What is a Deva Cut? Is it for Me?

Most curlies, wavies, and naturals are terrified of getting their hair cut because there are so many horror stories. Even if you don’t have one you have heard tear-filled testimonies describing the disastrous cuts they have received under the care of some stylist that not-so-qualified or inexperienced with curly hair. Curly hair is not like straight hair so when stylists try to use the same techniques the result is uneven, chopped up, unnatural cuts that look like your 4-year-old niece took matters into her own hands. Cutting wet curly hair does not allow the stylist to see where your curls will naturally fall, so having your curls cut at this state will not allow you or the stylist to see the true desired shape.

An alternative to stylists who prefer to or primarily style straight hair are the curly salons that are chopping into your hair using carving and slicing techniques that are supposed to debulk or thin out your hair. These high-priced techniques end up deforming the actual curl structure and make your ends frizzy and ripped. You end up with fishhook strands and it grows out horrible! This is the main reason many natural, curlies, and wavies have begun doing their own trims and cuts, and although we do a great job, it’s nothing like going to a professional and getting the royal treatment and the perfect cut. If you are dying for a new style and have no clue what to do, then you may want to give the Deva Cut a try.

The Deva Cut was created by the Devachan Salon and is a special technique for cutting curly, wavy or coily hair. The cut is more about making each curl look its best and not just a way to “tame” the curls. The cut is created on dry hair so the stylist sees how each curl will fall and each individual curl is shaped. You determined your style after your consultation with your stylist before the cutting process. Don’t fret if you aren’t in NYC where the Devachan Salon is because you can find salons and the Deva Cut at throughout the US through My Deva Curl. If you want to read reviews of certain stylists and salons from other curlies, you can use our Salon Finder.

The cut is primarily for women who have a some sort of curl definition and wear wash and go’s

Women seeking to have a Deva Cut are strongly advised to consider the fact that the cut is primarily for women who have a some sort of curl definition and wear wash and go’s. Because the average curly has more than one texture, cutting the hair in a dry, wash and go state allows the stylist to see how the various textures naturally fall and mold the desired shape from there. If you frequently wear your hair in stretched styles (e.g. twist outs, braid out, flat iron”>, then this method may not be the best option because there is a likelihood that your shape will be uneven in a stretched state. If you are a wash and go curly or coily, then straightening before cutting may not be the best option because when the hair shrinks, the integrity of the shape may be compromised.

If you feel that a Deva Cut is not for Type 4 hair, this is simply not true for all Type 4 textures. Chary Jay recently shared her Wash and Go Perfected salon experience where a stylist defined her Type 4 or Z-pattern texture.

If you are newly natural or new to being a wash and go curly or natural, I highly suggest mastering your technique prior to receiving a Deva Cut. For some people, wash and go’s are not literally wash and go’s, so mastering the technique to where you are satisfied with the results is a great base prior to receiving a cut.

Below you can witness how attentive and knowledgeable stylist Dianne Nola is while cutting our very own Junior Content Editor Devri has her hair cut by Dianne Nola.

Are you considering a Deva Cut? Have you received a Deva Cut? What was your experience?