the scissors, and what to expect with Behnaz, a Vidal Sassoon–trained master stylist who has been cutting hair in Sacramento since 1987.
Why Does Curly Hair Need a Different Kind of Cut?
Curly hair needs a cut planned around how it dries, because curls shrink and spring up as they lose water. A section that looks like the right length when wet can sit much higher once it dries, and each curl pattern behaves differently. Curls also stack on top of each other instead of hanging straight down, so removing hair in one place changes the shape somewhere else.
What Goes Wrong With Curly Haircuts?
Most bad curly cuts come from cutting for length instead of shape. These are the problems curly clients describe most:
- The triangle: flat on top and wide at the bottom, because the weight sits in the wrong place.
- Too short once dry: the cut did not allow for shrinkage.
- Choppy layers: layers that are too short or poorly blended leave gaps in the curl pattern.
- Thin, frizzy ends: too much hair was taken out of the ends when removing bulk.
- A cut that grows out badly: it looks fine for two weeks and then loses its shape.
What Does a Precision Stylist Do Differently?
A precision stylist starts with the shape you want and cuts to the way your hair naturally falls. Behnaz trained at the Vidal Sassoon Academies, where precision cutting is built around the natural fall and movement of the hair. Instead of forcing hair into a shape, the cut works with your texture and growth patterns, so it falls into place with less styling.
For curly hair, that means looking at your face shape, your curl pattern and how you wear your hair on a normal day. Then the question becomes where you want volume, where your curls fall flat, and where the weight should come out. Learn more about haircuts with Behnaz and how she approaches every hair type.
Which Shape Suits Your Curls?
The right shape depends on your curl pattern, how much hair you have, and how you like to wear it.
| What you are seeing | What usually helps |
|---|---|
| Flat on top, wide at the bottom | Rebalancing the weight so the shape is rounder |
| Heavy, bulky curls | Removing weight in the right places, not just length |
| Curls that look stringy at the ends | Less thinning, and a fuller line at the ends |
| Short curls that keep getting shorter | Planning the length for how high your curls spring |
| Long curls with no movement | Longer, blended layers, like these long layered haircuts |
What Should You Ask a New Stylist?
Ask how they plan the shape before they start cutting. These questions work with any stylist:
- How often do you cut curly hair?
- Do you cut curls wet, dry or both, and why?
- How will you allow for shrinkage?
- How do you remove bulk? Do you use thinning shears or a razor on curls?
- Where will you take weight out, and where will you leave it?
- How will this cut look in eight weeks?
- What should I do at home to keep the shape?
It also helps to describe what you want your hair to do instead of giving a number of inches. “More volume at the crown and less width at the bottom” tells a stylist more than “two inches off.”
What Is a Curly Haircut With Behnaz Like?
Every service starts with a free consultation, where Behnaz looks at your hair and tells you honestly what she would do. That honesty comes up often in her reviews, including from clients who were told to skip a service. If your curls are also fine, her guide to haircuts for fine or thin hair may help too.
She also cuts curly hair for men.
Behnaz works inside Salon Bravissimo at 2358 Fair Oaks Blvd in Sacramento. If you are unsure what your curls need, book a free consultation and bring photos of what you like.
Curly Haircut Questions
What should I ask for in a curly haircut?
Ask for a shape, not a number of inches. Describe where you want volume, where your curls fall flat and how you wear your hair day to day.
Why do some stylists struggle with curly hair?
Curls shrink, stack and vary across the head, so a cut that looks even when wet can look uneven once dry. It takes planning and experience with curly hair.
Can curly hair be cut short?
Yes, as long as the length is planned for how high your curls spring when dry.
Does Behnaz do DevaCut?
No. Behnaz is not a DevaCut stylist. She uses her Sassoon precision training and plans each curly cut around your curl pattern, shrinkage and shape.
