Is Irish Curls a Real Hair Type? Stylists Break Down the Science and Myths
Product choice is only half the battle. As MSN highlighted in their September 2026 feature on embracing dual-textured hair, the architectural structure of a haircut dictates how different curl patterns interact.
Standard blunt cuts pull the entire weight of the hair down. Because the outer canopy is already less curved, gravity stretches it completely straight. It then drapes over the springy undercurls like a flat sheet, flattening the curls underneath and forcing stray hairs out sideways as an awkward, triangular silhouette.
Experienced curl specialists use internal dry-cutting and targeted layering:
- Shorter internal layers remove bulk and weight from the crown, allowing subtle surface waves to spring up and match the lower coils.
- Soft slide-cutting blends the transition zone where the straighter crown meets the curlier underbelly.
- Cutting the hair while dry allows stylists to see where the hair naturally shrinks, preventing the curl-heavy sections from bouncing up shorter than the straight outer layers.
When cuts ignore these variations, clients end up trapped in an endless cycle of daily blowouts to force their contrasting textures into submission.