How To Follow The Curly Girl Method For Curly Hair – smartesthairstyles.com – Do you suffer from curly or wavy hair that is dry, damaged, frizzy or unmanageable? Are you open to new things? The Curly Girl Method (also known as the “No-Poo” or CG Method) is based on the book “Curly Girl” by Lorraine Massey. The “no-poo” nickname alludes to not using sulfate shampoo, as sulfates tend to strip hair of its natural oils. Once you remove the sulfates, your hair can retain its natural moisture.
1. Prepare your hair for the curly girl method
Clarify with a shampoo (for the last time) before starting. This will rid your hair of any silicones – ingredients in some hair products that are not water soluble (see Warnings section below). You don’t need to buy a new shampoo for this step, just use something lying around the house.
Using a clarifying shampoo will also remove oil, dirt, and styling products that have built up on your hair and scalp. You should get rid of this before you go “no-poo”.
Sulfate and sulfate-free shampoos both work to remove most silicones. But to be on the safe side, it’s best to use a sulfate-containing shampoo for your last wash.
Throw away your shampoo! Most shampoos contain harsh, drying sulfates that are extremely harmful to curly hair (ammonium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, etc.). These common detergents found in shampoos make curly hair frizzy and uncooperative.
Conditioner can be used enough to clean hair much more gently. If you can’t let go of the shampoo, use a gentler shampoo that contains mild detergents (such as cocamidopropyl betaine or cocobetaine), such as B. a sulfate-free shampoo.
“You would never dream of washing a good sweater with detergent. Yet most shampoos contain harsh detergents (sodium lauryl sulfate or laureth sulfate) that are also found in dish soap. They’re great for pots and pans because they cut grease so effectively. Your hair, on the other hand, needs to retain some natural oils that protect your hair and scalp. Removing them deprives the hair of the necessary moisture and amino acids, leaving it looking dry and dull.” – Lorraine Massey
Below is a picture of a shampoo and a bottle of dish soap. Above, the same sulfate is circled in the ingredients list.
Shop for silicone-free conditioners and styling products. You’ll likely need a conditioner to wash your scalp, a thick moisturizing conditioner to moisturize the length of your hair, and a conditioner to leave in during the day. You can use the same conditioner or different ones. You’ll also want serums, gels, or mousses, but remember these all need to be silicone-free. (You might also want a sulfate-free shampoo if you spend a lot of time in chlorine.)
A clarifying shampoo that is sulfate free is safe to use on curly hair to remove chlorine.
For more information on sourcing the correct ingredients, see the Tips section or How to Tell if a Hair Product is Curly Girl Approved.
Also, avoid products with alcohol as they are very drying to your hair.
Get your hair cut. This will eliminate any damage or split ends. If you don’t want to go to a hair salon, you can of course cut yourself.
2. Start your new curly girl routine
Wash your scalp with conditioner (Conditioner Washing). Start your routine by getting your hair wet in the shower. Distribute the conditioner all over your scalp and massage your scalp with your fingertips (not your fingernails). This rubbing and the resulting friction loosen dirt, product residue and scales, which can then be rinsed off. (Be sure to avoid silicone in your hair products, see Warnings.) Then, rinse your scalp thoroughly, still massaging with your fingertips. Depending on how dry your scalp is, you can wash the conditioner once a week, twice a week, or every day.
“Curly haired people can moisturize their hair with natural oils and cleanse their scalp quite well by only rinsing with conditioner once a week or less. Firmly rubbing the scalp with your fingers is enough to loosen dirt.” -Lorraine Massey
Distribute the conditioner throughout the hair and gently detangle. Use your hands or a wide-toothed comb. Start by detangling the lower sections of hair and then gradually move upwards. Leave the conditioner in your hair for about 5 minutes for extra moisture.
You may also want to part your hair with a comb at this point. It is recommended that you part your hair to one side to avoid “triangular” hair.
If it’s difficult to detangle your hair this way, remember to use a large amount of conditioner when it’s wet or you may have to trim dead ends.
It’s not a good idea to detangle dry hair with any tool. Parting the curls dry only creates more frizz and damages the hair. It is also painful and time consuming.
Do the final rinse of your hair with cool or cold water. Cool and cold water seals the cuticle of the hair and locks in moisture. This reduces frizz and adds shine. Leave some conditioner in your hair, especially in dry areas like the ends. It’s okay to gently run your fingers through your hair, but don’t comb your hair afterwards.
Apply products to your hair. Curly hair dries out much more easily than straight hair, so you need to add products to keep it soft and moisturized. Do this while your hair is soaking wet if you have curly hair, but wait about 5 minutes if you have medium to wavy curly hair. Put the product in your hands and rub them together to emulsify. Then, smooth or rake the product into your hair in sections.
Use moisturizing hair products like lotion-like creams and alcohol-free gels. Look for products that are specifically designed for your curl type (e.g. wavy, tightly curled or perverted).
A common method is to start with a leave-in cream or conditioner to reduce frizz, then follow with a gel or mousse for hold and definition. (Using your regular conditioner as a leave-in is fine, too.) Some prefer curl creams or just conditioners for softer curls, but these products don’t do as well to help hair hold into day two.
After the leave-in conditioner but before applying the gel or curl cream, it’s also common to apply a light oil to the hair. This is known as the LOC method (LOC=leave-in, oil, cream) and does not have to be applied in this particular order.
Use whatever type and order of products you like (as long as they’re silicone-free). Next, shape the curls with your fingers by scrubbing (palm your hair and scrunch in an upward motion) and/or twisting individual curls around a finger.
Gently scrunch your hair with a t-shirt, paper towels, or a microfiber towel to remove excess moisture. A generic terry towel will make your hair frizzy. You might want to finger shape your curls at this point instead. Next, wait about five minutes to allow the hair to take a permanent shape.
Speed up drying time on your hair by blotting it up. Spread out an old t-shirt or microfiber cloth on a flat surface (e.g. on the toilet with the seat down). Bend at the waist and position your hair in the center of the shawl. Place the back of the fabric over your head while your head touches the cloth. Twist the sides until they form “sausage rolls” and clip or tie at the base of your neck. You can also use the sleeves of a long-sleeved t-shirt to attach the cloth. Remove the cloth after 15-30 minutes. If your hair is frizzy after patting, rub the hair lightly with gel.
Plopping works best on medium to long curly hair. The curls are usually weirdly squished after being dipped into shorter hair. For more information, see How to Make Your Hair Pop.
dry your hair Air drying is the easiest and gentlest way to dry your hair. If you must blow dry your hair, do it with a diffuser to avoid frizz. Also, use a cool or warm setting on your hair dryer instead of hot. Partially dry your hair (about 80% dry) and air dry the rest. Don’t touch your hair while it’s drying or it will become messy and frizzy. Both types of diffusers work well in terms of diffusing and reducing frizz:
A bowl diffuser with fingers causes more volume and clumps (curls stick together instead of going in all directions), is bulky and heavier, and likely only fits on the included hair dryer. Place a section of hair in the bowl and press the bowl to your head. Then turn on the “warm” setting on your hair dryer. Hit the Cool Shot when your head gets too hot.
A sock diffuser is lightweight, fits any hair dryer, and is portable. Aim the diffuser at different parts of your hair while tossing your hair with your hands. Stop scrubbing when your hair is about 50% dry.
3. Maintaining healthy curls
Find an experienced barber. Not all hairdressers are created equal, so ask your stylist in advance if they have experience cutting curly hair and what products they will use on your hair. Unplanned haircuts can be disastrous for curly hair. If their products contain silicones, you should insist on bringing your own. If your barber uses a razor to thin your hair, your ends will become scratchy and prone to split ends. Remember that it takes an experienced barber to successfully cut layers or other haircuts in curly hair.
Get your hair trimmed every 4 to 6 months. A ⁄ 2 inch (1.3 cm) or ⁄ 4 inch (0.64 cm) cut is usually enough to get rid of split ends. Long rounded layers are better suited to curly hair – short layers tend to stand up and look weird. Curly hair is usually a combination of textures, with the crown being the curliest part.
Curly hair should be cut when dry, as wet hair shrinks as it dries. On average, hair looks about 40% longer when wet, making it difficult to predict how hair will look when dry. You can lose as little as 5.1 cm when wet, but that could be 4 or 5 inches (10 or 13 cm) when dry!
If you style your hair constantly, or if your hair is growing faster than normal, trimming may be needed more often than every 4-6 months. On average, hair grows about ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm ) per month.
Give your hair time to adjust. It takes 2 to 6 weeks for your hair to adjust to the no-shampoo method and it may even look worse at first. Hair is a long-term project and it can take a few weeks to regain its health after years of being dehydrated by shampoo.
Show off your glamorous beautiful curls!