Day in day out I try to take care of my curls. Keeping them moisturized is essential and no two days are the same. Still, even after doing heaps and heaps of care, my curls continue to lack definition and are frizzy.

This is when I realize that I need to cut them. Since I hardly let anyone touch my hair, this means I do it alone. I am not a hairdresser but sometimes feel I know a lot more about how curly hair reacts than many I have met!! I mean, come on!! They still want to double wash my hair with stripping shampoos, tug-comb through when dry, use terry cloth towels and way too much heat!!

If you do not cut off your damaged ends, you may start to see breakage throughout your hair. Unfortunately, breakage is one of the causes of frizz that cannot be fixed or reversed. I hate losing the length, but it is worth it to give me the defined curls I’ve been working for.

What you need is patience (not my strong point) and good hair scissors. I bought mine 15 years ago and they are still ticking. Invest in a good pair as they will cut your hair quickly and neatly. You don’t want to be dragging and pulling at your hair and scissors trying to get it cut! I cut my hair when dry or semi dry so I can watch the fall of the curl. If your hair is too wet the curls on the one hand look really defined, but on the other the frizz can’t be seen.

Above you can see curls that need a cut. The arrows point to where the curl has lost its way and is causing frizz and straightness. That is where you cut. You find the spot where the curl no longer curls.

I usually cut when I see a non-performing curl! But sometimes I invest some time and give myself a cut. That is when I will also turn my head upside down and trim about 2 cm off my front side and fring pieces. This gives more definition around my face. Normally my hair is a work-in-progress. That is a real plus point for curly hair – it can mask unevenness!! After I cut, if doing a larger project!, I will apply some product and oil. Wait to dry and scrunch out!