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Two Different Styling Techniques For Naturally Curly Hair: The Deva 3-Step and Ouidad Rake and Shake

In this post, I will explain the difference between the Deva 3-Step and the Ouidad Rake and Shake. These are two different methods for styling naturally curly hair as they are taught by DevaCurl and Ouidad. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have been trained and certified in both the DevaCurl and Ouidad curly hair styling techniques. So let’s break both methods down and you can decide which one is best for your at-home curly hair routine.

Deva 3-Step

  1. Clean your naturally curly hair with DevaCurl No Poo. (Use DevaCare No Poo if your hair is color treated.)
  2. Condition and hydrate hair with DevaCurl One Condition. (DevaCare One Condition is best for color treated hair.) Any tangles are worked out with your fingers while there is plenty of conditioner in your hair. Leave the conditioner in your hair for a few minutes and then rinse out with cool water. The cool water helps seal the cuticle of the hair and thereby locks in moisture, increases the hair’s shininess and minimizes frizz.
  3. Wring the moisture out of your hair with your hands. Do not touch your hair with a towel yet.
  4. With your hair wet, flip your hair forward and apply the appropriate DevaCurl styling product. Pour a generous amount of the gel, foam, or styling cream into your hands. Spread the product over your palms and fingers, and with your hair flipped forward, graze the styling product lightly over both sides of your hair. Then cup your hands and, lifting the hair toward your scalp, scrunch the product into your hair. Flip your head to the side and continue scrunching. Flip to the other side and do the same.
  5. When you are finished applying the styling product, flip your head upright and position your curls as desired.
  6. Use a microfiber towel (or a t-shirt or paper towel) to squeeze the excess moisture out of your hair.
  7. Apply pin curl clips to your roots at the crown to create root lift. Either allow your hair to air dry or dry with a blow dryer and a diffuser. Here’s a step-by-step post for drying your naturally curly hair.
  8. When hair is dry, break up the gel cast with your fingers to soften your hair. Your hair should be soft and ringlets should be well defined. If your hair feels crunchy, then continue softening your hair by squeezing it between your fingers. Once you are happy with how your hair looks, avoid touching it more because doing so can create frizz.

Ouidad Rake and Shake

  1. Shampoo your naturally curly hair with the appropriate Ouidad shampoo.
  2. Condition your hair with Ouidad conditioner. Comb the conditioner through your hair with the Ouidad double comb. Leave on for a few minutes and then rinse out with cool water.
  3. Mist water onto a clean microfiber towel and blot the hair dry.
  4. Section your hair into six sections: one on each side of the head in front of the ears, one on the top of your head, one on each side of the crown split down the middle and one below the occipital bone at the nape.
  5. Apply a quarter size amount of Ouidad gel to hands. Beginning with small sections at the nape, smooth hair between your forefinger and middle finger while distributing the gel into the hair. Then use your fingers like a comb to separate the hair into ringlets, all the while pulling firmly on the hair to smooth out any flyaways. This is the “raking” part of the procedure.
  6. When your curls are smooth and there are no fly-aways, rake through the hair one final time. While holding the ends of the hair, relax the tension, and “shake” the hair. This will allow the curls to form. Let the hair down and repeat on the next section above.
  7. When the gel is applied to all the hair, use duckbill clips to lift the hair at the roots. This is typically done to the hair above the rounds of the head to create root lift.
  8. Dry your hair with a blow dryer and a diffuser, always being sure to direct the air downward from the roots toward the ends.
  9. When the hair is dry, avoid touching it more so that you don’t cause the curls to frizz.

Which hair styling method do you use for your naturally curly hair?

The Difference Between The Deva Cut and Ouidad Haircut

Many of my curly haired clients ask me what the difference is between the Deva Cut and the Ouidad Haircut. Having been trained and certified in both techniques, I am qualified to answer this question. In this article, I don’t intend to give my opinion of which method that I prefer, I will simply explain the differences.

Before the Cut

Both techniques claim to be the best method of cutting naturally curly hair, yet they are extremely different. Before cutting the hair, both the Deva and the Ouidad technique requires the hairstylist to perform a thorough examination of the hair. The Stylist looks for differing curl patterns throughout the head, noting density, shape and hairline patterns. Face shape and body shape are always taken into consideration when determining the most attractive hair cut. Once the unique attributes of the client are assessed, then a hair design plan is created that will accentuate attractive features and detract from unappealing ones.

Deva Cut Method

The Deva Philosophy

A hairstylist who employs the Deva cutting method will always cut the hair dry, cutting each curl ringlet by ringlet. The hairstylist cuts the ends of the hair, never texturizing or thinning the hair. The philosophy behind this is that slicing into the interior of a curly haircut has the potential to create frizz.

The Deva Technique

In the Deva technique, a perimeter is established first, usually starting around the face and then going the sides and toward the back. Curl pattern and density are analyzed to determine where on the head to begin elevating and creating layers. Thinner hair will require a greater percentage of the hair to fall to the perimeter to create a fuller look. If the hair is thin, then a smaller percentage of the hair will be available to create elevation and interior movement. Thick hair necessitates the opposite and elevation can begin farther down the nape. When done well, the final result will be hair that lays in an attractive shape and accentuates the unique curl pattern of the individual.

Ouidad Cut Method

Carve and Slice Technique

The Ouidad haircutting technique involves cutting the hair wet. After the basic shape is created, then the stylist decides where to incorporate the Ouidad Carve and Slice technique. This is performed by taking vertical sections of hair below the parietal ridge, pulling the hair out, and gently shaking it to reveal thicker sections within the curls. These thicker areas are then delicately “carved” or “sliced” depending on what the desired result is. Carving removes more hair and is generally used on tighter and thicker curls. Slicing removes less hair and is intended to create volume and shape on thinner looser curls.

The Ouidad Philosophy

The philosophy behind this haircut is that by carving and slicing curly hair in a skillful way, the hairstylist can create a hair shape that causes the curls to fit together like pieces of a puzzle. The intention of this method is to create an attractive haircut and eliminate the “triangle” look, which nobody since the ancient Egyptians seems to find attractive.

Both the Ouidad and the Deva cutting techniques have benefits, and both require practice to execute well. Ouidad and Deva each have their own styling techniques as well.

Which cutting style – Deva or Ouidad – have you tried out? Which do you prefer?