Deva Cuts Do's & Don'ts

The idea of cutting your hair is already terrifying. The idea of bringing scissors to the curls you work so hard to maintain -- even more terrifying.

However, skipping a trim or cut can cost you healthy locks. If you have a certain haircut, they are important because styles have to be maintained.

But more importantly, regular haircuts are the only way to get rid of those pesky split ends that are causing your ends to be fragile and frizz.

If you do not get a regular haircut to chop off your split ends your hair will not grow the way you want it to. Plus, if you feel like your hair looks frizzy or damaged, getting a haircut can help restore your healthy shine.

Even if you have curly hair you cannot skip a dreaded haircut, the deva cut (or curly cut) was born.

With a growing trend of before and afters of deva cuts for curly hair all over the internet, it is natural to be wondering if this haircut method is right for your curls. So to figure that out, let us breakdown what a deva cut is.

What is a Deva Cut?

For obvious reasons, kinky and curly hair is not like straight hair, so when you go to a stylist that uses the same techniques on both hair types, sometimes the cut does not come out exactly how you were hoping. 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.

Because of this curly-hair struggle, the Deva Cut was born.

The Deva Cut focuses on either sculpting each curl by cutting it at an angle so the curl pattern is not disrupted or using a technique of cutting curl by curl.

This unique haircut is always customized for each curl pattern, and it requires strict and extensive training by every stylist.

Your hair is cut dry since wet curls are shaped completely different than dry ones. How the curls lay and bounce naturally after it is cut depends on whether it was cut wet or dry. Dry allows for your hair to fall more naturally.

To create volume, there is a Deva clipping technique that is done as a bonus. Stylists apply gel, or other Deva styling products to the curls and use Deva clips (or pin curl clips) to give body to the sections of hair at the crown. 

Another large part of the deva cut is the education that comes along with it. Your stylist will walk you through the process of how they will cut your hair and how they plan to style it.

They will give you tips and tricks on how to best optimize your hair care routine. Their goal is to be able to teach you to recreate the salon look at home by yourself.

As according to DevaCurl’s website this is what you should expect at your appointment, “After a thorough consultation with your stylist about your curl goals, your curls will be cut dry and sculpted curl-by-curl to see how your texture falls. After the cut, you will receive a DevaCurl Transformation Service that includes a botanical-infused cleansing and conditioning of your curls and a styling and coaching session to help you care for your curls at home. The amount of time the service takes will vary depending on your curl type, length, texture and density.”

 

 

The Benefits of Getting a Deva Cut

Learning a new haircare routine

In our minds, one of the best benefits of getting a Deva Cut is the fact that you will gain knowledge on how to take care of your curls and how to keep them healthy.

As we mentioned before, the stylist’s main goal is to keep you educated on your curl pattern, on what your hair likes and what it does not like.

You will leave the salon excited to try the new techniques that the stylist taught you. Our personal favorite is using clips at the crown to create volume when styling your hair.

Special attention to your curls

The majority of stylists will cut your hair when it is wet and just cut it evenly. They will not give special attention to your curls.

When you go get a Deva Cut the whole point of the cut is to focus on how your curls lay naturally and how to give them the best shape they can have based on your hair texture and curl pattern.

This special attention allows for some amazing transformations.

Meant to be wash and go

Another great benefit to Deva Cuts is that they are built for a wash and go hairstyle. The styling is meant to be simple and most naturally curly hair is allowed to air dry.

Stylists apply gel, or other styling products to the curls and use bill-styled clips to give body to sections of hair. Using this technique, hair is allowed to dry and look  most natural and is free frizz. Once the hair is dry, the clips are removed and the natural pattern and definition of the curls is revealed.

Deva Cuts can make wash days a little bit easier.

Where Can I Get Mine?

As deva cuts become more popular, stylists are becoming more common and easier to find. If you would like to locate a deva cut certified stylist by you use DevaCurl’s stylist finder.

When it comes to picking a stylist you should keep in mind a few things. Haircuts are not always nightmares, you just have to know what look you’re going for, and find a stylist you trust.

Going to a salon and finding a stylist who cares about the health of your hair is important. After finding this stylist, you can keep a relationship with them and have someone who knows how you like your haircut and styled.

You and your stylist have to work together to get you on your path of healthy, shiny locks.

Deva Cut Do’s & Don’ts

When you go get a deva cut there are a few things you need to do (and not do) to prepare for your haircut.

Do: Have some *reasonable* inspiration

For starters, when looking for your #hairgoals inspiration on Instagram, make sure you are looking at inspiration that matches your hair texture and your lifestyle. We all fall victim to falling in love with a certain style of our favorite Instagrammer, but their hair may not be like yours, which is completely understandable. Not everything that works for them will work for you. Keeping this in mind will help you keep your expectations fair when you ask your stylist to achieve a style for you.

Do: Talk to your stylist

What is wonderful about the deva cut is that the stylist can customize the method to you. This customization can only happen with the tag team of you talking about your hair and your stylist listening to what you have to say.

Shari Harbinger, Co-Founder of the DevaCurl Academy, says it’s so important to talk candidly to your curl stylist about your journey. “Share as much as you can. Don’t wait for the pro to ask all the questions,” she says.

If your stylist knows as much as possible about your hair journey like the amount of times you switched the color of your highlights, and the fact that frizz is your biggest enemy, and how your daily routine goes, then they can create not only a cut that you will love, but also a daily styling routine you will love too.

Do: Ask a lot of questions… even make a list

Chances are if you are reading this, a deva cut would be a new experience for you. You may have seen it online, heard some recommendations and reviews, or maybe you were just curious.

Either way, we bet there are a lot of questions you have about your and the deva cut process lingering in your mind, so you should write them down to reference them at your appointment with your stylist. You also may want to jot down some of your hair aspirations and goals so you can also express those to your stylist.

Remember, the more conversation you have with your stylist, the easier it is for them to customize your cut.

You can ask things like: what do you want to know about product application? What’s your biggest struggle with your hair? Are you struggling with moisture or a particular part of your regimen?

Conversation is the key to connecting with your stylist, and learning how to love and take care of your curls.

Don’t: Come with your hair styled

Being that your stylist will cut your curly hair in its natural state while it is dry, you should arrive at the salon without any twist-outs, braids, or any other manipulation. You want to come to the salon with your curls washed, conditioned, detangled and dried.

Detangling is important because a lot of salons will charge extra if you do not come with your hair detangled.

You should also let your hair hang, no using accessories to put your hair up because this can disrupt your curl pattern.

If you’re currently using products with sulfates, silicones or heavy oils, do your best to avoid them for one to two weeks before your booking.

Ditching those ingredients will make your hair softer, more hydrated and more defined, which will allow the stylist to see your true curl type.

Don’t: Expect a completely even cut

Keep in mind that this hair cutting method is not for everyone and their routine. If you are the person who straightens their hair a lot, then a deva cut may not be your forte.

Since a curly cut is done by cutting pesky ends and styling your hair in a certain way, your hair when straightened may not look as even as it would if you got a normal haircut.

Otherwise, if you usually wear your hair curly then this should not be a problem for you.

Don’t be afraid to Rev Your Hair

After you chop off all your dead ends and revitalize your curls with a deva cut, you may want to stay away from any heat styling tools.

But have no fear, the RevAir Reverse Air Dryer is a perfect replacement because it has little to no heat and it actually helps your hair stay healthy.

Now You Know

We hope that by reading this blog you can decide whether a Deva Cut is for you or not. When it comes to your hair and keeping it healthy, we want to bring you as much information as we can.

If you have any questions or concerns about anything hair, contact one of our advisors and they would be happy to talk to you about all things hair care.