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I went natural about four years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday. I grabbed a pair of hair shears, recruited my mom for help and went to town snipping away at the last of my relaxed ends. Let’s just say that transitioning sent me over the edge—I was sick of dealing with two drastically different textures and I was more than ready to see my curls in action! Not yet understanding the power of shrinkage, however, I didn’t account for all the length I was actually cutting off. I was left relaxer-free, sure, but I also found myself with some super unflattering, choppy bangs that would take months to grow out. You live and you learn, I guess.
Source: McKenzie Dawkins / Photo by McKenzie Dawkins
Source: McKenzie Dawkins / Photo by McKenzie Dawkins
Since I cut off my relaxed ends, I always knew in the back of my head that my hair was most likely super uneven. Horrible bangs aside, I could tell that my hair was not the same length on both sides, but in the midst of that new-natural excitement, it was easy to ignore. Once the bangs grew out, it was way easier to mask the funky shape. Pretty soon, I stopped worrying about it altogether…until last year, that is. When I got the opportunity to have a professional curly cut at the SoHo DevaChan Salon, I figured it was my chance to get rid of some dead, colored ends, even things out and finally give my fro an actual shape.
Source: McKenzie Dawkins / Photo by McKenzie Dawkins
Even with lots of at-home color experimentation (not recommended, by the way), I managed to grow my natural hair into a voluminous cloud of curly-kinky goodness. I’ve come to take a lot of pride in my hair and in many ways, it’s become an important part of my identity and what makes me feel beautiful. Needless to say, I was hesitant to have anyone come at it with a pair of scissors, but in my heart, I knew it was time. All the hair dye had left my ends super dry and frizzy, and it became harder to maintain curl definition day to day. When I ran my fingers down the length of my hair, you could actually feel the immediate difference in texture between my grown out roots and the colored ends. I knew they had to go, even if it meant losing the color I loved so much.
Source: McKenzie Dawkins / Photo by McKenzie Dawkins
Going into the DevaChan salon, I had very little idea of what to expect. All I knew was that the DevaCut was supposed to be the go-to hair-shaping method for curls and kinks. Fortunately, my stylist Latoya was super chill and took her time explaining each step of the process to me from start to finish.
THE PREP
To start, I was asked to come into the salon with clean, air-dried hair with zero product. As someone who never steps out of the house without product in her hair, I was nervous from the jump. I knew without a leave-in conditioner or cream of some kind my hair would be as dry as hay, but I figured they their reasons and showed up with my hair clean, detangled and product-free.
THE PROCESS
Before I got my actual cut, Latoya went in and began evaluating my hair. She showed me where my hair was super uneven in the back and suggested we go for a rounder shape with more fullness at the top. As I suspected—and dreaded—she said I would have to lose some of the length, but that ultimately the shape was what mattered most. No turning back at this point!
Source: McKenzie Dawkins / Photo by McKenzie Dawkins
Once my hair was cut into a round shape, it was time to be washed. This was separate from the cut, but I opted for the wash and deep treatment because, why not? It had been a long time since I’d had someone else’s hands in my hair! My hair was washed and detangled with the DevaCurl No-Poo Original Zero Lather Conditioning Cleanser ($24.00, sephora.com), a product I’d used and enjoyed before, though I personally prefer to cleanse with a sulfate-free shampoo. My favorite is the Creme of Nature Argan Oil Moisture & Shine Shampoo ($4.89, target.com). After rinsing, my hair was deep-conditioned under a dryer with the DevaCurl Melt Into Moisture Matcha Butter Conditioning Mask ($36.00, ulta.com). Yes, it made my hair feel as good as the name suggests. Soft, buttery heaven.
After a good rinse, my styling products were applied. A little bit of the DevaCurl Leave-In Decadence ($26.00, ulta.com) and the DevaCurl Arc Angel Maximum Hold No-Crunch Styler ($24.00, ulta.com) set my curls in place. After drying by a combination of hooded dryer and diffuser, Latoya went back in with her hair scissors to complete my shaping.
What makes the DevaCut different than other hair-cutting methods is that the hair is cut in a dried, curly state—no blow-drying or flat ironing required. Not only is this heat-free method friendlier on the hair, but it allows the stylist to see exactly how much length she’s cutting off, as the hair is already in its shrunken state. When the hair is curly, dried and defined with product, it is much easier to target ragged and split ends and clip them off with the search-and-destroy method.
BEFORE
Source: McKenzie Dawkins / Photo by McKenzie Dawkins
AFTER
Source: McKenzie Dawkins / Photo by McKenzie Dawkins
FINAL THOUGHTS
As you can see, I lost a lot of my length and color, but what I got in return was so worth it: healthy ends and a shape that actually framed—instead of covering—my face! All of the DevaChan salon stylists were so welcoming and warm, and extremely knowledgeable about hair. I like to think I’m an expert when it comes to my own mane, but I definitely left learning a thing or two. Latoya, in particular, was amazing—she allowed me to badger her with questions and calmed my obvious nerves about having my hair cut for the first time.
The con? A DevaCut doesn’t come cheap. Cuts at the DevaChan salon range from $80.00 to $250.00, depending on the level of the stylist (Latoya’s rate starts at $110.00). Still, unless you have some kind of training, cutting—like coloring—is not something I recommend doing on your own. Save yourself the months of uneven bangs, and go to a professional. If you’re looking for a trim, it might not be worth the money. If you want an experience, however, with friendly, knowledgeable stylists who take their time and explain what they’re doing and why, I say go for it. My DevaCut has grown out beautifully and has held its shape over time. I’ll definitely be paying Latoya a visit again in the future.
Would you consider getting a DevaCut for your natural hair? Leave a comment below.
