How to Cut African American Spiral Curly Hair
Cutting naturally curly hair varies greatly from cutting straight or slightly wavy hair. Only hair that will be worn curly most of the time should be cut curly. Because hair is more elastic when wet and the length of tightly curled hair changes with moisture, the methods taught in some beauty schools are ineffective for cutting coiled African American hair. Within African American hair textures, the techniques used to cut hair vary with the hair length. With a willing volunteer and a mind open to learning new techniques, cutting African curly hair can be as simple as cutting anyone else’s hair. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Fine-tooth comb (for short hair)
- Clippers (for short hair)
- Guards in sizes 1-3 (for short hair)
- Claw clips (for long hair)
- Scissors (for long hair)
Instructions
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Short, Cropped Haircuts
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1
Do not wet the hair immediately before or during the cut. The hair need not be freshly washed. Use a fine-tooth comb to remove tangles from the hair.
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2
Select a clipper guard that is the right size for the hair length desired. This number is usually a maximum of size 1 to size 3 for most, typical African American short haircuts. Use a smaller size for hair that is tightly coiled. Use a larger size to cut hair with loose waves. Start with a larger size if you are unsure. Place the guard on the clippers.
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3
Look at the head and imagine there is a line that separates the front of the head from the back of the head. This line runs from ear to ear and passes through a cowlick or swirl in the back of the head.
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4
Cut the front of the head by passing the clippers through the hair from the imaginary line towards the face. Make long, even passes through the hair. Move the clippers over after each pass to cut a new section of hair. Use a soft brush to remove the hair clippings from the head so that you can see which areas need to be cut more. Pass the clippers through the hair until the hair is even in length and has no patches of thicker or thinner hair. If the hair remains uneven, make passes in different directions.
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5
Cut the back of the head by passing the clippers from the imaginary line downward toward the back of the neck. Use the same method described in Step 4.
Long African American Curly Haircuts
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6
Dry the hair so that the curls are in the shape that they will be styled in. The hair does not need to be freshly washed. Do not comb or alter the curls from the way that they are worn each day.
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7
Part the hair in the style that it is worn in. Use a comb to make a horizontal part across the back of the head so that a small section is separated from the rest. Place a claw clip on the top section of hair to hold it up and away from the rest of the hair.
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8
Use scissors to cut this small section of hair all the way across into the style desired.
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9
Remove the claw clip and make another part in the hair above the last section.
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10
Use scissors to cut a small section of hair at a time. Continue cutting small sections until this section of hair has been cut all the way across.
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11
Continue to section off small areas of the hair to cut. Do not cut the hair too short, especially near the face. This will create layers that stick out and add volume. Once the ears are reached, cut the hair so that the layers frame the face. Cut the African American spiral curly hair into any style suitable for curly hair.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use a special kind of clipper, called an edger, to cut a straight line where the hair meets the face.
Wear a different shirt during the cut or plan to take a bath after the cut to remove the loose, cut hairs.
Press the clippers with a guard firmly onto the scalp, they will not cut the head.
Do not dig the clippers into the skin of the scalp, this will hurt.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
