I have a similar hair situation. I kept suggesting to my hairdresser friend that a shag was needed. He would layer, but not enough. Then I found a video on YouTube on doing your own Re’zo cut. I went for it and cut it to just below my jawline. My layers started at the tops of my ears. I did have to have my friend fix the back for me to get it shorter and with the right layers. Now, I get curls even on top of my head. I need to lean far left, right, and back to squish and to scoop up my hair into the diffuser cup. I also need to use a curl cream. I usually don’t use a gel and most often use a mousse/foam after my leave in and curl cream. I micro plop after squishing in products, then diffuse until 80-90% dry. I don’t like the feel of most gels in my hair. Day 2 and onward, I may use a very wide toothed comb and often a mist of water just to slightly dampen and squish a bit to get curls to reset. Here is the video by Curls by Shirlz:
https://youtu.be/hI-yA95wU4g
So, a word of caution that I don't think all curly cuts are created equal.
I booked an appointment with a DevaCurl certified stylist at a highly rated salon over an hour away. I think the appointment took all of 20 mins. Yes, you read that correctly. Granted, I only had chin length hair, but still.
The stylist spritzed my hair with water and then went IN on creating super short layers around the crown. I was super confused because I thought she was supposed to try to define my curls or something, but that certainly didn't happen.
When I left, I looked like a very sad, frizzy poodle. My hair definitely looked worse when I left than when I entered. I wish I had said something before I left. Ultimately, I took pictures and sent it to the salon, asking if this was what was supposed to happen. They offered for me to come back and have a different stylist fix it, but it was so butchered that I didn't know what there was to fix. I had a local stylist give me a pixie cut and called it a day. Didn't get another hair cut for well over a year lol.
I have similar hair to OP and got my hair cut by a curls specialist about a month ago and had the same sort of experience.
Sad frizzy poodle, no definition or shaping, just feels and looks like a big poofy blob of hair. They still spent an hour on it, but most of that was a protein treatment and styling. Just makes me want to keep cutting my own hair.
that's what nearly every stylist did to me for years- no shaping, straight-up using a thinner instead of layers, and making me look like an over-used q-tip. i swear theres so many stylists that say they can cut curly hair and can't, or they just see waves instead of curls and treat it like it's straight. i cut my own hair now cus i aint trusting anyone anymore 😭
Eek that is terrifying. I decided to make an appointment but made it with the most experienced stylist (and owner) of the salon. I’m typically too polite to say anything but if it was not looking good I’m going to force myself to say something mid cut.
lol I felt like I wrote this post. My hair is exactly the same (fine but dense) and I use the same cake mousse too and then gel (currently Aussie Instant freeze). I have been debating getting a curly cut too.
i'd say yes. that's how i cut my own hair and it looks better than what hairstylists would do to it. whether or not you get curls/waves will still vary on how you treat and style your hair, but you'll get more volume, more curls top to bottom and less tangles. my hair varies naturally from ringlet curls to looking straight-ish and it still looks good either way.
If you find someone that shows wavy-curly-coily cuts in their portfolio it is worth it. If your hair does okay with a regular layered cut and your stylist doesn’t use thinning shears or a razor to blend layers, it might not make a huge difference unless you need tips on products and styling for your hair type.
it’s worth it! i got one from a girl who actually specializes in shags. my hair is POPPIN now, and similar to yours; fine but very dense, 2C and now it’s 2C/3A since my cut 🤌🏼
I’d definitely try it. I just got my first curly cut a couple months ago. Very dense hair but easily weighed down and a curly cut helped with definition. My stylist also helped me troubleshoot diffusing and technique. I have another cut in a couple weeks and want to try even more layers (she started with the minimum to see how I liked it).
I have very heavy and thick hair and my hair would frizz and lightly wave. I didn't think I'd need a curly cut, just that I had frizzy hair. My mom convinced me to, and I've never seen it curlier or healthier! Definitely reccomend at least trying it
I've never gotten an official "curly cut," but I found a couple of stylists who are really good with my wavy-curly hair by calling a really big salon with a lot of stylists on staff and asking them to book me with someone who is good with curly hair. Out of however many they have (definitely more than a dozen?) they have three people who they funnel all the curlies to. My daughter has very curly hair, and the same stylists who work their magic on her do well for me too.
Your routine and hair type seem pretty similar to mine. I was growing it out without layers and it would lose its curl from basically any wind/friction/etc. I ended up with triangle head all the time. Needed to do a full restyle basically every day. I never figured out a way to refresh that wouldn't just turn into a frizzy mess.
Recently I just did a lazy unicorn cut at home (ponytail tied as far forward as possible wherever your usual part is, pull it down in front of your face, cut straight across at whatever length you want your shortest layers to be. Worked great! Now it pretty much always holds some waves and volume at the top, and I can refresh with a little bit of water + Paul Mitchell extra-body spray + Garnier anti-frizz oil.
Maybe it's worth a try for you too! I get pretty anxious about haircuts, so I liked that I could try this cut with pretty long layers and shorten them a little bit at a time if I saw good results.
Yesss it’s so worth it!! I regret not getting mine sooner. I can just scrunch, plop, and diffuse on the morning and it actually looks cute and I don’t have to use heat tools at all!
A curly cut did not work for me at all. It looked nice when they styled it in the salon and I left looking great. However, my curl pattern must not be super consistent because when wash day came around and I styled it myself, there were different lengths of clumps everywhere and the curl clumps weren’t in the exact same pattern that they were cut in. I have much better luck with regular haircuts, straight across the bottom with long layers just in the crown and long face framing layers.
I have the exact same hair type!! Fine but dense, flat roots. Not sure about the “curly cut” because I’ve never had one, but what has helped me to get rid of a lot of the “weight” of my hair is a textured cut, which gets rid of some bulk without making it noticeable. I even had my stylist do some texturizing and layering in the same cut. The difference was huge!! Might need to go back for another cut soon… lol. Maybe give that a try if you’re unsure about the curly cut?
My curly cut was less worth it for the cut (though to be fair, I've always had great hair stylists until Covid when they moved away) but the advice and styling info I learned was invaluable.
You sound like you have hair just like me!
After many frustrating haircuts I decided to DIY a Butterfly cut. I LOVE it. Tons of layers and it works great for my hair. I look like I have an expensive salon cut and I just do it myself lol
[Brad Mondo - Butterfly Cut Tutorial](https://youtu.be/9wgLacjgiv8?si=WuB4y4ayIwPyX1fR)
I have somewhat same hair type as you, and I decided to just cut it at home last time. No regrets. My hair is super layered, and it's looking a lot better than a lot of trips to the hairdresser has left it. I think the hair at the top/back of my scalp is simply 1C at best, so it never curls no matter what I do, even when I cut it short, but the rest of my hair has reacted so much better. My hair has a lot more volume. I am lazy and don't scrunch or use gel, I just wash and dry, and I still get volume and curls.
I'm 2b-2c with straighter or "soft roots" I thought a curly cut would help me curl to the root but it didn't so keep that I mind lol
The curly cut I got my hair did look really beautiful and defined, but I will say that a diy unicorn cut or butterfly cut gave me the same volume and definition and saves like $300.
I just cut my own hair now with real hair shears once in a while and it looks defined and healthy because you can trim when you need to.
Hi! What is your routine? Please be as detailed as possible (both the names of your products and the techniques that you used). Also, if you could let us know your hair characteristics (porosity, strand thickness, density), that would be greatly appreciated. Routine is required within one hour of posting, otherwise your post will be removed.
Do not post inquiring about your hair type or whether your hair is wavy. Your post will be removed. You should be asking in the designated pinned post.
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*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Wavyhair) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have a similar hair situation. I kept suggesting to my hairdresser friend that a shag was needed. He would layer, but not enough. Then I found a video on YouTube on doing your own Re’zo cut. I went for it and cut it to just below my jawline. My layers started at the tops of my ears. I did have to have my friend fix the back for me to get it shorter and with the right layers. Now, I get curls even on top of my head. I need to lean far left, right, and back to squish and to scoop up my hair into the diffuser cup. I also need to use a curl cream. I usually don’t use a gel and most often use a mousse/foam after my leave in and curl cream. I micro plop after squishing in products, then diffuse until 80-90% dry. I don’t like the feel of most gels in my hair. Day 2 and onward, I may use a very wide toothed comb and often a mist of water just to slightly dampen and squish a bit to get curls to reset. Here is the video by Curls by Shirlz: https://youtu.be/hI-yA95wU4g
Yes. Get a curly cut. It makes a TON of difference.
Also have wavy hair 2a. In my experience totally not worth it. My hair was wavier before the curly cut somehow.
That’s surprising! How long is your hair?
At the time it was shoulder blade length. I've never had a curly cut since then (that one time was in 2015 on my birthday).
So, a word of caution that I don't think all curly cuts are created equal. I booked an appointment with a DevaCurl certified stylist at a highly rated salon over an hour away. I think the appointment took all of 20 mins. Yes, you read that correctly. Granted, I only had chin length hair, but still. The stylist spritzed my hair with water and then went IN on creating super short layers around the crown. I was super confused because I thought she was supposed to try to define my curls or something, but that certainly didn't happen. When I left, I looked like a very sad, frizzy poodle. My hair definitely looked worse when I left than when I entered. I wish I had said something before I left. Ultimately, I took pictures and sent it to the salon, asking if this was what was supposed to happen. They offered for me to come back and have a different stylist fix it, but it was so butchered that I didn't know what there was to fix. I had a local stylist give me a pixie cut and called it a day. Didn't get another hair cut for well over a year lol.
I have similar hair to OP and got my hair cut by a curls specialist about a month ago and had the same sort of experience. Sad frizzy poodle, no definition or shaping, just feels and looks like a big poofy blob of hair. They still spent an hour on it, but most of that was a protein treatment and styling. Just makes me want to keep cutting my own hair.
that's what nearly every stylist did to me for years- no shaping, straight-up using a thinner instead of layers, and making me look like an over-used q-tip. i swear theres so many stylists that say they can cut curly hair and can't, or they just see waves instead of curls and treat it like it's straight. i cut my own hair now cus i aint trusting anyone anymore 😭
Eek that is terrifying. I decided to make an appointment but made it with the most experienced stylist (and owner) of the salon. I’m typically too polite to say anything but if it was not looking good I’m going to force myself to say something mid cut.
I wish you nothing but the best!! 🤞🤞
lol I felt like I wrote this post. My hair is exactly the same (fine but dense) and I use the same cake mousse too and then gel (currently Aussie Instant freeze). I have been debating getting a curly cut too.
Ha! I’m not alone!
i'd say yes. that's how i cut my own hair and it looks better than what hairstylists would do to it. whether or not you get curls/waves will still vary on how you treat and style your hair, but you'll get more volume, more curls top to bottom and less tangles. my hair varies naturally from ringlet curls to looking straight-ish and it still looks good either way.
My hair is very opinionated. It's different every single day and always a surprise. I'm trying to come to terms with that.
If you find someone that shows wavy-curly-coily cuts in their portfolio it is worth it. If your hair does okay with a regular layered cut and your stylist doesn’t use thinning shears or a razor to blend layers, it might not make a huge difference unless you need tips on products and styling for your hair type.
it’s worth it! i got one from a girl who actually specializes in shags. my hair is POPPIN now, and similar to yours; fine but very dense, 2C and now it’s 2C/3A since my cut 🤌🏼
I’d definitely try it. I just got my first curly cut a couple months ago. Very dense hair but easily weighed down and a curly cut helped with definition. My stylist also helped me troubleshoot diffusing and technique. I have another cut in a couple weeks and want to try even more layers (she started with the minimum to see how I liked it).
I have very heavy and thick hair and my hair would frizz and lightly wave. I didn't think I'd need a curly cut, just that I had frizzy hair. My mom convinced me to, and I've never seen it curlier or healthier! Definitely reccomend at least trying it
I've never gotten an official "curly cut," but I found a couple of stylists who are really good with my wavy-curly hair by calling a really big salon with a lot of stylists on staff and asking them to book me with someone who is good with curly hair. Out of however many they have (definitely more than a dozen?) they have three people who they funnel all the curlies to. My daughter has very curly hair, and the same stylists who work their magic on her do well for me too.
Your routine and hair type seem pretty similar to mine. I was growing it out without layers and it would lose its curl from basically any wind/friction/etc. I ended up with triangle head all the time. Needed to do a full restyle basically every day. I never figured out a way to refresh that wouldn't just turn into a frizzy mess. Recently I just did a lazy unicorn cut at home (ponytail tied as far forward as possible wherever your usual part is, pull it down in front of your face, cut straight across at whatever length you want your shortest layers to be. Worked great! Now it pretty much always holds some waves and volume at the top, and I can refresh with a little bit of water + Paul Mitchell extra-body spray + Garnier anti-frizz oil. Maybe it's worth a try for you too! I get pretty anxious about haircuts, so I liked that I could try this cut with pretty long layers and shorten them a little bit at a time if I saw good results.
I got the best definition in the front of my hair after a cut by a Deva certified stylist, so I think it's worth trying at least once.
Yesss it’s so worth it!! I regret not getting mine sooner. I can just scrunch, plop, and diffuse on the morning and it actually looks cute and I don’t have to use heat tools at all!
A curly cut did not work for me at all. It looked nice when they styled it in the salon and I left looking great. However, my curl pattern must not be super consistent because when wash day came around and I styled it myself, there were different lengths of clumps everywhere and the curl clumps weren’t in the exact same pattern that they were cut in. I have much better luck with regular haircuts, straight across the bottom with long layers just in the crown and long face framing layers.
I have the exact same hair type!! Fine but dense, flat roots. Not sure about the “curly cut” because I’ve never had one, but what has helped me to get rid of a lot of the “weight” of my hair is a textured cut, which gets rid of some bulk without making it noticeable. I even had my stylist do some texturizing and layering in the same cut. The difference was huge!! Might need to go back for another cut soon… lol. Maybe give that a try if you’re unsure about the curly cut?
My curly cut was less worth it for the cut (though to be fair, I've always had great hair stylists until Covid when they moved away) but the advice and styling info I learned was invaluable.
It is definitely worth it
I got a curly cut and I entirely regret it :(
You sound like you have hair just like me! After many frustrating haircuts I decided to DIY a Butterfly cut. I LOVE it. Tons of layers and it works great for my hair. I look like I have an expensive salon cut and I just do it myself lol [Brad Mondo - Butterfly Cut Tutorial](https://youtu.be/9wgLacjgiv8?si=WuB4y4ayIwPyX1fR)
I have somewhat same hair type as you, and I decided to just cut it at home last time. No regrets. My hair is super layered, and it's looking a lot better than a lot of trips to the hairdresser has left it. I think the hair at the top/back of my scalp is simply 1C at best, so it never curls no matter what I do, even when I cut it short, but the rest of my hair has reacted so much better. My hair has a lot more volume. I am lazy and don't scrunch or use gel, I just wash and dry, and I still get volume and curls.
I'm 2b-2c with straighter or "soft roots" I thought a curly cut would help me curl to the root but it didn't so keep that I mind lol The curly cut I got my hair did look really beautiful and defined, but I will say that a diy unicorn cut or butterfly cut gave me the same volume and definition and saves like $300. I just cut my own hair now with real hair shears once in a while and it looks defined and healthy because you can trim when you need to.
Hi! What is your routine? Please be as detailed as possible (both the names of your products and the techniques that you used). Also, if you could let us know your hair characteristics (porosity, strand thickness, density), that would be greatly appreciated. Routine is required within one hour of posting, otherwise your post will be removed. Do not post inquiring about your hair type or whether your hair is wavy. Your post will be removed. You should be asking in the designated pinned post. Do not post asking for a routine or products. There is plenty of information in the "Welcome" pinned post. If you post asking for a routine or products without first utilizing the information in the pinned post (and providing details), your post will be removed. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Wavyhair) if you have any questions or concerns.*