Many curlies have learned that many professional hairstylists do not have or exercise the proper education on cutting curly hair. Unfortunately, many curlies would rather live with damaged ends than get a haircut from a professional that doesn’t have a clue how to cut curly hair. It’s a daunting task to find someone who will not make you resemble a poodle or give you lopsided hair, so more often than not curlies will take on the chore of doing their own haircuts, and especially their own trims.
There are tons of YouTube videos and blog posts on trimming your own hair but honestly, it’s not for everybody. There are times when seeking out a professional may be the way to go and with the natural hair movement being as strong as it is, there are more curly hairstylists who can actually cut our hair! You can find your nearest curly friendly salon at Curl Salons.
Reasons You Need a Professional Trim
Your hair is too short in the back
Sometimes it’s hard doing your own hair and when you have a short length in the back how can you determine if you need a trim or even give yourself a trim? A successful self-trim requires the ability to fully check the hair by sight and holding a mirror to look in another mirror in order to see if your hair is not gonna cut it. Pun intended.
You really have no clue what you are doing
Listen, sometimes you have to take a knee and admit you are truly clueless on how to do a self-trim. It’s ok to admit you cannot do everything and it’s certainly ok to get a professional to do it before you butcher your hair and find yourself crying in a corner. No one will judge you and even if they do, so what! It’s about doing it right and if you aren’t a DIYer, then make an appointment and keep it moving.
You have heat or chemical damage
Damage from heat, color, or even a keratin treatment happens to the best of us. There is nothing wrong with wanting to immediately correct the situation as quickly as possible, but grabbing the shears with frustration and sadness will only make it worse. It may be time to seek out a professional to observe what needs to be cut and where.
You may need to do more than a trim or you may only need to cut one section and unless you are a hairstylist, knowing the difference is not as easy as you would think. It’s better to consult a stylist. Trust me on this.
You want your hair even all the way around
Some of us like our hair even and that’s just ok, but if you don’t want to bring out the bowl and determine how much to cut, then you might want to seek a professional.
You have messed up before
Two wrongs don’t make a right, so if you have tried the self-trim and it didn’t work, then don’t try, and try again. You are not saying you cannot do it, but it may be time to allow the professional to get it right for you. If you want to try again after being trimmed by a professional, just brush up on your YouTube videos and how to’s before giving it another go.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NATURALLY KELA
Deva Cut/Shape up
Almost every curly wants a Deva Cut and many are willing to fly to NY to get one. If you have one and want to keep it shaped nicely, then I suggest hitting a professional so they can maintain the shape. Special cuts, especially on curlies, need a little extra expertise so call them up and make that appointment so your cut will stay a diva longer.