With everything going on in our lives, it’s getting harder to catch up with time-consuming salon appointments. Plus, it can be costly to get your hair cut by a professional, especially if you’ve put yourself on a tight budget. So what do you do when trimming curly hair is a must?
Forgetting about your regular trims isn’t an option, as they’re essential for maintaining those healthy and bouncy curls. For those of you that didn’t know it yet, snipping off the ends of our curls helps make strands appear healthier. You don’t want to spend 30 minutes on your daily hair care routine (from shampooing to deep conditioning) and end up with noticeable knots and split ends anyway! Although experts recommend going to a professional for a trim, we’re sometimes put into situations where we have to take the snipping into our own hands. This way, we don’t have to leave home, we get to save on money, AND we look amazing. You have to admit one thing, though. Cutting your curls yourself can be intimidating, especially when you have to consider how delicate your natural hair is. If you’re thinking of trimming your own hair at home, there are several things you need to remember. You definitely do NOT want to end up chopping off too much or ruining your curl pattern. Here are some helpful tips so you won’t end up in tears after your DIY trim!
Get the right tools for curly hair types
When it comes to curly hair care, you should never ever trim your own hair without getting the right tools. We all have probably done it at some point—getting a pair of household scissors from the drawer and mindlessly chopping off chunks of hair. More often than not, the result is usually a disaster. If you want to keep your hair in shape, stay away from the type of scissors that are not intended for hair cutting! You also have to make sure that your scissors are SHARP, or else you’ll end up with more split ends than you started with. As much as you can, invest in a good pair of shears. It will help you in snipping more precise cuts. Also, use a wide-tooth comb to keep the natural flow of your curls. This way, it’s easier to achieve your target length. Lastly, it will also help to buy salon hair clips for proper sectioning.
Section your natural hair
For the greatest trim-your-own-hair-hack, sectioning is very important when it comes to trimming curly hair. This is where the hair clips that you bought will be put into use! Set your hair in twists before you start going crazy with the shears. It makes trimming more organized and allows you to cut each portion evenly. What we like to do is to make a part down the center of our hair from front hairline to the back. Then we make another part from ear to ear. You can then twist or braid each section. If you’re satisfied with the four sections, you’re good to go! But if you want a more accurate cut, you can go for 20 sections at most. When you’re done trimming your hair and you unravel the sections, you will love how clean your trim will look.
Trimming curly hair when it's dry is a MUST
When trimming, it’s better to let your curls dry and retain its natural flow instead of dampening it beforehand. If you trim your hair when it’s wet, you end up with a loosened curl pattern. Once it dries, your hair will be much shorter than expected because of shrinkage! Snipping your naturally curly or wavy hair texture while it’s dry helps you get a better look at the final result. Although it varies from preference to preference, this is one of the best ways for an effective and no-hassle do-it-yourself trimming. Not sure how to do a dry trim? It’s easy! When you’re done sectioning, you can air dry or use a blow dryer to create a straighter, more even form which will create more precise cuts. Then you hold the sections towards your shoulder area, and do frequent, tiny trims on the less compact coils. REMEMBER, cut across and not at an angle! Doing so is a lot easier, and will get you more even results.
Always set your target length
NEVER snip away without estimating your target length. Since you’re doing it alone, you may fail to notice that you’re already cutting it too short. Make sure that you have pictured how short you want the haircut to be. You don’t want to end up with a disastrous haircut the day before you need to go to work or an important event! What we want to do is to cut CAREFULLY, not randomly, so always make sure that you know how long or short you want to cut before getting started.
Prevention is better than a cure
Do you end up having to trim your hair often because those split ends keep popping up??? Maybe you should invest in a treatment that will actually PREVENT this so that you don’t have to cut so much when you give yourself a trim. The best deep conditioning masks are infused with vitamins like A, B1, B6 and C to keep your curls poppin'. Here's what we recommend.
It’s always better to be proactive when it comes to caring for curly hair care, that’s why you need to keep damage from happening in the first place. One thing you need to do is to be very careful when you detangle. The most damage happens when we get too over enthusiastic with the styling tangled hair. Next, you should invest in products that contain ingredients which can prevent split ends and breakage. Natural hair moisturizers with Blueberry extract are great at preventing breakage and repairing damage. On the other hand, hair care products with Vitamin C will help your body produce collagen and absorb iron, which are essential when it comes to hair growth and structure.
Final Words
We all know how demanding it is to tame our curly manes. With the right knowledge, preparation, and the best hair products for natural hair, trimming your natural hair by yourself will be a breeze! Whether you just want to snip off dry ends or you’re going for a new look, it is possible to skip the salon and just do it yourself! We hope that this helped you ease your mind. Now go get those healthier, bouncier curls you’ve always wanted!
CURLS Can Help with Curly Hair Care!
At CURLS, we live up to our philosophy of providing quality products for your hair care needs without the harsh chemicals. We only use natural ingredients to cater to different hair types, because we value the natural beauty of our hair. Take a look at our CURLS Store, which features a variety of natural hair care products. You’ll surely find something just for you. In case you need recommendations and further guidance, you can also reach out to us. Our friendly team would love to help a CURLista in need!
