Haircuts for curly hair

  • November 28, 2015

Apart from the right products and techniques, one of the important deciding factors for how your curly hair looks and behaves, is the right haircut. Most parlours in India cut curly hair like they would cut straight hair. That makes it all the more important for us to know and tell them what kind of a cut we want. I really dream of a day when there is a salon in India solely for curly hair where we walk in and there are curl magazines and curl products on the shelf 😀 And they don’t try to detangle our hair before the haircut with a comb. *Ouch!*. And they don’t end haircuts with a blow dry and brushing! Till then, here are haircuts that are perfect for curly hair.

Check this – Getting a Haircut : Curly Hair Stylists in India

Layers. Lots and lots of layers.

curly hair cut layers

Controlled look

The layers should start below the chin so that the curls are tamed and don’t look like a lion’s mane. Most curls, including mine are more prominent as length increases. That is because the curls have enough weight to hang down. So opt for long layers.

Voluminous look

Get short layers that start below the eye if you have a flat crown issue.

I love my ends to end in a V. I recently got a blunt cut at the end and didn’t like it at all – My Curly Haircut at Rock Paper Scissor with Daniel (Danny), Bangalore. So I got a haircut with a V again 😀

Say NO to any kind of texturing/razor/bulk removal as this causes curly hair to go frizzy.

Layers are very very important in curly hair because in if it was all one length, your hair would be too heavy at the bottom causing the dreadful triangle effect (no volume on top, too much volume at the bottom) which is a big no-no.

 

curly hair cut layers

Bangs

curly hair bangs

Bangs that aren’t too short and are side swept to either the left or right side of your face can solve the problem of your hair looking flat on the top of your head. They are also great for hiding large foreheads. This is also best suited for wavy and curly hair and better avoided on coily hair.

Lob (long bob) with wedge cut

curly hair lob wedge cut

It’s a cut for those who don’t want to wear your hair long. A wedge cut which has short layers in the back and long layers in the front will tame your curls.

You can see how the hair is short at the back of the head and gradually increases in length towards the front

Including a picture of wedge cut on straight hair to show you how it looks. You can see how the hair is short at the back of the head and gradually increases in length towards the front

 

Remember that since your hair is wet when they cut, the length will drastically change when your hair dries and curls up. Keep that in mind when you tell them the length you want your hair to be at.

After your haircut, you may have an adjustment phase before your curls start behaving normal – Curly haircut shock – Adapting to your new haircut

This is my haircut –

You can see more pics here – PhotoDiary

Here are some hairstyle ideas 11 easy everyday hairstyles for curly hair and here is a post with my full curly hair care routine – My curly hair routine .

Blog Comments

Good lord! I cannot thank you enough! 😀
Every time I want a haircut, and look all over the net for inspiration, all I see is straight hair cuts and all that. Finally something reliable from a person with gorgeous hair herself.
Thank you so much! 🙂
For the post and for making me love my hair. We are both indebted to you. 😛

Reply

Curls and Beauty Diary

That is very nice to hear Sukanya! Glad to be of help 🙂

Thanks for the post Anjana. You have explained all the points perfectly … Layered cut is perfect for curly 🙂 🙂

Reply

Curls and Beauty Diary

😀 😀

Dear Anjana. Yesterday i went to salon and ended up having triangle face in short hair… Regular U cut. Can advise whai can do now.
.

Go to a good salon and get some layers

Just what I was looking for. One doubt, can the bangs be a little short ending just behind the ears? I am experimenting with different kinds of looks at present 🙂 🙂

Bangs ending behind the ears are the perfect length right? That’s not short.

OK. Great. Sorry to sound silly :p

I have a broad forehead with curls just touching my shoulders
Can you suggest me some hairstyle so dat my broad forhead gets covered.

Aamy, side swept bangs are the best option for covering forehead. Get longer bangs so that your curls can merge with the hair on your sides.

Hi Anjana,

I have hair a little longer than shoulder length and almost all the hair stylists i have visited give me a side-swept bang with layers on the hair length.
The haircut looks awesome in the salon because the stylist uses a round brush to style the side swept bangs and a diffuser to make the curls look good on the hair length.
I am a very low maintenance gal and i can never find the time or skill to make the perfect side swept bangs the stylist does in the salon.

1.Do you think permanently straightening the bangs is a good idea?
2.If not, is it bad for the hair to use the round brush and dryer after every wash to style the prefect side-swept bangs?
3.Do you know of any other technique to style the perfect bangs?

Hi GK!
1. Permanent straightening is a bad idea for 2 reasons – You will never get the curls in that part back + It looks weird at the roots once your hair starts growing.
2. Blow drying is not a good idea either due to the heat damage but is definitely a better option than option 1. So you could do it once in a while if you please.
3. I used to straighten my bangs up until some months ago but I wear them curly now because I learnt how to :D. You can see it here https://www.curlsandbeautydiary.com/photodiary-fall-love-curly-hair-volume-4/ and you can check the 1st style in this post to see how I do it – https://www.curlsandbeautydiary.com/11-easy-everyday-hairstyles-curly-hair/
Hope that helps!

Thanks, i will give 3 a try 🙂

I stay herein muscat where there are no professional hair saloons available. So each time I needed to search a name and tell them to cut my hair. But it all ended up drastically. My hair is too curly at the crown part and also at forehead and reduces curliness at the end. I had a long and thick hair bt did straightening and some thickness reducing cut. And nw my curls are back bt looks so unhealthy and so thin my hair became. How cud I get back my thick hair pls also suggest me a good hair cut. Nw my hair is just below my shoulder.

Hi Smrithi, do you still have the straightened hair? Or did you cut it all off?

Anjana actually all my roots and also till middle its curly. Bt at the ends almost about 2inches its still straight. I ws trying to grow my hair so that I could try some good haircut which is not too short as it wont suit me. Right now my hair is 3.5 inches past my shoulder. I already hav layers and aide bangs.pls suggest me a good hair cut.

Smrithi layered cut is the way to go. You are not happy with the results because you still haven’t cut off the damaged ends. Cut off the damaged ends and you will start liking your hair better. Start changing your curly routine already though 🙂

I think the triangle effect is less when the curls are very long (beyond the waist) and are cut in a U or V shape.

But with long curls, without layers, hair would be weighed down too much

Oh my gosh! Your hair is so nice! What type of product do you use?

I love your haircut. Would you be able to describe how your hair is cut. I love all the layers and over all shape. Whenever I get my hair cut I always struggle expressing what I want. I want your haircut, but have no clue how to actually describe it. Thanks for your help and your lovely blog.

Hey Leticia, my cut has got lots and lots of short layers. And the layers are not in exact lines. Which means I’ve got curls popping here and there. And the end is shaped like a deep V. Hope that helps 🙂

I remember some time back you had put a post on anti ageing creams and how to apply them. I have been trying to hunt that post in your blog but alas! I cannot find it. Can you please let me know if you have a search option where i can search any content ? This is mostly useful when i want to re-read any post for reference.

Hey Betina, this is the post 7 ways to look great without makeup or maybe this one My anti-acne skin care routine. There is a search option on the sidebar (in desktop) and towards the end of the homepage (in mobile) 🙂

Hello Anjana,
Am swetha and 22 years… I have fallen in love with my curls since a year and a half.. used to hate it until i found a correct regimen for the curly hair.. i used to brush my hair as anyone does who is not aware.. and now am following curly hair routine..
And u r doing a great job.. helping out many curly hair girls like me..
I had a haircut about 10months ago.. a normal haircut in a local parlour.. ‘U’ shape cut coz i thought any other cut wouldnt be visible on my curly hair..
My gair length is a bit short.. not tooo short but not even medium length.. my curl type is 3a curls or 2c curls im not sutr and confused.. after my curly hair routine my hair tends to get frizz, they won’t look like hows urs look in the pics… And the hair near the root is not defined.. they get divided into sigle strands and the hair at the end is also not defined.. is there a problem with my hair?? Do i have to get a haircut??? And i have done protein test… My hair expands expands and expands and breaks.. so realised that there is no protein and ordered gelatin yesterday itself.. thnq for that post..
I use the following:
Wow 10in1 shampoo
Revlon flex conditioner
Flaxseed gel
And today is used set wet gel(for the forst time)
Could u please suggest me some saloon in hyderabad for curly hair… I can afford upto 1000.rs for the cut..
Will be thankful to u if u help me out..
I recently ordered cantu shine and define gel and curl activator crean and deva curl light defining gel.. i might receive them in a month or two… Will there be any imptovement if i use these products.. thank u so much in advance….
Please reply… Iam attaching my pictures even…
Thanku..
I sent the same through mail even.. please check…
Thanq.. 🙂

Hey Swetha ! I had a look at your pics, they look 3b to me. And your haircut looks absolutely fine. You just need more moisturising products. The products you ordered will be perfect for you! Also pick a better conditioner – Revlon is too light for your hair type. This is a good choice – L’Oréal Smooth Intense Smoothing Conditioner

Growing out of 4 years of permanent straightening. Thinking of going back to my natural hair..It is very frizzy and curly ( not very curly though).
Your blog is godsent.
Thank you !

:):)

Hey Anjana,
Can you please suggest me a curly hair stylist in kolkata. This would be my very first curly haircut. And i also have a wedding toa ttend in 20 days. Please it would be of great help.

Reply

Aishwarya Ghadage

Hi anjana ,I have 2c 3a kind of hair type. My hair get very frizzy after washing the hair. Can u advice me what product should I use ? Actually I don’t like my hairs at all. Whenever there is some kind of function I prefer straighting but after watching ur youtube video I get inspire . Yes , koi toh he ki jise curls pasand he.

Hi Anjana,

Could you please suggest a hair stylist in Bangalore for a hair cut..I got a horrible horrible cut last time and haven’t cut my hair since.

Remya

hey
i have 2a hair type. the length is below the waist. i want to slim down my face a bit. can you suggest me a haircut
TIA.

Long layers starting below your neck

Hi there! Absolutely love your blog! A few questions questions:
1. Where do your shortest layers end at – the chin level or ear level?
2. Are your short layers at the back of your hair or is it more to the sides?
3. My hair is shoulder length and I have ear level layers, and I want to grow it out. You had short(er) hair recently – how often did you go for a trim and did you specify the length you want snipped off (1/8 or 1/16th inch)?

Hey Nina!
1)Currently I have quite short hair but for my usual length, my shortest layers end at my chin throughout the circumference of my head, with a few face framing layers ending at my ear.
2)The answer above should answer this 🙂
3)I just got it trimmed once to add in some layers into the asymmetrical bob. I didn’t mention any specific length.

Hi Anjana,
I cut my hair in Sept this year to slightly beyond shoulder length . My hair is a mixture of 3a/3b curls. I was hoping to go for a shorter hair cut – more like a A bob that stops at my neck or shoulder at most. Would you suggest this? If not, any other haircut i could try in short styles? I am a low maintenance gal. Also, what would be a good place in Bangalore to get this hair cut? I wonder if i can find the same stylists you reviewed on the blog in 2019!
Thank you 🙂

Yes, that would look amazing! Go for it, Aparna.
Yes, I still recommend those stylists 🙂

I had a haircut similar to the short bob you have included in this article. I had bangs and a reverse ankle bob that was longer in the front to my chin or so. I went 6 months without a haircut due to finances and then the pandemic shutting everything down. That’s when I rediscovered my curly hair. So now I’ve had my naturally blonde hair color to cover gray hair and I’ve had two haircuts. I’m still struggling with it. My curls can look nice during the day but by night time they’ve all fallen. for me there is no second or third day curly hair. My hair is fine and curlier in the back then the front or top. I never knew I had curly hair until I turned 40. I asked my beautician for a perm and she said you already have one. I told her I hadn’t had one in 3 years. Then I started my quest to style my curly hair. When I turned 50 I got the reverse angle bob haircut. I’ll be 54 in a couple days and want my curls to look as good as possible. It’s a real struggle right now. I already posed my problem in another post so I won’t ask advice again. You have a very nice website, easy to read and understand. Also it’s very organized!

Thanks Michelle 🙂

Hi Anjana,

I got a reverse bob at Bblunt Magrath Road after reaching out to you. My hair was cut by Mr.Shafad and he did a neat job.
Did not know short curly hair looked this amazing! Thank you for your suggestion. Your blog is inspiring and has been helpful in maintaining curly hair.

I am so glad to hear that, Aparna!

Hi Anjana,
Its been two years into my CG journey…I do follow the routine and have good curls. My hair length is just below the shoulder and recently got a U cut just to trim of the ends there are no layers coz I wanted some length. But now I feel the crown part remains flat even after fluffing.
I want to try a reverse angle Bob or an assymetrical haircut to keep it short that ends at my shoulder. Will you suggest this coz I have a broad forehead too and the haircut I have now makes it even more worse without the volume and flat crown.
Please suggest the stylist too in bangalore who would be the right one for this haircut.

Hi Anjana,
I love your blog!
I don’t think I have a flat crown-it doesn’t have volume, but I don’t think it’s so flat-but should I still layer my type 3a to 2c hair?
Should I get a U or a V cut?
Also, I live in America, so I can’t go to the salons mentioned in your blog

Layers are always a good idea

Hi.. My hair are wavy, curly, very frizzy with too much volume. My stylist gave me straight cut just below shoulder length. Is it fine or I shud take sm other cut. I asked him for layers bt he said I’ll get more volume so gave me straight cut. Please suggest the cut I should do.

Straight cut will give curls hair the pyramid look; if that’s not an issue for you, you can continue with it

Finding the perfect haircut is crucial for enhancing the natural beauty of curly hair. This guide offers a wealth of inspiration and advice, showcasing a range of styles that flatter different curl patterns and face shapes. From short, bouncy cuts to long, layered looks, there’s something for everyone.

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