
Most curly girls have had daytime nightmares having their hair cut by “professionals”. Until more recently there hasn’t even been a technique taught to licensed hair stylists on how to cut curly hair. Curly hair can not be treated like straight hair, and sadly most cosmetology schools don’t even teach about curly hair care.
The Deva Certification technique of caring for curly hair has been a solution for curly hair woes and a major blessing!
I have personally been cutting my own hair since I was in middle school. Even when I had chemically straightened hair and had a professional cut it, I usually had to fix it a bit once returning home. The cut was never exactly even, and I have always had an eye for detail.
This year I taught myself how to cut my curls as recommended in the 2nd Edition of Curly Girl: The Handbook by Lorraine Massey, the co-founder of DevaCurl products, the Devachan Salon, and the Deva Certification for properly caring for curls. In this book one is shown how to cut curly hair dry and curl by curl. This is crucial since each curl has its own independent personality.
When you curls are as small as mine it is a tedious process to cut curl by curl, yet it still makes a big big difference.
This year I’ve worn both my natural curl pattern as well as twist or braid outs. For those who only wear twist and braid out styles you can probably get away with dry cutting your hair straight across or in basic layers with this extremely easy cutting method. For those who like myself like to go back in forth between styles, having a Deva Cut or Deva inspired cut is crucial to how your hair will fall and look overall.
(November 2012 Twist Out–Almost One Layer in Length)
In the past week I found a video on YouTube by a DevaChan Salon professional Dennis DaSilva on how he cuts curly hair. Out of all of the videos that I’ve seen, his demonstration of cutting curls really made a difference in my most recent shape up. I’ve actually been micro trimming my hair more often because I actually prefer my hair to have blunt ends. Because I’ve been trimming away many of the layers this year, my hair was looking a big triangular if I wasn’t doing a twist or braid out. Since I’m not one for enjoying any in-between hair growth stages, I decided to try this method.
The Results…
The benefits of this cutting technique is that it completely eliminates having a “shelf” on the top layer of your curls while blending all layers more evenly.
How I positioned sections of hair in your hands while also cutting curl by curl using my the new angle of my hand as a guide made all the difference. For those like myself who prefer to cut your own hair, this video will be extremely helpful. I watched it a few times to completely understand this technique of exactly how to position my hands before cutting. Just know it takes me a few hours to cut my hair. I take my time and never rush.
(January 2012 curls with a “shelf” in the back top layer and a very long thin bottom layer)
How I Cut My Hair…
I’ve discovered this year that I prefer the back layer of my hair to be straight across versus a V-shape. My preference may change in the future when my hair is longer, yet for now this is what I like. I usually use a wide tooth comb to gently comb out the bottom back layer of my hair dry (a complete curly girl no-no) and cut the very back layer straight across. Using this recently learned technique, I cut a tiny bit off of the top layer of my hair cutting curl by curl with my “new guide” which you will see in the video below. You don’t have to cut off a lot of your curly hair to make a big difference. Finally I cut curl by curl to blend the middle layer of my hair by eye. I want each curl to relate well with each other and almost blend seamlessly. It really is like trimming scrubs or a bonsai tree.
To cut hair curl by curl, I always cut my hair near the end of the C-curve in the curl so that the lock of hair will be a complete curl at the ends versus chopped in a non specific place.
(Back of My Current Cut)
Some mistakes that I’ve seen with cutting curly hair is cutting curls wet, cutting large sections at one time, brushing larger curls out then cutting, or using a razor to thin out curly hair. When you have larger curls, brushing the hair out may not work out as well. I think smaller coily curls that naturally create a true afro can be gently combed out to cut and shape the hair. I personally prefer to only comb out the bottom back layer.
I’m obviously not a licensed hair stylist, yet I’ve done my very best to learn from those who do know what they are talking about.
I have yet to have my hair done at the DevaChan Salon which is now in Los Angeles, but the women who I spoke to in the salon were absolutely lovely. (Native Foods one of my favorite vegan restaurants in right next door!) If you aren’t savvy with cutting your own hair definitely see a Deva certified professional so you will be happy with the end results.
You can also find a list of curly hair salons and curl specialists on Naturally Curly. You can also read more articles about cutting/trimming curly hair on Minimalist Beauty.
Best wishes!
(Also here’s the link to the “Curly Hairstyles Free Form Curl Cut and Styling” video if it isn’t showing above.)
(Images by Dawn Michelle and Video by Naturally Curly)
Zaneen says
Great article Dawn! This is very helpful. I feel like I have more of a plan now when I do my next trim. I’m like you too where I’ve taken the care of my hair in my own hair after having some bad experiences. My hair is a bit longer than yours but similar in thickness. I think this method will work for me too. Excited! Thanks!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Zaneen, The cutting method in this video really helps blend the layers in your hair. It completely changed how my hair falls. It’s amazing that this simple technique makes such a big difference. I think that for now my hair looks best with some layers even though I was originally trying to eliminate them completely this year. Let me know how this works for you if you try this. Best wishes and happy holidays!
Sharon says
Hi Dawn, love your site! Can you please tell me what henna you are using, where to purchase? Thanks Sharon
Dawn Michelle says
Thank you Sharon! I have tried a bunch of different body art quality hennas that I usually purchase from my local Indian grocery stores. I haven’t been faithful to any one particular henna brand. I just always use body art quality. I list the ones that I’ve tried and the color that they gave my hair in this article. Happy Holidays!
RazzyYazzy says
Thanks for the tips. I have been micro trimming my hair this year. But I so have a mullet! The back layer of my hair is of a noticeably looser texture than the rest of my head. I was planning to let the other tighter textures grow out to cover it, but I think I may just give that back layer a blunt cut for some sanity. My tightest coils are at my crown, so I have natural layers, but with this technique I can blend them better!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi RazzyYazzy, Let me know how this works out for you. I probably cut about 2″ of the very back layer to cut my hair straight across in the back. Although I though I would miss the length, I now I love it so much more! Also blending that top layer made such a big difference. Best wishes and happy new year!
Ruth says
Tried this tonight (the abbreviated version; not DM’s multi-hour trim!) and eager to see how it looks co-washed and dried tomorrow!
By the way, I tried to pin this post to Pinterest but got an error msg saying “no pinnable images on this site” or something… Is this new? Because I regularly depend on you, Dawn Michelle, to populate my “Crazy Curly” Pinterest board! http://pinterest.com/ruthpins/crazy-curly/
I’ve been following your blog for months and have loved trying the DIY recipes, btw. I add a preservative (Germall+) for longer shelf life, esp. since I relocated to Cameroon and the water… is not the most trusty.
Thanks!
Ruth
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Ruth,
Please let me know how your hair comes out. I will agree the multi hour cutting can be a lot yet it allows my Virgo precision to takes its course 😉
Best wishes!
Raina says
Which video is it? The Freeform Curl one? TIA! 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Raina, I didn’t know that the video wasn’t showing. I just updated the article and also put in a link to the video. Have a beautiful day!
Daisy says
Thank you so much for this. Once my braids are out, I am definitely trying this.
cecil says
My hair is curly, frizzy, and has lots of splits now that it’s longer (below SL). It seems to get soooo many ssks and It’s hard to detangle. So, I’ve been thinking of a pixie cut. How would a pixie cut be like on mostly 3c curly hair (with patches of 4 & 2?) How do you cut a pixie by yourself?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Cecil,
If you hair is frizzy with lots of splits and single strand knots you may have extremely dehydrated strands. This article may help with tips on hydrating your hair. Hydration is key for healthy hair in general. You may also want to eliminate shampoo if you are using it and only use conditioner or a good lotion for moisturizing your hair. Check out this series too for my latest info on natural hair care.
As for doing any super short hair cut with curly hair, definitely consider looking into seeing a pro who specializes in curly hair if you are in the least bit uncomfortable cutting your hair yourself. You can not bun short hair if it does not come out the way you like. Another option is to do deep conditioning treatments, cassia or henna treatments, and put yourself on a monthly trimming schedule for two or three months until all the damaged hair is gone. You may find that doing one good trim solves your problems. Use hair shears on very very sharp scissors that you only use on your hair for trims. Cutting hair with dull scissors can actually cause more damage to hair than we think.
Since I am not a licensed hair stylist I am unable tell you all the ends and outs on hair cutting and styling. I can share what I have learned with my own hair and pass on as much information as I can from others who are licensed like the one in the video. I hope that this is somewhat helpful. Keep me posted.
mary says
I have super curly hair (3c). I want to buzz cut it or shave it because it’s damaged and thin (in density). Will it grow thicker if I shave it?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Mary, It’s no fun dealing with damaged hair yet whenever you start over you are dealing with healthy virgin hair. I’ve shaved off my hair four times and have enjoyed the freedom of short hair. If you are unsure of the cut definitely trim off small amounts each month instead. You just want to be confident about your choice if you take the plunge. Best wishes!
mary234 says
Did you notice any changes after you shaved?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Mary, I have cut my hair after damaging hair color before and the healthy hair that grew in afterwards was in so much better condition. It was also much softer and stronger.
mary says
I forgot to add, How do you take care of a shaved head? How often should you wash? Do you use water only or herbs?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Mary,
I used either 1/4-1 inch clipper guards every time I cut my hair extremely short. At the time I was most likely using a natural shampoo that I bought from Whole Foods and an oil or lotion to moisturize. It is extremely low maintenance! You don’t really need lots of products with short hair.
I never shaved all of my hair off bald so always had some tiny waves or curls. Now I would suggest the same simple hair care yet with cleansing herbs and a light oil like jojoba oil or whatever you prefer. I washed my hair as much or as little as possible at the time. I was not on a hair regimen at the time so would take care of my hair based on how it felt.
There are times when I would just rinse my hair and go. I never thought of it as water only since I had never heard of it at the time. Regardless it was a freeing experience!
Lazara Pirez says
This is so awesome. I wish I could do it myself. but Im afraid anyways thanks for the advice and be bless
PS: any special product that you use for your curly hair?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Lazara,
Check out this article/tutorial for simple hair cutting methods. I’ve been recently cutting my hair in this method except that I make also gather all of my hair to the very top and make a 80’s high ponytail and cut for layers instead of the two side pigtails. I think after seeing the video clip you will have a better idea what I’m talking about. Because my curls are rather small in size this method works well when my hair is either combed out or blow dried. I think those who have very large curls should definitely cut their hair curl by curl. As for hair care products, I make my own and am working on a few for my product line.
Have a beautiful day!
hadiyah says
hi Dawn,
i have 3b/3c hair. about 3-4 inches of my hair is damaged with split ends.i also have a bad haircut from experience in my younger days. i want to cut off the damaged ends and layer it so it gains extra volume. i am on a tight budget, what do you think i should do? should i use this video? and if so, use this method on my whole head? or just the top layer? thank you:)
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Hadiyah,
I’ve found that cutting your hair dry curl by curl is definitely the best way to cut your curly hair especially if you want to reshape it or have layers. It is time consuming when doing it yourself but you have the ability to see how your hair is shaping with each small snip. The tips in the video are also helpful. My advice is to cut your hair only a little bit at a time and not 3-4 inches right away. I hope this helps and best wishes!
khaqan says
very nice curly hair style
Dawn Michelle says
Thank you so much Khaqan!
Tiara Pomontty says
Hi Dawn,
I’m currently having the same problem like you did with the shape of my hair. It looks very similar to how your January 2012 curls appeared, I have a sort of shelf look going on. I’m just wondering did you use the technique described in the video to make your hair more blended? And if so did you have to cut a lot of the longest layer?
Thanks!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Tiara,
To lighten heaviness of the “shelf”, you would add shorter layers to the shelf and not the length and blend them together. If you are not used to cutting your own hair, you may do better off going to a Deva Certified hair stylist. Not many stylists really understand how to shape curly hair, especially tightly curly hair, without straightening it which defeats the purpose since tight curls shrink the most and often have multiple textures.
If you wear your hair out and curly most of the time having a great shape is so important. If you are desiring your hair to grow to long lengths, and that is your main priority, I would just let your hair grow out. I used to cut my hair so much that I lost those opportunities to gain more length. I shared more about that here. I hope this helps!
Anne says
I feel like I won a jackpot– found your post first in my search for “how to cut your own curly hair” and it’s by far the most helpful I’ve seen. Thank you! I’ll be trying this as soon as my cold has run its course because cutting my hair while blowing my nose sounds too much like an Olympic event.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Anne,
I’m thrilled that you found this article so helpful. It is a wonderful skill to be able to cut your own hair especially when it is curly. I’ve had too many bad haircuts/styling experiences to let just anyone touch my hair. Let me know how things turn out. Best wishes!
Builddaysis says
Hana s time-saving tip for styling in the morning? “If you have naturally curly, kinky hair, sleep on a satin pillowcase. It saves your tresses and makes your hair more manageable in the a.m.”
Dawn Michelle says
I agree. A satin pillowcase or scarf makes a world of difference. Thanks for sharing.