British Curlies

British Style

British Super Curly Hair Stylist Matthew James

by Keisha Jo

Q: There is a feeling that hairdressers in the UK receive next to no formal training in cutting curly hair is this true? Please share with us what your training was like.

Matthew: I was lucky enough to have my training with Toni&Guy. Even though their training is second to none it doesn’t include cutting curly hair as such. I had to go to college to get my NVQ certificate but was told to pretty much ignore what you’re taught because the Toni&Guy training will teach you a more efficient and modern way. I personally feel the whole NVQ teaching needs a vast overhaul. You’re still taught styles from the 50’s/60’s, nothing modern! My in salon training was great, very in depth and well structured but it is all about mass market. Curly hair is a very specialist subject. The only exposure you had to curly hair was if you got a model in and her hair was curly. But then it was always blow dried straight and cut.

But at the same time there is only so much you can be taught at college. I think it’s then down to the hair stylist to want to go out and learn all they can. You can either stay in your comfort zone, become really good at two or three haircuts and build your client base around those. And if that, as a hairdresser is all you want to do then that’s fine. Me personally, I’d get very bored, I love learning and want to continually get better and better and offer the best service I can for my clients.

Q: We have had so many glowing reviews by our members about your curl cutting Matthew can you tell us your approach to cutting naturally curly hair styles?

Matthew: I got in to cutting curly hair rather by accident. A new client came in, had her curls cut then went away and posted a review about me on an American curly site. I got more people booking in for curly hair as a result then started getting reviews on britishcurlies.co.uk too. Even though my curly girls were walking out happy with their new locks, I personally knew that I could do better, especially with styling. My one client mentioned a woman called Lorraine Massey and her book. So I went out and bought the book and emailed Lorraine. If I was honest I didn’t expect much information if any back from Lorraine, but I was very wrong. She was amazing! Gave me loads of hints and tips. I mentioned what I’d done previously and Lorraine explained where I’d gone wrong and how to put it right. Now I probably speak to her a couple of times each month as she likes to find out how I’m getting on.

The other person that has been a mass fountain of knowledge for me to tap in to has been British Curlies very own Keisha Jo. When I found out about this website and looked in to products I spoke to Keisha Jo over the phone (not realising who it was at the time) about what products to go for to use on my clients. Keisha Jo was brilliant, full of hints and tips, ways to use the products and what different types of curls to look out for and how they’ll react.

After learning all this, I’ve kind of merged my original way of cutting in with Lorraine’s CG method and mixed in the product knowledge and advice from Keisha Jo for all my clients. I agree with the CG method and what Lorraine talks about with the co-washing etc. When it comes to the cut in the salon, I certainly don’t have a magical secret. I just get the kettle on, reassure my new client, have a good chat that can last anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes and find out about them. What they’ve had done in the past. What has or hasn’t worked style wise. What they’ve seen that they like. What they can hope to achieve that day. Really I just listen. If there’s something they don’t want then I don’t do it. If there is something they do want but there is no way it will work then I tell them and come up with a solution with which they will be happy with.

Then when it comes to the cut, I explain, what exactly I’m going to do, show how much I will cut off so there is no surprises and it also makes sure that we’re both happy with what I’m doing. I cleanse the hair with Kinky Curly’s ‘Knot Today’. Cut the basic shape while the hair is wet, taking weight out of it, putting in layers etc but not taking away any length, that’s done when the hair is dry. I’ll style the hair and leave it to dry under the Climazone, which is a rotating disc that generates heat. It enables the hair to dry without being touched and causing frizz. When it’s about 90% dry I’ll finish it off with the diffuser plumping up the curls as I go. When it’s completely dry I’ll then re-cut it curl by curl.

Q: In your experience what is the best way to approach a first visit to a stylist?

Matthew: Come in as well prepared as you can be. Bring pictures if you feel you can’t explain yourself well enough. Plus there is nothing worse as a stylist to have someone in the seat explaining a hair cut that someone from Eastenders has and you have no idea who that person is Ha! Ha!

See what the stylist has to say, speak to them about products. Ask them what experience they have with curly hair. Most importantly don’t be fooled by a stylist. If you don’t agree or like what that person is saying then walk away. You may feel a little embarrassed there and then but it’s better than walking around with a haircut you hate and feel self conscious about!

See if the stylist is willing to learn too, I wouldn’t of known about the CG method and this website if it wasn’t for my clients telling me about them.

See if your new stylist is willing to have a consultation first too. They probably won’t appreciate it on a busy Saturday, but during the week most stylists will have quieter periods. Every good stylist will be more than happy to sit down and have at least a 10 minute consultation with you. If you can’t get in before your appointment make sure you request extra time added to your appointment when you’re booking it so your stylist isn’t feeling rushed.

A consultation is a two-way conversation. Don’t sit there and be spoken to. Discuss what you’d like too, and what experiences you’ve had in the past, good ones as well as bad.

Q: Is there anything that you feel would be helpful for your customers to tell you before the cutting process begins?

Matthew: I think a good in depth consultation should bring everything out. Especially things like allergic reactions to certain products or ingredients. If a stylist is recommending a certain style and you’ve had that in the past and know it won’t work. Don’t be afraid to say no! As stylists we should listen. No one knows your hair better than you. If you know a certain shape or a fringe wont work because of what’s happened in the past then say so.

Q: How often do you recommend your curly clients get there curls cut?

Matthew: I see my clients with straight hair every six to eight weeks. As a rule I tend to double that for curly girls. As the hair spirals and doesn’t grow in a straight line, you don’t see the growth as quickly. But that is just a general guideline. You need to look at your hair and see when it’s getting dry at the ends and when it’s starting to lose it’s shape. It might be 12 weeks, it might be 16. It could be much, much longer than that. Every hair type is different. That’s what makes it exciting!

Q: I guess in all your years of working you must have had some hairy/scary moments! Any you wish to spill about?

Matthew: Ha! Ha! Nothing really worth telling about I’m afraid. I’ve never made anyone cry thankfully! When training you have a few near misses but there is always someone watching you so before you screw up they’ve normally jumped in and stopped you from taking 6 inches off someone.

I do get worried that people think I’m some miracle worker who will transform all curls into lush, flowing long locks of hair. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. It may take a couple of cuts to get the clients desired result.

London Fashion Week is always scary. At the beginning of every show you’re always thinking this is going to be impossible, can I get the job done in this amount of time? I was at one show where there were 16 stylists and 170 models to do. You know that scene in Home Alone where Macaulay Culkin runs up to the camera, slaps his hands on his face and screams? Yeah, that was me!

Q: What is your view about colour for curls?

Matthew: It depends on the person and the cut really. I tend to favour more natural colours. Highlights should be caramel and sun-kissed. They need to be chunky highlights so the colour doesn’t get lost in the curl but if I’m honest I’m not a colourist. During my 2 years of training with Toni&Guy I was taught about cutting. You had to specialize and do either cutting or colouring. I chose cutting. It’s my passion and what I’m best at. Colouring for me was always too messy. I seemed to always get more colour over me and on the floor than on my client.

Q: Any advice for after care once you go through the colour process?

Matthew: As long as your hair has been coloured properly and the right care has been taken during development time (ie you’ve not been left unattended and you’ve been sitting there with colour developing longer than it should of been) then the quality of your hair shouldn’t change. Colouring products have improved so much over the last 10 years that they’re no where near as harmful to your hair as they once were. It’s only really when you’re using bleach to lighten dark hair that you need to be careful. Conditioning treatments once a week as part of your normal routine should be fine. A nice rich mask that you can leave in for a good 20 minutes then rinse out once a week to help stop your curls from drying out.

Q: Do you think deep conditioning treatments make a difference? Which do you recommend?

Matthew: Yes, they can make a massive difference. But a cost is normally associated with them. Look at something like the Vanilla Detangling Milk on the British Curlies Curly Emporium. Kerastase do a lovely one too, Oleo Curl Masque. They are well worth the money. They should last you a long time too since you only need to do a deep treatment once a week maybe even every two weeks depending on your hair. Of all the curl products Kinky Curly are by far my favourite but the only thing missing from their product range is a deep conditioning treatment.

Q: What do you think about anyone attempting to cut their own hair?

Matthew: Well obviously don’t do it ha! Ha! You’ll only regret it. I’ve seen some girls make a disaster of it and some that if I’m honest have done an ok job. Everyone at some point I’m sure will have a go at cutting their own hair. If you really feel you must do it yourself, just be careful, don’t use kitchen scissors. You don’t want to take a big chunk out of either your hair or your finger. Just take little bits off at a time, point cut it instead of attacking it side on and taking too much off. But you are taking the law into your own hands a bit if you do. There’s no substitute for getting a proper hair cut by a proper stylist.

Q: Have you a favourite way of styling curly hair? Do you diffuse or leave to air dry?

Matthew: I do a bit of both. I air dry but speed up the drying time using a Climazone. The less you can mess with curly hair the smoother it will be. But I then like to finish it off using the diffuser to just lightly scrunch out any product and add a bit of volume or bounce if the hair needs it. As I’m not messing with the hair too much and I’m letting it dry naturally, there is no reason that the style my clients walk out with can’t be recreated at home. It shows that with the right cut and right products that curly hair should be stress free and easy to manage.

Thank you so much Matthew for sharing with us your knowledge and thoughts on curly hair. It is such a relief to know a stylist like you exists here in the UK and we wish you continued success in all that you do! To book an appointment with Matthew see his amazing website www.matthewjameshair.com