My Deva Chan Salon Experience- Transitioning Hair Cut

Dianne Austin
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Dianne Austin

Dianne is the co-founder of Natural Haircare News and Coils To Locs.com. She's been blogging about natural hair ever since she made the decision to break free of the creamy crack in 2012.
Dianne Austin
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This post is a long time coming, but I wanted to share this particular experience for our transitioning Naturalistas.

I big chopped in November of 2012, but prior to my big chop, I visited the Deva Chan Salon in New York for a trim while transitioning over from relaxed hair.

When I first decided to go natural in January of 2012 and stopped relaxing, I wasn’t ready to cut off all of my hair. I decided to gradually shorten my shoulder length hair to get used to a shorter look although I never could go shorter than chin length while my hair was relaxed.  I just didn’t feel like I had the face for a sassy short look.

Diane with relaxed hair

Dianne with relaxed hair

As a new transitioner, I spent hours pouring through YouTube videos and learned that there was a lot of buzz about the “Deva Chan” hair cut; a specialty cut that complimented curly and kinky hair.  The Deva Chan style of cutting was supposed to work with kinks and curls instead of fighting against it; leaving one’s hair with natural looking lines.  The hair is cut while dry, strand by strand. I decided to try it given all of the buzz on YouTube and ventured to New York for my first transitioning hair cut.

My biggest concerns before making the appointment were:

  • Do the Deva Chan stylists know anything about cutting African American hair; especially in its half kinky, half relaxed state?  At this stage, I had about 2 inches of natural hair and 8 inches of mildly relaxed hair which was curled with perm rods.
  • Will it be an issue to come to the salon with my hair washed and pre-styled?  I wasn’t interested in having my hair washed at the salon. That likely would have been a disaster, lol!

After a quick phone call, I felt comfortable with the answers to my questions.  I scheduled the appointment and drove to New York.

I was introduced to Keith; a senior stylist at the salon.  Keith seemed attentive in terms of listening to my interest in cutting off four of the eight inches of my relaxed hair.  It took all of 10 minutes.  I was satisfied with the cut although my stylist seemed a little rushed.

There were a few things that I didn’t like:

My Deva Chan haircut

My Deva Chan haircut

1. A Deva Chan cut is pricey; but I knew that going in.

2. My stylist didn’t even bother to brush off the fine cut hairs.  I spent the next hour brushing off hairs from my clothes.  For the price, the least Keith could have done was to make sure that I didn’t leave the chair with minute hairs all over my shoulders.

Fast forward 14 months later. Knowing what I know now,  I wouldn’t have spent the money for the haircut; regardless of how well my hair turned out.  I learned how to cut my own hair with the help of the Curly Girl method which I learned from reading the Curly Girl Handbook.  I’m getting so good at cutting now, that I’ve cut my sisters’ natural hair who loved the end result.

Dianne natural hair 2014

100 % natural: 2014

Do you have a salon that you trust with cutting your hair or do you cut it yourself?

Author:  Dianne

Comment on this article“Changing attitudes about natural hair” is what we do at Natural Haircare News. Through informative articles, podcasts and videos, we go beyond just sharing the latest advice and tips on kinky, curly, wavy haircare – We shake things up and focus on the realities of wearing our hair natural. Not sure of which products are right for your hair type? Visit our solution oriented natural hair products store.
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2 Responses to My Deva Chan Salon Experience- Transitioning Hair Cut

  1. Kyra Climbingbear says:
    May 9, 2014 at 1:54 pm

    The funny thing about the book you mentioned it’s written by Lorraine Massey who is one of the founders & owners of Devachan Salon. I met her at the airport a few years ago and she was in awe of my hair.

    Reply

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