The best haircut for curly hair is one shaped to your own curl pattern, usually long layers, cut while the hair is dry. Here's which cuts suit which curls, what changes for thin hair, and what to say in the chair.
The best haircut for curly hair is one shaped around your own curl pattern, usually long or medium layers that let the curls sit at different heights so the shape stays round rather than triangular. It works best cut while the hair is dry and curly, so the stylist cuts the shape you will actually wear.
There isn't one style that suits every curl. Loose waves, springy ringlets and tight coils each behave differently, and fine curls need something else again. Below is what tends to work for each, how to tell if your hair is thin or just fine, and what to ask for when you sit down.
Almost always, because the hair was cut wet and straight.
Curls shrink as they dry. A ringlet that hangs to your collarbone when wet can spring up to your chin, and the curl next to it might spring up more or less. Cut everything to an even line while it's wet, and it dries into an uneven one, often with a short piece at the front and a heavy, flat top.
The other common problem is the triangle: hair that's flat at the crown and wide at the ends. It happens when a curly head is cut to one length, so all the weight sits at the bottom and pulls the top straight.
A dry cut is exactly what it sounds like. You come in with your hair dry and styled the way you normally wear it, and your stylist cuts it in that state, often one curl or one cluster of curls at a time.
That lets them see where each curl falls, how much it shrinks, where the gaps and the heavy spots are, and how the whole shape moves when you shake your head. They can take length from one curl and leave the curl beside it longer, so they finish at the same height once both have sprung up. You see the result as it's happening, not after a blow-dry that straightens it out.
A dry curly cut takes longer than a standard cut. At Marram we book it as its own service, an hour and fifteen minutes, and it costs $95 with a graduate, $115 with a senior and $140 with a director. Mika, one of our senior stylists, cuts most of our curls dry.
Loose waves. Waves drop easily under their own weight. Long layers starting around the chin or collarbone add movement without making the ends look thin. A shoulder-length cut with face-framing pieces suits most wavy hair, and a softly layered bob can work well if the waves are strong enough to hold their bend at that length.
Springy curls. These suit rounded shapes. Long layers through the back and sides lift the crown and stop the triangle forming. Medium length is the easiest to live with, because there's enough weight to keep the curls defined and enough lift to keep them off your face. Curtain fringes cut dry can look good on defined curls, but ask for the fringe to be cut longer than you think, as it will shrink.
Tight curls and coils. These shrink the most and have the most volume, so the shape is built around the outline. Rounded cuts, tapered sides, or a long rounded shape all work. Avoid anything that relies on a sharp straight edge, because coils won't hold one.
Mixed patterns. Many people have looser waves underneath and tighter curls on top, or the reverse. A dry cut matters most here, because a wet cut treats the whole head as one texture.
First, work out which kind of thin you have. Fine hair means each strand is narrow. Low density means there are fewer strands on your head. You can have fine hair with plenty of it, or coarse hair that's sparse. Your stylist can tell by looking, and the cut follows from it.
For hair that is thin in either sense, a few rules hold whether it's curly or straight:
For thin curly hair, keep a little more length than you'd expect, because the curl takes some of it up, and ask for long layers only around the face and crown, where lift matters. If you'd like a precise blunt bob on fine straight hair, Lena, one of our director stylists, does most of our precision cutting.
You don't need to know the technical words. These are the things that actually help:
Come with your hair washed and styled your usual way a day or two before, down, and with no heavy oils or gels if you can manage it. A tight bun or a clip on the way in leaves a dent that hides the shape.
Most curly cuts hold their shape for three to four months, because curls hide new growth better than straight hair. Short shapes and very defined fringes need a tidy sooner, usually every eight to ten weeks. Book in when the ends start knotting or the shape drops, not by the calendar alone.
If you're curly and colouring too, our post on how long toner lasts has the care routine that keeps colour and curls both in good condition.
Our women's haircut page has more on cuts and blow-dries, and every price is on our services and prices page. If you'd like Mika to look at your curls and talk through a shape before cutting anything, send us a booking request and mention it's for a dry curly cut.
For most curly hair, dry is better. Curls shrink as they dry, and each one shrinks a different amount, so a cut that looks even when wet can dry uneven. Cutting dry lets the stylist see where every curl actually sits and shape the haircut you will wear, not the one you will see wet.
Wash and style your hair the way you usually do, a day or two before, and come with it down. Skip heavy oils and gels if you can, and avoid ties, clips or a tight bun on the way in, because they leave dents that hide the natural shape. Bring photos of curls like yours.
Thin curly hair usually looks fullest at shoulder length or a little above, with a solid outline and only a few long layers to let the curls spring. Lots of short layers or heavy texturising take away the weight that holds fine curls together, which can make them look sparse and frizzy.
Most curly cuts hold their shape for about three to four months, because curls hide growth better than straight hair does. Short curly shapes need a tidy sooner, around every eight to ten weeks. If your ends start tangling or the shape drops, it is time, whatever the calendar says.
A curly cut, cut dry, is $95 with a graduate stylist, $115 with a senior and $140 with a director, and we allow an hour and fifteen minutes. Mika, one of our senior stylists, does most of our curly cuts. A standard cut and blow-dry is $75, $95 or $120.
Not with thinning scissors or a razor through the whole head, because cutting hair to random short lengths inside the curl usually causes frizz. If curly hair feels heavy or triangular, a stylist can take weight out by cutting whole curls at different lengths, which reduces bulk and keeps each curl intact.
Tuesday to Saturday, late on Thursday. A consultation is free, and every price is set before anything is mixed.