October 27, 2022

How to cut curly hair? Tips and examples of curly haircuts.

Come tagliare i capelli ricci

Curly hair is beautiful, unique, and uniquely different, but it's also incredibly difficult to manage. Those who have it know: you can't get a bad haircut for curly hair, or you'll have a very long wait! It's true that curly hair grows just as quickly as straight hair, but it takes a long time before the curl or curl even noticeably lengthens. So that explains why curly hair terrifies hairdressers: a quick trim can quickly become a complete disaster if the stylist isn't an expert.

We then asked Cristiano, our hair stylist , to help us give you the best advice: in this post you'll discover how to cut curly hair, how to work curls, and a few tricks to keep your hair perfect even at home.

Let's find out together:

At the hairdresser's: how to style curly hair

To understand if you can trust a hairdresser to do your hair, look at how they work and what type of cut they offer: for curly hair, in fact, one of the most important rules is never a straight cut ; this is, in fact, how the poodle effect we all hate is created.

To create an excellent cut, you need to work on curly hair both in length and volume, and it's important to consider its movement; the curlier the hair, the more voluminous it will be, so you can cut it much less than with an elongated curl.

To better understand, here is a general guideline to follow based on the texture of your hair:

  • if the curl is mild you can make a medium layered cut

  • If, on the other hand, it is very narrow , you need to give it a direction, sculpting the volumes and never cutting above the chin (unless you have very short and particular cuts)

The important thing, in general, is to always match the cut of the curl to the type of face , playing with the volumes to have a proportionate result.

How to cut long or short curly hair?

In recent years, curls have finally come back into fashion: so we can say goodbye to straighteners, which in the long run damage the hair structure, and say yes instead to a natural look, enlivened by curls, well-defined curls, or Afro curls . Of course, each type of hair is very different, so the cuts that best suit them are different.

Long hedgehog

Those with wavy, and therefore undefined, hair can easily wear long bobs, which on this head become wavy bobs ; those with less wavy hair can also play with fringes and side-swept bangs.

Medium hedgehog

Those with well-defined curls should opt for a long, layered bob that adds direction and volume: a bit like the beautiful Paola Turani!

Short curl

Afro-curly hair, on the other hand, requires a medium bob to be enhanced, but it also gives you the opportunity to play with very personal, very short cuts .

How to cut curly hair to add volume

To add volume, there is only one solution: you need to focus on layered cuts , the best ones for enhancing the dynamism of curly hair.

Consult your hairdresser to determine how much to layer based on your curl type, the length you want, and your face shape.

Let's talk styling: how to manage curly cuts?

Regardless of the curly cut you choose, one thing is certain: Wavy hair must always be hydrated . There are many products you can use to care for curly hair, depending on your different needs:

  • creams rich in oils and lipids that hydrate, shape waves and eliminate frizz
taglio-capelli-ricci-kerastase-1 taglio-capelli-ricci-kerastase-1

Kèrastase Oleo Curl – leave-in pre-styling treatment cream

taglio-capelli-ricci-prodotti-alfaparf taglio-capelli-ricci-prodotti-alfaparf

Alfaparf Semi di Lino Curls Reactivating Spray – long-lasting curl-reviving spray

taglio-capelli-ricci-2 taglio-capelli-ricci-2
  • Foam fixatives and anti-frizz gels that allow wavy hair to create locks with well-defined movement


Twisted Curls Style Stories Alfaparf – medium hold curl cream +28% volume

Go to product
tagli-capelli-ricci-amplificatore-tigi-455x1024 tagli-capelli-ricci-amplificatore-tigi-455x1024
  • curl amplifiers , which eliminate frizz and at the same time amplify the waves: TIGI Curls Rock is ideal, it is a fibre that is distributed on the hair and that shrinks when a heat source is stimulated, increasing the "spring" of the curl
Go to product
taglio-riccio-1-732x1098 taglio-riccio-1-732x1098

Tips for always having the best curly cuts

Then there are some little tricks to always keep in mind:

  • If some strands are smoother than others – and therefore give an unpleasant, unkempt effect – it is often enough to dampen them a little to revive them.
  • If your hair is flat on top of your head, it means there's too much mass in that area: it needs thinning; while you wait for your appointment with the hairdresser, dry it only upside down, because this will encourage the natural formation of volume.

Basically, to choose how much and how to cut your beautiful curls, first consider how wavy your hair is and talk to your hairdresser : you can choose easy-to-manage cuts like long, wavy bobs, or dare with a pixie cut or an asymmetrical, all-curly cut to bring out your personality.

come-tagliare-capelli-ricci-phon come-tagliare-capelli-ricci-phon

Mistakes to avoid if you have curly hair

There are, then, some things you should never, ever, ever do if you have curly hair. The first is cutting it when it's wet , and you'll understand why: wet hair is straighter, and straight hair is longer. Cutting curls when wet means you don't have a true sense of their length.

Another thing to avoid is brushing , because brushing or combing dry curly hair causes breakage and loss of elasticity.

Let's also look at all the other actions that damage or make curls frizzy:

  • washing them too often and with very foaming products
  • Rub them with the towel to dry them (this applies to all hair, because it weakens it, but even more so to curly cuts, because it frizzes them excessively. Curls need to be dried slowly and gradually, as naturally as possible. Ever heard of plopping ?)
  • don't use conditioner
  • don't use the diffuser (argh!)
  • force them to straighten , always and in any case, with excessive use of straighteners and hairdryers.

On FeelYourLook, you'll find a section dedicated specifically to the best products for curly hair: Afro, wavy, frizzy, and fine. Take a look and discover all the promotions:

Discover all the products for curly hair