If you have curly hair, you might know about the Curly Girl Method. Maybe you’ve tried it and love it, or maybe you’ve incorporated some steps into your normal routine. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with it over the years but wanted to give it another go.
My Hair
My curl pattern is a bit crazy. I have parts of my hair that have 2a, 2b, and 3a waves/curls.
The front and underside of my hair typically curls the most. And the top and back usually lie flatter and with more of a wave pattern. I really aimed to learn how to get more volume at my roots and emphasize my curls more. I also recently dyed my hair and used bleach, so my strands definitely need moisture.
What I Did
I followed the simple routine here. Because I already use sulfate free, hydrating products on my hair, I didn’t feel a need to do a reset wash. Instead, while I was in the shower, I made sure to use even more product than usual (especially conditioner). While TONS of conditioner was still on my hair, I combed through it with my fingers. I let the conditioner sit a little longer before rinsing it out.
Immediately after getting out of the shower, I flipped my head upside down. I scrunched leave-in conditioner (almost a palm full) on my soaking wet hair. Personally, I love the Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Leave-In Conditioner as a cheap and amazing styling product. To combat frizz even more, I used about two pumps of John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls Cream Oil (for reference my hair is thick and about medium length). Then, I used my fingers to separate my curls and form spirals all over my head, especially where my curls typically go flat at the crown. I scrunched a little more and then left my hair alone while it airdryed a bit, reforming a few curls every once in a while.
I want to note that I could’ve blow dried my hair with a diffuser, but I decided not to. I’ve found blow-drying (no matter the diffuser or products I use) still makes my hair look like a fluff ball.
When my hair was about 70% dry, I applied an Argan Oil product to the ends, working my way to the top over the frizz-prone parts. I recognize that not everybody will need as many oils and products on their hair as I do (too much can weigh hair down) but if you’ve been struggling with frizz, I’ve learned being generous with products helps more than it hurts.
Then came a fun new step I hadn’t done much before. I took the curls that typically go flat, lifted them, gave them a little twist, and pinned them up while my hair finished drying. This allowed the top part to fully dry while retaining some curl and volume that normally doesn’t exist on its own.
I slept on a silk pillowcase to help eliminate frizz, and then used either an Argan Oil serum or a sea salt spray (or both) to refresh my curls every day I didn’t wash. I would simply detangle my hair with my fingers and apply product as needed. Also, I don’t have a specific wash routine. I’d just assess when I felt like my hair was getting a little TOO oily/tangled and would wash again either that night or the next morning.
Results
The result was bouncy, shiny curls that looked better than they had in a long time. There was movement and definition that usually didn’t exist. There was a clear difference in my natural hair and what I get when heat styling. BUT I thought my hair still looked amazing.
Yes, it took a little more time to style after showering, but thankfully, that wasn’t an everyday thing. Quite frankly, I don’t wash my hair a ton. Don’t get me wrong, I bathe everyday, but washing hair isn’t always a part of that. I’ve found too much washing can strip my hair of natural oils that help keep it healthy. Compared to the amount of time it takes on some days to curl (and sometimes straightening it and then re-curling my hair), the extra drying time isn’t a bad trade-off.
Special Acknowledgment
I’d feel wrong writing a post about the Curly Girl Method without mentioning the many women of color before me who invented a lot of these ways to style their natural hair. I’m so thankful to the wonderful ladies who have shared their tips, tricks, and favorite products to the whole curly community.
I’m also so grateful to the many naturally-curly girls and women out there that continue to embrace their natural texture. It’s because of these individuals that I felt secure with the way my hair looks, ‘imperfect’ curls and all. I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it: natural texture doesn’t look the same as artificial texture. And in a society so used to heat styling, I think it’s easy to forget what natural texture looks like. This sometimes leads to insecurities when our curls aren’t the same as the ones we see in the media. I’m so glad more curly girls are embracing their hair and creating representation where, for years, there hasn’t been much.
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