5 Things to Evaluate in Curly Clients

Waves, Curls, Frizz and Volume. Where to begin? In a recent hair webinar, a viewer asked the guest artist how the featured technique could be used on curly hair. The silence was deafening. Then the babbling, stammering and creative fill-in was comical. The stylist had no answer. Even worse? The shared concept was not adaptable to the curly client.

So what do you need to evaluate when a curly client comes in and requests a specific style? Here are five considerations when assessing a textured client and the appropriateness of a given hair cut to her specific texture.

1. Silhouette: Curly hair grows longer, but it also grows wider and higher. It is important to assess how a given cut, especially one with layers, will fill out and shape up as the impact of length, texture, density and curl affect the overall shape.

2. Surface activation: The degree of wave or curl the client's hair will display at the target length will impact the overall look. What you see is what you get. You need to be able to see it before you get it.

3. Color: Smooth, straight hair reflects light. Curly hair absorbs light. How will the lengths of the finished look and the degree of surface activation described above impact the overall color of the finished design? Thought should be given to a highlighting/lowlighting plan as a part of the finished look.

4. Hair health: Old hair can be dry and dull. New hair can be shiny and slick. A single strand of hair is older at the ends and newer at the scalp. How will the client's overall hair healthy impact your intended look?

5. Home care expectations: Will the client follow your recommendations for the use of home care products? What are the odds that she will be able to recreate the look on a daily basis if she does or does not use proper styling aids and conditioning treatments? Proper home care is vital to the success of whatever plan you hatch.

How are you considering these factors in your design decisions? Share your success and failure stories. Your whole staff can learn from them!


Ivan Zoot is the director of education and customer engagement for the Andis Company and the founder of Zoot! Hair professional hair care products. He identifies, recruits, trains and manages Andis' team of professional beauty industry educators.