Hello there, curly-haired friends! Ever hear all this talk about Deva this, Deva that, Curly Girl, etc and wonder what the Deva Cut is? I explained some random facts about it in another post, but today I’m going to give you some more details. =)
The Basics
The Deva Cut is becoming quite popular in the world of curls. You can find 2 revolutionary ideas for cutting and styling: Ouidad (which I’ve previously written about here), and Deva. Deva was created (and is owned) by Lorraine Massey. She opened the first DevaChan salon in 1994 in New York City. Now there are 4 of them, and a couple academies where stylists are taught the art of the DevaCut and curly hair care. You can find stylists everywhere who are certified. Lorraine Massey also wrote the book Curly Girl: The Handbook, which I’ve discussed before…
Devacurl also has a line of products for curly hair, and the majority of people who try them never look back. Some of their most popular are the DevaCurl No-Poo Zero Lather Conditioning Cleanser Shampoo, Deva Curl Ultra Creamy Daily Conditioner, and the Curl B Leave-In Conditioner.
So what’s so special and revolutionary about this technique? A lot actually. I’ve said it before and will again, it’s probably not like anything else you’ve heard of doing for your curls. The Deva Cut can be broken down into 2 major concepts: cutting your hair dry, and never using shampoo!
Dry Cutting
When you first step in a salon to get a Deva Cut, expect that your stylist will take some time getting to know your curls. Because the Deva philosophy believes that every curl is different, they will spend time taking a look at each of your curls to decipher how to best meet each one’s needs. Upon doing so, your curls will be cut dry. After all, your hair is totally different dry than it is wet because your curls sit differently. Cutting them this way is said to bring out the best in your curls and help them lay naturally and fit together beautifully. Not all of your curls will be cut the same, including length. In the Deva world, this is a-ok, though it may feel strange to you. Some people dislike that side of the cut, because if your hair DOES change from day to day, pieces of hair may stick out. But the concept is your hair cut will help your curls sit the way they want to, and this shouldn’t change much.
No Shampoo
The other side of the DevaCurl philosophy is that you should never shampoo your hair again. Didn’t I tell you it would sound crazy? This is a hard concept for some to grasp. After all, shampoo and conditioner have gone together like pb&j since what feels like the dawn of time. But alas, shampoo is said to wash away the natural oils that curly hair needs to be healthy, shiny, and frizz-free, so really shampoo is totally unnecessary. To keep your head clean, all you need to do is massage conditioner into your scalp. The massaging motion is what’s important. Rinse that out, then apply conditioner as normal. This is also referred to as co-washing. Several companies, DevaCurl of course being the leading brand, sell cleansing conditioner shampoos. I’m pretty sure the word shampoo is really just there so the whole no shampoo concept doesn’t blow our minds.
What do you think of the Deva cut? Have you ever tried it? Do you prefer one technique over the other? I’m curious to know what some of you have tried, liked, and disliked. Feel free to share by commenting below.
Take care!