After years of chemical treatments and heating tools your curls have loosen their elasticity, strength and shine? You may have heard already about the curly girl method and you might have seen on the internet the amazing curly hair transformations some people have experienced.
So what is exactly this method?
It’s all started from the book The Curly Girl written by Lorraine Massey. The aim is to have healthy curls by treating them the right way. You avoid certain ingredients that are considered damaging to curls and waves, while you embrace others and techniques that make your curls healthier and more manageable.
It’s a long journey that requires patience, and determination, you will need to test several products and techniques to finally come up with the optimal combination. Remember: what is working for someone might not working for you. So do not focus too much on videos you see on internet, they can inspire you but at the end of the day you need to find your own routine.
The first step is to understand your hair, specifically its porosity and density. Porosity has to do with how your hair absorbs and retains moisture. If it easily absorbs water, it’s likely high porosity. If it takes long to absorb water, it’s likely low porosity. Density (how much hair you have) is also important: if you have low-density hair you do not want to weigh your hair down and you should chose products with light texture that promote volume and definition.
What should you avoid?
What should you use?
Are you ready to start?
The first step is to cleanse your hair from buildup and silicones with a sulfate shampoo (this is called the final wash and it will be done only once). Afterwards you will wash your hair with sulfate-free shampoo, low-po, cowash.
You can proceed with the conditioning (detangler) or the deep conditiong. This last one should stay on your hair for a longer time (15-30 min) in order to allow the nutrients to be absorbed. Always wash your hair with the shampoo first. Then you are ready for the styling: choose a leave-in, a gel and/or a mousse. Whaterver is working for your curls.
Final step dry your hair: use a hair towel to plop your hair or a diffuser on low heat.
All hair needs protein and moisture to stay healthy and strong. In fact, protein and moisture can’t work well without the other. Therefore it’s important you learn how to balance these two elements. If your curls are frizzy, don’t hold their curl for long, or feel too soft then it likely needs a boost of protein. If the curls lack of shine and they are brittle they need moisture.
Don’t forget to check out our wide selection of Curly Girl Method approved products
Now you and your beautiful curls are set to go!
