Tight curly cuts are best for naturals who identify with tight curls. Tight curls are described as those that fall within the type 4 A-C range. While we don’t hair type, we do understand this is how the natural community describes their hair. Tight curls shrink up to 80% of their length, making a tight curly cut the best way to remove damaged and unwanted ends. If you’ve never had a tight curly cut or are unsure if this haircut is best for you, continue reading.

1. You primarily wear your hair in loose natural styles

There is a lot of noise on the internet about what haircut is best for whom. It boils down to one thing: how you wear your hair most. If you never or rarely straighten your hair then a curly cut is best for many reasons which we will explore later but for now, let’s focus on what loose natural styles are.

Loose natural styles are those without extensions. This means the afro, wash-n-go (which is your natural curls defined), twist-outs, braid-outs, and curl sets. When these styles are complete, how to appear will be influenced by what shape your hair has. This shape can be unflattering for some, requiring a haircut to create balance.

2. You are unhappy with the way your hair looks when styled.

Tight curly hair lives in space. What that means is, the hair is not all one length. Unless you’re growing out of a taper, or round cut, the hair can have many shorter and longer areas of hair throughout. Depending on where that hair lives it could be creating a shape that isn’t flattering or balanced.

Commonly the hair at the nape which is the back bottom of the head appears to grow at a faster rate which in fact results in a tail. That hair is usually longer than the rest of the hair creating a mullet. Unless this is a style you personally prefer, a curly cut must be done but a tight curl professional. This will create balance and make the hair live in a way that is flattering and in unison.

3. Your hair doesn’t seem to grow.

If you’ve ever felt your hair has been stuck at the same length for a while, it’s time to consider getting a haircut. As mentioned, getting the hair cut where it lives is going to give you the most balanced shape, especially if you primarily wear loose natural styles like the wash-n-go, afros, and twist-outs.

Split ends live at the ends of the hair but they do travel, compromising healthier strands of hair that stunts your growth. If your hair wasn’t growing through your scalp, you would have obvious balding and thinning at the root. The solution is to get a trim and remain consistent with your routine.

If you’re ready for a curly cut, you may be wondering how to go about finding a tight curl specialist near you. We explore that in this episode of the Brown Skin Women Podcast.