I’ve always had very thick curly springs and I find it very hard to deal with them. Not waves, but all-out curls. I love the way my hair looks on a good frizz-free day, but I’ve never changed the style before. It’s always been kept right around shoulder length because if it gets too long it starts to weigh down and become a hassle and if it gets too short which accidentally happened once, it frizzes up into an afro.
I’ve been thinking lately that I really want to go shorter and there’s one hairstyle I’ve had in mind that I love so much but I highly doubt it would work on my hair. If you look up the singer Kina Grannis, her current hair is pixied on one side and sweeps into a diagonal gathering of longer hair on the other side, it’s so beautiful!
As I said before, shortness tends to puff up my hair, but now that I’m older I think I know how to control my hair better. Is there any way my curly hair could sustain some short hairstyle similar to the one I want, such as a short in the back long in the front variation? Or is this not the right style for me?
I’ve looked everywhere for specific haircuts tailored to my hair type to no avail. I know what I want, but am not sure it will work on me. I’ve enclosed a photo of myself for an idea of what would/wouldn’t work for me. Thanks so much in advance!
– Miranda
Hi Miranda,
Thanks for the detailed question! In short, (ha-ha) I think short hair is something you should consider very carefully before pursuing.
Extremely tight curls, although beautiful, create haircut challenges. You absolutely can crop it, but it comes with responsibility. What looks gorgeous while freshly buzzed, looks horrendous 8 weeks later. You will need to get very regular trims, probably every 3-4 weeks, to keep the ‘N Sync-era Justin Timberlake thing from happening. If you ever decide to grow your hair out again, it will probably suck pretty hard for a couple of months, at least.
As for the Kina Grannis do’ I wouldn’t go for an asymmetrical cut of that type. Unless you feel like smoothing your extreme curls into waves every day, it could end up looking a bit like a one eared poodle.
What does look fantastic, however, is a super short crop in the back and on the sides, leaving length and curl up top. You can totally swoosh over your crown hair to create an asymmetrical look, if that’s key to your happiness. This cut re-imagines the pompadour and the mohawk. It has a classically beautiful shape, but it is extremely modern. You can wear your curls exactly as they are, or straighten them, or anything in between, and the style still looks rockin’. Just make sure you see a stylist who is accomplished both at curly and short hair. Not all of them are.
If what I described sounds good to you, than great! If not, keep looking. At the end of the day, all I can really advise is to keep searching for a curly hairstyle that truly excites you.The ability to change your hair is, in my opinion, the best thing about having hair. Just make sure it’s going to be a change that inspires you, and makes you feel terrific.
