After years of severely damaged hair, I finally got tired of always wearing my hair in a messy bun and went on a search to repair it.
Three pregnancies, tons of color damage, and misusing heat products had left my hair in the worst condition it had ever been.
The one thing that kept resurfacing in my search was the curly girl method.
I was a little familiar because I briefly tried it years ago, but this time I did a ton more research and am committed to giving it a shot for a solid six months. You can follow my journey here.
Want perfect curls? You’re going to want this download!
I created “The Ultimate Curly Girl Cheat Sheet”(including a guide to my favorite affordable drug store products) to help guide you on your curly girl journey.
This cheat sheet will help break down the process of caring for and styling curly hair.
Get your FREE Curly Girl Method cheat sheet here!
This before and after is 1.5 months following the curly girl method.
Important note:
One HUGE mistake I see curly girls make is jumping into their curly girl journey with no plan of tracking their progress.
There is nothing more frustrating than trying to re-create a bomb wash day but failing miserably because you didn’t follow the same steps.
After many fails, I decided to develop a detailed system that helps me keep track of what works and what doesn’t work for me hair.
My Miracle Curls Daily Tracker is a customized, detailed, daily tracking system to be able to look back on and see how far you’ve come, and exactly what works and doesn’t work for your curls.
Get your copy of My Miracle Curls Daily Tracker here.
What is the Curly Girl Method?
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The curly girl method is from Lorraine Massey’s book “Curly Girl: The Handbook”.
It’s a curly hair care method that trades damaging habits like harsh shampoos and heat styling for a healthy curly routine using only conditioner & gel for the most part.
While many curlies have seen amazing results using this method, curls were meant to be free!! Let go of any expectations and make a commitment to fully embrace your natural curl pattern.
It’s important to be patient with your specific curls and be free to modify to what works best for you. I researched this method for days. Literally days, and there is a lot of information out there.
So I created a simple cheat sheet to make getting started for you a little less painful than it was for me <3
Get your FREE guide to getting started with Curly Girl Method here.
Here’s the just of the CGM (Curly Girl Method)
The “Rules” of the Curly Girl Method
Don’t get too hung up here, rules are for suckers and are meant to be broken. These are more like guidelines anyway 🙂
Don’t Use:
- Shampoo
- Heat styling tools
- Combs & brushes
- Sulfates
- Non-water soluble silicones
- Alcohol
- Fragrance
Do I Have To Give Up Shampoo Cold Turkey??
Nope! You can wean yourself off by cutting down on shampoo over time.
Many curlies swap out their shampoo for a co-wash but I haven’t found it to be nesissary.
It really depends on your scalp.
And if you are still struggling with an itchy scalpy, try using a co-wash. This is a popular one.
Do Use:
- Gentle cleansing ingredients
- Emollients: Shae butter, and different carrier oils (argan, olive, avacado).
- Proteins: I use a rice water rinse
- Moisturizer: Amino acids & aloe vera
- Styling gel. I love this DIY recipe.
You can find all my favorite curly girl approved products and tools here.
All About The Method
You will see dozens of different methods and techniques within the curly girl culture. And it can seem overwhelming for someone just getting started.
Basics curly girl techniques can be broken down into four parts.
Scrunching
Simply scrunching the product into your hair toward your scalp to hold your curl pattern.
Raking
Apply the product by sectioning your hair and raking products through with your hands.
Praying Hands
Applying products to your hands then gliding it over your hair as if you were praying.
Manipulating (finger coiling or Denman brush)
This is my personal preference. It does take a little more time but allows you to have a bit more control over your curls.
Apply product to small one inch sections and coil it around your finger or brush. You can see my finger coiling video here and my Denman brush video here.
In Conclusion:
The girly curly method is more than just taking care of your curls. It’s a journey in learning how to love, accept, and embrace your natural beauty.
My only regret about the curly girl method is not finding it sooner.
xoxo
@curly_colleen
P.S Get your FREE Curly Girl Method cheat sheet here!
Next, you’re going to want to check out these post’s on how to get started!
