Curly Hair Tips: The Curly Girl Method Review and Revamp
I am a big fan of the Curly Girl Method, a list of steps on how to turn your curly hair from being frizzy, dry, crispy, and downright unmanageable to beautiful, healthy, soft, and spiraling hair. Here is my review and REVAMP! of the method.
Curly Hair Tips
Step 1: Use a sulfate shampoo to clarify any silicones in your hair. The Curly Girl Method teaches that silicones are curly hair’s worst enemy but I have to disagree, a small amount of silicone is ok and I will talk about those products with silicone that ARE ok throughout my review. As for the sulfate shampoo, just use the shampoo once and you can start with a fresh palette. Only use this sulfate shampoo on day 1 of your Curly Girl Method journey and then never again! I mean it, never!
*A better explanation of sulfate shampoos can be found on step 4.
Step 2: Get your hair did. Step 2 in the CG Method asks that you have your hair trimmed but this isn’t necessary unless your ends are fried. I wait up to 6 months or more to trim my hair. Curly hair is very forgivable when it comes to split ends.
Step 3: Dump your brush and use a comb. I am all for this people. The only time I really untangle my hair is with a wide-tooth comb while my hair is wet and conditioning. Using your fingers is the other alternative and also use your fingers while you are styling dry or damp hair.
Step 4: Only use no-poo. Most shampoos have sulfates. Like I mentioned before, you want to begin day one of the CG Method by shampooing your hair with a sulfate shampoo to clarify it. But after that it will only be Sulfate free shampoo and if you can find paraben free and organic too, even better. That’s because sulfates dry out our hair and remove all the natural oils and conditioners that make the hair smooth and without frizz. Most shampoos without sulfates will say it on the bottle. But look out for these harsh chemicals: (ammonium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, etc.). The CG Method suggests washing your hair with conditioner but I haven’t seen good results doing this. I rotate between DevaCurl No-Poo: http://amzn.to/tSFULV and anything else I find without sulfates and parabens.. Sulfates are found in dish detergent. So it’s like washing your hair with Dawn – no bueno.
Step 5: The use your conditioner as shampoo step in the CG Method is not one I recommend. I don’t get enough curl or volume when I use just conditioner to wash my hair. But feel free to experiment because everyone’s hair is different.
Step 6: Do use a conditioner after you shampoo. The only one I swear by is DevaCurl One Condition: http://amzn.to/u3sFwz. You can just follow this one step and see a huge difference in your hair. It’s a splurge at about a dollar an ounce but worth every penny. I go for the economy sized 32 ounce and save.
Step 7: The last rinse in the shower is cold. I don’t know why this one works but the Curly Girl Method claims that it will decrease frizz and add shine. I would have to agree with them.
Step 8: Do use products. The CG Method suggests that for really curly hair add the product while it’s soaking wet or let it dry for 5 minutes then add product if it’s wavy to curly. For my hair I like to wait a couple minutes then ad some gel first like Beautiful Curls – Gel Curl Defining Shea Butter For Wavy To Curly Hair http://amzn.to/uSiA8U or Absolute Styling Curl Defining and Frizz Control Gel By L.A. Looks http://amzn.to/rzEduM or even DevaCurl AnGEL Light Hold Defining Gel http://amzn.to/u3nsK1.
Step 9: Use a t-shirt to dry your hair. This is a good method if you like to air dry your hair. But if you use to a diffuser like me, you can forgo this. After step 7, just loosely gather your hair on top of your head with a towel for a couple minutes then add your gel. Now go to step 11.
Optional – Step 10: The plopping step. See the actual Curly Girl Method here if you are interesting in learning more on plopping – wikiHow http://bit.ly/s5pz31
Step 11: Dry your hair with a diffuser. That’s it. It usually takes me about 5 minutes. And remember to scrunch! scrunch! scrunch!
*After drying my hair at night I usually let it breath a little then do the mushroom with a scrunchi while I sleep. In the morning I will then spray my hair with some water then go to step 11a. This is the mushroom:
The Mushroom
(Note: I am using an elastic here not a scrunchie but you get the idea. And as we all know elastics are bad, especially for curly hair!)
*Step 11a – If I wash my hair in the morning, after diffusing, I put a little hair cream like One ‘n Only Argan Oil Styling Cream http://amzn.to/uPlTC8 or MoroccanOil Intense Curl Cream http://amzn.to/viSKlU. Then I polish it with a little oil like Biosilk Silk Therapy Serum http://amzn.to/vavqNe or John Frieda Frizz-Ease Original Serum http://amzn.to/uPHIXt or even Moroccan Oil Hair Treatment http://amzn.to/t31qsZ
**IMPORTANT: Don’t over do it with the product! With the creams start with one pump, evenly distribute and add more if needed. And for the oil start with a drop at the hair ends then work your way up. One sure way to make your hair curless, lifeless, and dirty is add too much product. Same goes for the gels. Too much and you will have twig like tresses. The less the better. Believe me I have definitely added too much product in my hair and all it does is waste money and make your hair look bad.
Step 12: Get a good and experienced hairstylist. This is a no brainer. Find someone that knows curly hair.
Step 13: Hair trimmed every six months. Meh, I don’t think this one is essential unless you’re not trying to grow out your hair. Which I am perpetually doing. The longer the better because I can’t seem to ever get it long enough.
Step 14: Adjustment period: It can take 2 to 6 weeks for your hair to start looking awesome so be patient! The pay off is 100% worth it.
Step 15: ”Show off your glamorous, beautiful curls!”
For the CurlGirl Method click here: http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair
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