Curly and Textured Hair Cuts in Toronto: What a Good Curly Cut Involves

Why a Curly Cut Is Different

When a stylist cuts straight hair, they can work with the hair wet or dry, and the length they see during the cut is roughly the length the client ends up with. Curly hair is different in two important ways.

First, curl pattern and shrinkage. Curly hair is significantly shorter when dry than it appears when wet. Depending on the curl type, hair can shrink by 30 to 50 percent or more. A stylist who does not account for shrinkage will cut the hair to a certain length wet and leave the client with something much shorter than expected when it dries.

Second, curl behaviour and shape. Curls do not fall in a uniform direction — they coil, spring, and move in ways that depend on the individual strand and its neighbours. A cut that works on one section of the head can look wrong on another if the stylist is not reading how the curl groups together as a whole.

What a Good Curly Cut Involves

Dry cutting or a combination approachMany curly hair specialists prefer to cut the hair dry, or to do the main shaping dry after an initial wet assessment. Cutting dry allows the stylist to see exactly how the curl sits and moves, so they can shape the cut to the actual curl pattern rather than guessing at shrinkage.

Working with the curl patternA good curly cut works with the way the curl naturally falls rather than imposing a shape onto it. The stylist will look at how the curl groups, where the hair wants to sit, and what shape serves the way the hair actually grows.

Layering for movementMost curly hair benefits from some layering, but the wrong layering creates frizz, triangle shape, or loss of curl definition at the ends. Layering for curly hair needs to be done carefully, with the finished shape in mind.

Understanding shrinkage for length decisionsIf you want your curls to hit a certain length when dry, the stylist needs to leave significantly more length when wet. This should be discussed in the consultation, and a good stylist will set clear expectations about the finished length before cutting.

What to Tell Your Stylist

• What your curl type is like when it is healthy and at its best

• How you typically wear your hair (diffused, air dried, defined)

• Any parts of your hair that behave differently from the rest

• Past cuts that worked well or did not work

• What length you want when dry

If you have photos of cuts you liked or your own hair at its best, bring them.

Curly and Textured Hair at Calia Hair

Peter specialises in curly and textured hair cuts. If you have curly hair and have had difficulty getting a cut that works with your curl pattern, booking with a stylist who understands curly hair specifically makes a real difference.

We are at 3338 Yonge Street, North York, Toronto, at Yonge and Lawrence. You can book online or call 416-440-2696.