3 Curl Cutting Tips for Well-Balanced Shape & Structure
Curly haircuts can feel like uncharted territory—and it’s no surprise why. Most beauty schools barely scratch the surface, often relying on outdated techniques like straightening the hair before a cut.
#ONESHOT Winner and ARC™ Scissors Artistic Team Member Victoria Schrager (@victoria.hairart) addresses these challenges in her BTC University course, “Low-Maintenance Layers”. Here are three key techniques from Victoria’s course to help you confidently cut frizz-free layers that work naturally with air-dried curls.
1. Use Light Tension
Victoria highlights the importance of using light tension when cutting curly hair to let the natural curl pattern shine through. Applying too much tension can stretch out the curls, causing uneven results once the hair returns to its natural state.
Pro tip: Use a wide-tooth comb during cutting to gently guide the hair without disrupting its natural texture. This helps keep the curls in their natural shape, so the cut looks cohesive and is easy for clients to style at home.
Here’s how Victoria uses her wide-tooth comb:
2. Cater To Where the Hair Naturally Falls
A balanced, low-maintenance cut starts with understanding how the hair naturally falls.
Victoria pays close attention to the hair’s growth pattern, particularly around the recession area, to determine where to section the fringe, face-framing layers and shag petals. Instead of forcing the hair into a rigid shape, she works with its natural movement to create a seamless grow-out and effortless styling.
She uses ARC™ Scissors THE CURVE, which glide smoothly through the hair without disrupting the curl pattern. Their design helps maintain soft, natural-looking layers that blend seamlessly, making the cut easier to style and grow out over time.
Explore the ARC™ Scissors THE CURVE used in this cut.
3. Use Strategic Layering to Support Each Curl
Strategic layering means cutting with the curl pattern in mind, ensuring that each layer supports the ones above and below it.
Victoria approaches curly hair like a sculpture, carving out layers at a low elevation for full control over how each curl sits, and to accommodate for varying curl patterns around the head. Unlike traditional layering, which lifts the hair to remove weight, this technique allows curls to stack naturally, creating a well-balanced shape.
For finer hair, this prevents the ends from looking sparse or stringy, resulting in a fuller shape from root to tip. By layering with intention—adjusting elevation and sectioning based on density—you can achieve a cut that stays balanced, voluminous, and easy to style as it grows out.
Watch how Victoria’s unique sectioning technique keeps curls balanced:
Watch all of Victoria’s tips for perfecting curly haircuts on BTC-U!
