Tired of fighting unruly hair trying to straighten it? Perhaps the whole point is that you naturally have luxurious curls that you only spoil with improper care.
In this case, the curly method will suit you – a special porous hair care system that allows you to turn a sloppy mop into charming curls.
We tell you how to wash your hair with a curly method, and how to dry and style it in order to become the owner of spectacular healthy hair.
What is the Curly Girl Method
The Curly Girl Method (CGM) is a treatment system for unruly, curly hair developed by stylist Lorraine Massey. Her book Curly Hair: Hairstyle, Haircut, Care became a real bestseller and helped many girls to get tight curls.
The curly hair care method is suitable for anyone who has even a little curly hair. Its essence is to emphasize the natural structure of curly hair and give them what they need: above all, moisture. The Lorraine Massey system allows you to turn naughty strands into elastic curls – beautiful, healthy, spectacular.
Is the curly method suitable for straight hair? Oddly enough, yes. In Europeans, truly straight hair is quite rare, in 10 – 20% of cases. The rest of the hair is at least a little, but curly, which means that you can safely use CGM.
In general, there is a whole classification of curls. They can be in the form of springs, spirals, have the shape of an elongated letter S, or calm, unobtrusive waves. In all cases, the instructions for the curly method will be useful, but the result will be different: someone will get a mop of curls, and someone will have soft, graceful curls.
It makes sense to try the curly hair washing method for wavy, straight, or curly strands, especially if you have a problem with volume: CGM perfectly masks the lack of hair density. Try! Usually, the girls who tested the system are satisfied with the result.
Curly method and its main rules
Surprisingly, many girls do not even suspect that they have curly hair. And all because of improper care, which stretches the curls. But then nature takes its toll, and instead of silky smooth strands, a dandelion turns out – a cap of fluffy, unruly hair sticking out in different directions. In the photo from the “ curly method: before and after ” series, you can see how such hair is transformed after changing the care system.
The basic principle of the curly hair care method is that the strands need to be moistened and not pulled. To do this, you need to follow a number of rules:
- Stop injuring your hair with any heat styling products – a hairdryer, tongs, irons.
- Stop using sulfate shampoos.
- Say goodbye to any products containing silicones and alcohol.
- Refuse to use combs and brushes for hair.
- Set aside heavy towels and use weightless microfiber towels instead.
Most likely, before you acted in exactly the opposite way: carefully combed your hair (but how else?), pulled it out, and generously flavored it with silicone to make it at least a little heavier and smoother. If you believe the reviews about the curly hair method, the new system scares all the girls at first. But over time, it turns out that the hair really changes, and for this, it is worth taking a chance and abandoning old habits.
Curly hair washing method
How to wash your hair with a curly method? Wash your hair for the last time with a sulphate shampoo, preferably one that is designed to deeply cleanse your hair, to get rid of silicone residue.
Sulfates are surfactants that clean hair very well but dry it out. Porous hair does not need such care, so look for a shampoo that says that it does not contain sulfates in the composition – this is what you will use for the curly washing method.
If the hair is very dry, and we completely refused products with silicones, then we can do without shampoo at all. In this case, co-washing will come to the rescue – washing with an air conditioner. Thoroughly rub the product into the strands, mechanically clean them, and use special cleansing masks for the scalp. If this option does not suit you, feel free to use a sulfate-free shampoo for the curly method. If such a shampoo, according to your feelings, does not help cleanse your hair, then you can alternate it with a regular mild shampoo: most importantly, do not apply it to the entire length of your hair – only to the scalp.
Get ready for the curly hair washing method for straight or curly strands to turn from a simple hygiene procedure into a ritual. The process can take up to twenty minutes, and if you apply a mask, then even longer. There’s nothing to be done: washing and conditioning is the most important stage of CGM, which determines the final result.
So, I wash my head with a curly method:
- Apply shampoo (preferably sulfate-free) to the scalp and rinse it thoroughly. This step can be skipped if the hair is very dry.
- We rinse the hair along the entire length.
- If necessary, apply a mask without silicone and rinse it off.
- We apply on the hair, stepping back a few centimeters from the roots, a balm or conditioner designed for curls (strictly without silicone, which makes the curls heavier).
- Now (and only now!) you can comb your hair with a comb with rare teeth.
- Then we rub the conditioner into the strands with “squeezing”, springy movements, gradually adding water. Crumple the strands in the direction from the ends to the roots, forming curls.
- When the strands are completely saturated with conditioner, rinse off with warm water. The pressure should not be too strong so that the curls do not stretch.
Washing your head with a curly method will take you more time than usual, but the result is worth it: the strands will be well moisturized. This is what we are striving for!
For the curly method, you will need special hair products. For example, sulfate-free shampoo with a high degree of foam Curvaceous, Redken. It contains nourishing oils, ultraviolet filters, and sugar crystals that give curls a special definition.
For co-washing, you can use Heads With Roll, Evo. It contains coconut, avocado, and jojoba oils that nourish and care for the hair.
As a conditioner balm, any silicone-free products designed specifically for the curly method are suitable. Or you can kill two birds with one stone with a conditioning mask like Nutricurls from Wella Professionals. This nourishing mask for curly and curly hair intensely hydrates and nourishes hair without weighing it down.
Curly drying method
Now that you know how to wash your hair with a curly method, you can move on to drying. Everything is much simpler here, although it will take a lot of time.
The curly hair drying method has a number of features. If you now wrap a heavy terry towel around your head, the strands will stretch out, and all efforts will be in vain. So use a light microfiber towel or even an old cotton T-shirt you borrowed from your boyfriend. Gently pat your hair, squeezing it gently towards the roots, as you would when applying a conditioner. After that, collect the strands in a ponytail at the crown, cover with a towel or T-shirt to absorb moisture, and let dry naturally.
If you want, use the special “plopping” technique, popular with fans of the Curly Girl Method. Throw wet hair forward, form curls with squeezing movements, and fold them onto a T-shirt. Now wrap this T-shirt around your head, forming a turban, and go to bed. In the morning, taking off your T-shirt from your head, you will find beautiful curls.
The curly method at home involves air drying naturally without a hair dryer. If you are in a hurry, you can use a hair dryer for styling with a curly method, but only with a diffuser. Set the temperature to the minimum and do not abuse such drying.
An important feature of the curly hair styling method is the use of indelible products: mousses, foams, gels, sprays, and creams marked “curly”. They are applied to still wet strands with the same crumpling movements in the direction from the tips to the roots (but be sure to step back a few centimeters from the scalp, she does not need such funds).
Keep in mind: after applying the gel for the curly method, a kind of crust remains on the curls, it is called “cast”. It makes her hair look scary dirty icicles, but don’t worry – it’s temporary! When the strands are completely dry, break this crust with the same springy squeezing movements, and your curls will look just right.
For a curly style, we recommend trying the Trap, Got2b’s Clear-Curl Styling Mousse. This budget tool makes curls more pronounced and manageable, and also protects from hot air.
Curly haircut
If the rest of the methods of curly hair can be used at home, then you will have to turn to professionals for a haircut. And not to anyhow, but to those who specialize specifically in curly hair. You need a hairdresser who has an idea of the curly method for wavy hair and won’t junk your curls, ruining all your gains.
When looking for a hairdresser familiar with the curl method, look for reviews. Remember that haircut curls have their own characteristics. It is carried out on dry hair, because. wet and dry curls look very different, and using products that comply with CGM principles. In addition, the master will not use a comb, and will only dry his hair with cold air using a diffuser.
Curly hair method: when to expect results?
And here everything is unpredictable. When the structure of your curls is restored depends on their individual characteristics and the intensity of the new care. Someone notices the result after the second shampooing and someone – only after six months. The main thing is not to stop halfway, continue to care for your hair in accordance with the CGM rules, and use products for the curly method.
Usually, elastic curls last a couple of days after washing, no more. After that, they can be refreshed with a special spray or cream, or you can go all the way from the beginning, since washing your hair with a curly method is the most reliable way to form curls.
