To wonder why so few hairdressers do curly hair cuts

[JKLMNO]

I live in an area swamped with hairdressers. Keratin blow drys and curly blow drys are two a penny. But try getting a curly deva cut. I have found one fairly local salon with a wait of months , otherwise it’s a drive to Manchester or Birmingham.

I don’t want to drive for miles I don’t have time. There are at least 8 fancy hairdressers local to me. I’m genuinely wondering why this isn’t something more widely available?

@Marelle

You will usually have more success with a black hairdresser because more black people have curly hair so they know how to cut it. If your area isn’t very diverse then you’re screwed. Most white hairdressers will cut curly hair the same as straight hair, or even try to straighten it!

I wasn't sure if this was a solution. DD's curls are tight but not Afro curl pattern. We do have a couple of hairdressers nearish by but not sure if it's yet another different method and skill set for black hair texture and curl type. I guess it's worth popping in and asking. I'd still be worried about products though as I know a lot of the Afro hair care products aren't curly girl friendly.

I had my haircut for the first time in ages last week. She cut my hair, straightened it and then levelled it off so precisely I thought she was going to get out a level. Fgs! Looks shit.

@MajorNeville

I had my haircut for the first time in ages last week. She cut my hair, straightened it and then levelled it off so precisely I thought she was going to get out a level. Fgs! Looks shit.

I’ll trade you for my curly bowl cut 😂

My husband actually made me promise not to shave it all off it is that horrendous. I ended up complaining to the salon owner and he’s offered me 2 free appointments with him to fix it.

Well deva is a specific brand - so that’s why there’s only a few, they need to have been trained by them.

There are other hairdressers who can do curly hair.

If anyone is in travelling distance to Glasgow I can recommend a hairdressers that specialises in curls...

You can get a dry cut from most Black, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi beauty salons for roughly a tenner (usually less if you just want a trim). That is why not many big hairdressers in diverse areas offer it. Don’t look on Treatwell, just look up local Isalons near you and ask them for a dry cut & they’ll tell you their prices.

I had the same problem, my solution was to pick a stylist and we both learned together. She’s magic with color, so some rough haircuts were worth it in the end.

Mine does a modified version of the curly method. She’ll color, then cut a shape in while wet, then diffuse it, and she cuts again dry.

We laugh about some of the bad cuts that have happened over the years, but honestly curly hair hides a lot of sins, so it’s never been that big of a deal to me.

I realized how far we had come when she was on maternity leave, and the temp stylist would only cut my hair wet, and she wasn’t great with color. After that experience for a couple of months I decided that I’ll put up with the odd not so great cut with my stylist.

So, if you have time and patience, finding one that doesn’t specialize now, may be an option.

I should also add that some of the not so great cuts were due to me not communicating effectively and the fact that my hair is apparently contrary and will randomly decide to totally behave differently. We’ve both learned to call it good enough on days where it’s not cooperating and walk away.

“just look up local Isalons near you and ask them for a dry cut & they’ll tell you their prices.”

A dry cut doesn’t always mean a dry cut...IME hairdressers take that to mean without washing, so they either spray water on, or even worse, straighten it.

And none will ever tell you they can’t do curls - they’ll say of course they can, like you’re insane for even asking then leave you with a bad haircut.

So many bad hair cuts. I have been cutting my own for the last 15 years. It's easy enough, just trim the ends off the longest bits to make it a bit shorter and then snip bits off here and there till it looks ok. Usually I go back a couple of times as it settles differently after each wash.
Doing the back is a bit awkward as I only have 1 mirror. My hair is wavy and curly in parts but also with straight bits underneath so a wet cut never works.

Mum MIL cut my DD hair, she’s a retired hairdresser. I have learnt that she probably only cuts straight hair and have a rather upset 5y old…! Reading this I think maybe her front section is much curlier than the back maybe- so it’s sprung up loads and is like 3 inches shorter round the front once dry/curly. She hates it

I wasn't sure if this was a solution. DD's curls are tight but not Afro curl pattern. We do have a couple of hairdressers nearish by but not sure if it's yet another different method and skill set for black hair texture and curl type. I guess it's worth popping in and asking.

Yes it's worth asking because most Afro Caribbean hairdressers have more than one string to their bow, and will have learned to cut many different types of hair.

I think most hairdressers aren’t particularly skillfull at cutting hair. It’s rare to find a ‘real’ hairdresser, that understands hair.

@sexnotgender Can i please ask how you approached this? My hairdresser who has been brilliant with my curly hair must have had a dreadful day on Friday because he’s layered my hair so much I look like I have a mullet (imagine top layers to cut all curls out, and now wavy hair on the lower layers). It’s awful. My daughter is trying to be kind but.....
I go from feeling ‘it will grow out’ and ‘what can he do now, as he’s cut so much off’. I’m a bit sad really and i’m Not working from home so have to face colleagues on Monday which is making me somewhat anxious. Thanks in advance.

[quote Lysianthus]@sexnotgender Can i please ask how you approached this? My hairdresser who has been brilliant with my curly hair must have had a dreadful day on Friday because he’s layered my hair so much I look like I have a mullet (imagine top layers to cut all curls out, and now wavy hair on the lower layers). It’s awful. My daughter is trying to be kind but.....
I go from feeling ‘it will grow out’ and ‘what can he do now, as he’s cut so much off’. I’m a bit sad really and i’m Not working from home so have to face colleagues on Monday which is making me somewhat anxious. Thanks in advance.[/quote]
I was meant to have a follow up appointment with the same stylist for her to “finish off my cut when it had settled”. I emailed them to cancel as the first cut was of a poor standard and I only agreed to the second appointment so that I didn’t have to be there any longer.

The manager contacted me to apologise and asked me in for a consultation to assess the cut. After seeing it he offered 2 appointments with him to try and get to the cut I actually asked for.

It’s horrible when you get such a dreadful cut. I honestly would have shaved the whole lot off if my husband hadn’t been so aghast! I was utterly embarrassed when I left the salon. I went in with beautiful hair and left looking like a 90s boy band member.

I can only dream of looking like a 90s boy band boy! I’ll email when I feel calmer. thanks 🙏

It's really hard finding someone. I've tried a few different places but come back to my trusty local salon each time as it's only over the road and they're to just give me a shampoo and cut and let me go with wet hair so I can let it try naturally.

I remember one awful cut at somewhere new. They had reassured me they understood curly hair. But it was clearly an inexperienced young girl who was doing the cut. She then grabbed the hairdryer (without diffuser) and a round brush! I said "woooahhh, hang on....curly hair won't like that." I had to tell her what to do, but she still tried to brush the front bit, she then realised her mistake and was putting hairspray on and trying to put the curls back in with her fingers. I was so unhappy I just wanted to get out of there so I paid and never went back.

I wonder if hairdresser aren't taught to cut hair nowadays as I've had so many bad haircuts from people who say they can cut my thick curly wavy hair - I've had my hair razored, straightened, unevenly cut, cut too short. I've got to the point of being scared to try out another hairdresser

If your in the Midlands I know of a curly specialist in Loughborough and there's one in Staffordshire and one near Nottingham

I was advised to look for older stylists who may be more traditionally trained and more skilled at curly wavy hair. Also like other posters have said to look for people with curly hair and ask them who their hairstylist is

I've had very similar experiences and all to often haven't spoken until it's too late.
My hairdresser mentioned above (hair cut wet as if straight) really isn't too bad & she does at least understand to not try to dry it. She did produce some yucky silicone stuff last time before I realised what she was doing

I avoid hairdressers ... I hate having my hair straightened.

The warning sign is when they look alarmed and tell me I have lots of thick hair. I have lots of fine hair , wavy and curly. But flyaway.

I end up looking like Margaret Thatcher. Every time.

I live in a big city. There is a curl specialist but she has a 6 month waiting list and is too £££ for me. My hair is really really curly and I've never found a decent stylist and I've been to all the expensive designer salons. I'm sick of it to be honest so only have a mediocre trim twice a year. Hair dressers on the whole can't cut curly hair.

@Cookerhood

There's a Trepadora curly hair salon in Maidenhead, is that very far from you? Specifically ofr curly hair, she also makes and sells her own line of curly, mostly vegan,, natural hair products and they're really very good.

@JKLMNO

I've been going to the Birmingham curly hair salon for a few years; he was trained by Lorraine Massey. But it's getting too expensive to do that so I found another devacurl hairsalon in Sussex which I am having my first appointment with toward end November.

All my life I heard hairdressers tell me they knew how to cut curly hair and then they'd wash, straighten it out whilst wet and cut it exactly like they cut straight hair. Then they'd want to blow dry it.

I found mine through the Only Curls (hair care range) website. They have a directory of hairdressers

Thanks @JustcameoutGC. I'm trying a few new salons near me

The worst is when they get curling tongs out. Then you know they know they have killed your curls.

My hair is 2c and I’ve never felt the need to straighten it and I’ve never had a problem getting it cut. I haven’t had a cut I’ve been unhappy with since I was 15.

Lucky me, it seems.