If you’ve ever seen a hime cut on straight hair and thought, “Okay but what if this was curly and dramatic and a little bit magical?” — congratulations, you’re my kind of person. A curly hime cut is honestly one of the coolest ways to mix soft curls with that iconic Japanese princess silhouette. It’s like giving your curls a main-character moment without needing to do anything extreme or complicated.
So here’s the deal: the hime cut is basically two shorter face-framing sections in the front and long hair in the back. But on curly hair, it transforms. It becomes bouncier, softer, and way more forgiving, which is honestly a blessing because curls have moods. Some days they’re perfect, and other days they’re like, “Nope.” But that’s exactly why this cut works — it’s meant to be lived-in, not geometric.
Before you cut anything, prep your curls. Don’t brush them out dry unless you want a triangle-shaped disaster. You want your curls hydrated, defined, and in their natural pattern. Think of it like giving them a polite heads-up: “Hey curls, I’m about to cut you. Please behave.” A little leave-in, a little detangling, and let them settle.
Now part your hair down the middle — even if you’re loyal to a side part. A clean middle part helps you get both sides even-ish. Notice I said ish. Curls are never perfectly symmetrical, and honestly, that’s part of their charm. Once you’ve parted, section out the front pieces you want to cut. The thickness of the section is totally up to you: thin sections are subtle and soft, thick sections are bold and dramatic. Both are gorgeous.
Here’s the most important rule: curls shrink. Like, a lot. So if you want your hime pieces to sit around your jawline, don’t cut them while stretched straight. Hold each curl gently, decide your length, and always cut longer than you think you need. You can always snip more later; you can’t glue hair back on.
Start cutting one curl at a time. Seriously — one curl. Tiny snips. No impulse chopping. After each little cut, let the curl bounce back so you can see how it sits. This is honestly the fun part, because the curl basically tells you, “Yes, this is my spot,” or “No, please try again.”
Repeat on the other side and try to make the lengths similar, not identical. Once both sides look cute, step back from the mirror and check the whole shape. The hime cut is all about framing your face, so make sure it enhances your favorite features.
For the back, you usually don’t need much. A quick dusting of dry ends is enough. The star of the show is really the front pieces.
Styling is super easy. You can let your curls air-dry for a soft, natural vibe, or diffuse for more volume. The face-framing pieces instantly make any hairstyle look intentional — ponytails, clips, half-ups, everything.
And that’s it. A curly hime cut that’s stylish, expressive, and honestly so fun to wear — without needing professional-level skills. If you want, I can also write a shorter version, a more dramatic version, or Pinterest SEO titles for it!
