Any parent of a curly haired child can attest to how challenging, time consuming and stressful it is to find a stylist that is confident with cutting our little one's ringlets. Kason's first haircut went all wrong and to be completely honest it took me another 15 months to feel comfortable enough to give it another try. I should have grabbed my precious baby and ran when I saw the fear written all over her face but I didn't want to be rude. I know, I know, I understand how silly that sounds now, trust me. This is just so typical of my personality and a whole other topic. The point is, I learned my lesson, did my research and finally found his PERFECT match. Here are some simple tips to finding your child's perfect stylist match and having a pleasant hair cutting experience.
1. If you see someone with beautiful curls, similar to your child's, please do not be shy. Ask who they trust to cut their hair. Most people will be totally flattered and would love to refer you to their stylist. And if they don't want to share, well, let's just say you probably don't want their advice anyway. Try it. If you don't ask, you will never know. This is how I finally found "THE ONE".
2. Find a stylist with a similar hair type as your child. This will insure that they really do understand the in and outs of curly hair. As a bonus, they can provide you with the best tips and product suggestions. Score! You will not be sorry.
3. Request a consultation prior to your actual appointment. You should always feel one hundred percent confident in your stylist. Ask questions, bring reference photos, request before and afters and just see if you two mesh. We felt at such ease this second time around. We had really done our homework and it paid off. She was friendly, patient and incredibly knowledgeable.
4. Always cut dry. Please, please, please find a stylist that cuts the hair dry. Dry cutting allows them to really see the natural shape of the hair. Every single curl on their sweet little head has a different spring factor, so each curl shrinks up differently when it dries. So basically, you could cut two ringlets in the same snip, and one can end up looking much shorter than the other. Pretty scary, huh?
5. Schedule your child's appointment at the time of day when your child is most likely to be in a great mood. For example, I scheduled Kason's appointment for 10am. This is when he is well rested, fed and normally his happiest. You want to do your absolute best to make this a great experience for your child. Cutting curly hair can take double the amount of time it takes to cut straight hair.
P.S. For being such a little trooper, Kason received his cupcake! (Just as promised)
***If you are in the Dallas area, Kason's perfect match is Haiya at Studio 1514. She specializes in curly hair and was a dream! We feel extremely relieved and lucky to have found her. You can call (214) 370-5222 to book your appointment or check out their website www.studio1514.com
