On Straightened Texture
1.
Comb through hair to work out any tangles. A wide tooth comb is best for 4A hair.
2.
Comb hair directly down from the crown of your head so that it falls over your forehead, ears and nape. Begin at the back of the head. Use your comb to part off a section of hair about 1 inch wide and hold it between two fingers about 1 inch from the bottom.
3.
Clip the bottom 1/4 inch of this section of hair or more if the split ends are higher up the hair shaft. You should cut straight across and snip in one motion. The maximum you should have to cut is about 1/2 inch.
4.
Repeat clipping all over the head and try to keep the length as even as possible. Do not cut randomly. Move from one section to a section next to it and then move toward the crown and front of the head. You can keep the length even by combing through after each clip and lining up previously trimmed sections with sections you still need to trim.
5.
Comb through once you're finished trimming to make sure the hair is even.
On Natural Texture
1.
Style hair into two-strand twists. Depending on your hair's thickness, you may create between four and ten twists. Part your hair down the middle of your head and create two to five twisted sections on either side. To create one twist, take a section of hair, divide it in two and twist the two parts around each other all the way to the ends.
2.
Clip the ends of each twisted section. Trim at least 1/4 inch, but if the split ends are higher on the strand, be sure to clip the entire split portion. This may entail trimming up to 1/2 inch of the ends. Hold the bottom inch between two fingers and cut above the split ends straight across. The hair can be dry or damp for this type of trim.
3.
Trim your ends by loosely twisting sections of your hair as an alternate method. Simply grab a section of hair, twist it around and clip the ends straight across, making sure to clip away all the split ends.
Use shears made specifically for hair.
Clipping dry hair lets you see its true length while cutting.
Women who wear their 4A hair in its natural state don't need to worry about the hair's length being perfectly even all over, as the curly texture will hide any unevenness.
Don't use scissors made for household tasks. The dull blades may damage your hair.
Don't straighten your hair with high heat if it's dry. The heat can further dry the hair and damage it. A blow dryer set on low can straighten hair enough for trimming.
