How to Cut Your Own Curly Hair

Co-authored by Courtney Foster

Last Updated: July 10, 2024 References

Cutting curly hair may seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! Whether you want to give yourself a trim to eliminate split ends or go a bit shorter for a new look, there are a few different ways that you can cut your curls. Most hair experts agree that people with curly hair should not cut their hair while it is wet because cutting curly hair while it is wet may alter the layout of your curls. Instead, many hairstylists advocate dry hair cutting because cutting your hair while it is dry will help you to see how it looks as you cut it rather than waiting until after you have dried your hair.^{[1]
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Research source} However, there are also some hair experts who think that cutting hair while it is damp provides more control.^{[2]
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Research source} Here are a few different options that can help you to cut your curly hair. If you’re in need of a touch-up or a new do, read on!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Cutting Dry Curly Hair

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Before you begin trimming your curls, start with dry hair that is styled how you normally wear it. Make sure that your curls are laid out the way that you like them to be.
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Wrap a towel around your neck and shoulders. Secure the towel with a strong hair clip or safety pin. The towel will help prevent hair from getting on your neck and clothing. You may also want to put some newspaper on the floor to catch the hair that you trim off.
- If you have a hairdresser's cape, you can use this in place of a towel.
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Before you begin, make sure that you will be able to see the front and back of your hair by placing one mirror in front of you and another behind you. You can use your bathroom mirror as one of the mirrors for this purpose. The mirrors should be facing each other. Adjust the mirrors until you can see the front and the back of your head in the mirror in front of you. If you have long hair, this step is optional since you should be able to bring each strand forward as you trim your curls.
Separate your hair into sections to give you the most control over your cut. Then, using a pair of sharp haircutting scissors, trim the ends of each of your curls. Make sure the scissors you use are meant for cutting hair and that they are very sharp. ^{[3]
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Research source}Cut the hair near the ends or in the curve of the curl. Begin by trimming the topmost layers and work your way down through your curls, section by section.
After you finish trimming the ends of one layer, use a hair clip to separate the trimmed hair from the hair that you have not yet cut. Keeping the trimmed hair separate will help prevent you from cutting the same curls twice. ^{[4]
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Research source}Continue trimming the ends of your curls until you have trimmed them all. This may take a while, especially if you have thick hair. Just be patient and don’t rush!^{[5]
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When you are finished, run your fingers through your curls and shake them out.
Inspect your hair from all angles and make sure it looks how you want it to look. Use the scissors to touch up any spots that don’t look right. Look for any strands that are drastically longer than others or that are angled differently and trim as needed. ^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Cutting Braided Curly Hair

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Brush all of your hair until the brush moves through your hair easily, with little or no resistance. Make sure that there are no tangles and that your hair is ready to be braided.
Use a comb to separate each section from the rest of your hair. After you have separated each section, braid it and secure it with a small elastic hair band. Leave about a 1” tail of unbraided hair at the bottom of the braid. ^{[7]
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Continue sectioning and braiding your hair until you have braided all of it. The number of braids you will have when you are done will depend on the thickness of your hair, but you should have several small braids when you are done. ^{[8]
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Secure the towel with a strong hair clip or safety pin. The towel will help prevent hair from getting on your neck and clothing. You may also want to put some newspaper on the floor to catch the hair that you trim off.
5
Trim the end of each braid. Cut the ¼”- ½”section off the bottom of the braid. Make sure the scissors you use are meant for cutting hair and that they are very sharp. ^{[9]
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Research source} Make sure that you cut straight across and not at an angle. ^{[10]
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- After you make your first cut, measure the next braid side-by-side with the first. Use the already-cut braids as a guide for the next braid to make sure your hair is as even as possible.
Take your hair out of the braids, run your fingers through your hair, and shake out your curls.
Inspect your hair from all angles and make sure it looks how you want it to look. Use the scissors to touch up any spots that don’t look right. Look for any strands that are drastically longer than others or that are angled differently and trim as needed. ^{[11]
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Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Cutting Hair in Pigtails

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Brush all of your hair until the brush moves through your hair easily, with little or no resistance. Make sure that there are no tangles and that your hair is ready to be put into pigtails.^{[12]
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Separate your hair into two low pigtails on the sides of your head. Bring the ends of the pigtails in front of your shoulders so that you can see what you are doing. ^{[13]
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Secure the towel with a strong hair clip or safety pin. The towel will help prevent hair from getting on your neck and clothing. You may also want to put some newspaper on the floor to catch the hair that you trim off.
Identify the amount of length that you would like to cut and hold your hair around this section using your middle and index fingers. ^{[14]
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For each pigtail, cut the hair in a straight line just below where you are holding it with your fingers. Make sure the scissors you use are meant for cutting hair and that they are very sharp.^{[15]
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Research source} You can cut your hair at a slight angle if you’d like a bit of a slant to your cut. Just make sure that you cut the other pigtail at a similar complementary angle.^{[16]
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Take your hair out of the pigtails, run your fingers through your hair, and shake out your curls. ^{[17]
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Research source}
Inspect your hair from all angles and make sure it looks how you want it to look. Use the scissors to touch up any spots that don’t look right. Look for any strands that are drastically longer than others or that are angled differently and trim as needed.^{[18]
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Expert Source

Courtney Foster
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 9 December 2019.}

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Cutting Damp Curly Hair

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After you have finished washing your hair, dry it with a towel and proceed with your normal styling routine, but do not blow dry your hair. Let your hair air dry for a while until it is just damp.^{[19]
X
Expert Source

Courtney Foster
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 9 December 2019.}

Chris McMillan, Celebrity Hairstylist

Wash your hair mindfully. "Shampoo the roots; condition the ends. Yes, it's obvious, but it bears repeating."
Secure the towel with a strong hair clip or safety pin. The towel will help prevent hair from getting on your neck and clothing. You may also want to put some newspaper on the floor to catch the hair that you trim off.
Before you begin, make sure that you will be able to see the front and back of your hair by placing one mirror in front of you and another behind you. The mirrors should be facing each other. Adjust the mirrors until you can see the front and the back of your head in the mirror in front of you. If you have long hair, this step is optional since you should be able to bring each strand forward as you trim your curls.
Using a pair of sharp haircutting scissors, trim the ends of each of your curls. Make sure the scissors you use are meant for cutting hair and that they are very sharp. ^{[20]
X
Research source} Cut the hair near the ends or in the curve of the curl. Begin by trimming the topmost layers and work your way down through your curls, layer by layer.
After you finish trimming the ends of one layer, use a hair clip to separate the trimmed hair from the hair that you have not yet cut. Keeping the trimmed hair separate will help prevent you from cutting the same curls twice.^{[21]
X
Research source} Continue trimming the ends of your curls until you have trimmed them all. This may take a while, especially if you have thick hair. Just be patient and don’t rush!
When you are finished, run your fingers through your curls and shake them out.
Inspect your hair from all angles and make sure it looks how you want it to look. Use the scissors to touch up any spots that don’t look right. Look for any strands that are drastically longer than others or that are angled differently and trim as needed. ^{[22]
X
Research source}

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Question

What do you need if you're going to cut your own curly hair in layers?

Courtney Foster
Licensed Cosmetologist
Courtney Foster is a Licensed Cosmetologist, Certified Hair Loss Practitioner, and Cosmetology Educator based out of New York City. Courtney runs Courtney Foster Beauty, LLC and her work has been featured on The Wendy Williams Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, and in East/West Magazine. She received her Cosmetology License from the State of New York after training at the Empire Beauty School - Manhattan.

Courtney Foster

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

First, you need to make sure your cutting tools are sharp. If you use dull cutting tools, you'll end up with split ends, which can work their way up your hair and lead to breakages over time. Also, make sure that you monitor the length of each layer as you cut. If you lose track of the length in each layer, you could end up with an asymmetrical haircut.

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Question

Can you cut curly hair while wet?

Courtney Foster
Licensed Cosmetologist
Courtney Foster is a Licensed Cosmetologist, Certified Hair Loss Practitioner, and Cosmetology Educator based out of New York City. Courtney runs Courtney Foster Beauty, LLC and her work has been featured on The Wendy Williams Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, and in East/West Magazine. She received her Cosmetology License from the State of New York after training at the Empire Beauty School - Manhattan.

Courtney Foster

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Let your hair air dry until it's damp before you cut it. Curly hair shrinks as it dries, so cutting it wet might make your hair too short.

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Question

How exactly do you do layers?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

An easy way to create layers would be to detangle your curls and put them up into a ponytail. Decide how much hair you want to cut off and cut it straight across using hair shears. Remove the hair tie and you’ll have layers. You can trim them more or even them out if needed.

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Tips

When you cut your hair, keep in mind that curls tighten up when you cut them because the weight of your hair straightens and lengthens your curls. If you have long hair, trim a little length at a time to see how you like it, and then decide if you want to go shorter. ^{[23]
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Warnings

Cutting your own hair can give you good results, but it may not yield perfect results, especially if you want to drastically change your look.If you want to cut your hair much shorter than it is currently or you want a haircut that requires lots of layering, then you may be better off going to a salon.

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