Perfect your natural hair with The Curly Girl Method
We’re familiar with the phrase: the grass is always greener on the other side. It depicts the idea of wanting what we can’t have and as a woman born with naturally curly and almost untamable curls, I have felt this down to my core for most of my life. That is until I came across the Curly Girl Method. Also known as CGM, the curly girl method puts a few rules in place for hair care for those of us dealing with high maintenance locks that appear to have a mind of their own.
The dreaded question: “Oh my goodness, is that your natural hair?” may often be followed by a begrudging “Yes, but I wish it was straight”. CGM takes into consideration generations of tips and tricks to promote the healthiest hair for those struggling with making the most of what they were given. This method was published by Lorraine Massey in Curly Girl: The Handbook, although many of the components have been learned from the continent of Africa, home to some of the most beautifully maintained afro and curly hair styles.
Depending on where your curly girl information is sourced, the rules may differ and can be found on a scale from conveniently lenient to very strict. My advice here would be to take from each differential the segments that work best for you and your curls to create an individualised routine. In this article, we will be following the tips from Lorraine Massey and leaving some of the differential research up to you.
First and foremost, it is important to know what type of curl, wave or coil you have. They can be distinguished into number-titled groups with 1 defining very straight hair, 2a-2c being waves, 3a-3c being curly hair and finally 4a-4c representing the tightest of coiled curls. I personally have type 3a curls, which due to damaging processes looked more like an unhealthy 2b until I built loyalty to caring for my specific hair type with the curly girl method.
Boiled down to the basics, the curly girl method recommends cleansing your hair with sulphate, silicone and alcohol free products, only brushing your hair when it is wet and never using heat styling tools. Sulphates and alcohols are known to damage the hair by stripping it of naturally hydrating and protein rich oils. Silicones cause similar damage, but by producing a wax-like film on the hair which while seeming protective actually prevents the hair from absorbing moisture and nutrients. Thankfully, there are products on the market void of such ingredients, specifically designed for those taking part in the curly girl method. Then there is the matter of brushing your hair only when it’s wet. This step is rather self-explanatory as dry brushing leads to breakage, split-ends and therefore a dull and straw-like appearance and texture. Finally we have the avoidance of heat styling, from straighteners and curlers to even the most basic hair dryer. Heat styling tools put unnecessary heat into the hair, putting it at risk of severe dehydration and breakage. Instead, the curly girly method focuses on ‘scrunching’ and ‘plopping’ with deep treatments to naturally style the hair as it dries.
At this point you may be thinking this all sounds too complicated and too hard, but let me tell you that this journey is worth it. And it is just that, a journey – the CGM usually takes at least a month to see serious results from. On the bright side, imagine being able to confidently receive compliments on your natural curls and being grateful for the individuality in each one. Imagine not needing to spend hours cleansing and styling your hair on wash days. Well, imagine no further.
Welcome to the curly girl life!