Curly Girl Method – how to

Are you tired of your curly hair not looking gorgeous, no matter what you use of expensive products and how you style it? Maybe the Curly Girl Method is just what you need to get the most out of your waves and curls. Read our guide to start with Curly Girl Method.

What is Curly Girl Method?

Curly Girl Method is a care routine for the hair that brings out the natural curls and waves particularly beautifully.

The care routine is very different from traditional hair care, as it firstly excludes a number of ingredients that are in most hair care products and secondly removes shampoo completely from the hair care (with a few exceptions, but we will get to that later).

But the Curly Girl Method is more than just replacing your hair products. It also involves changing the way you use the products.

Curly Gurl Method is not an “easy shortcut” to beautiful curls, but the method is more gentle on the hair and you can achieve wild results that you did not think were possible with your natural waves and curls.

Here are the rules:

Curly Girl rules

• No sulfates
• No silicone
• No mineral oil
• No alcohol
• No wax
• No high heat – neither water nor hair dryer
• No hairbrushes
• No terry towels

SHere’s how you do it

There are as many different ways to do the Curly Girl method as there are Curly Girls and Guys. Here we describe the most common approach, which is good to start with. Then you can customize as needed.

Do not be intimidated by the long descriptions! It’s just to explain thoroughly and the actual care routine is actually not that complicated.

Step 0: Last hair wash

Most people will have an accumulation of silicone and other products in their hair when they switch from traditional hair care to the Curly Girl method – and these product residues can usually only be removed with sulphates. Therefore, it is typically necessary to wash the hair one last time with regular, sulfate-containing shampoo, so you start with a completely clean hair and scalp. However, make sure that this shampoo does not contain silicone, because then you are just as far.

This last wash only needs to be done once – namely in connection with your transition from regular hair care to the Curly Girl method. That’s why we have called it step 0 and for the future, just do step 1 to 5 every time you wash hair.

Step 1: Conditioner wash

Wash the scalp with conditioner. Massage the conditioner all the way down to the scalp with your fingertips (not the nails), to clean thoroughly. If necessary, repeat the conditioner wash for a more thorough cleaning.

Let the conditioner sit in the hair through the next step or rinse out now.

Many people choose to use a simple and neutral conditioner, without a lot of oils and heavy ingredients for the conditioner wash, so that the scalp does not get greasy quickly.

Step 2: Conditioner treatment

Apply caring conditioner to the lengths of the hair – either with the praying hands or the scrunch method.

While the conditioner works, you can choose to comb the hair either with your fingers or with a wide-toothed comb. Only do this if the hair is tangled, otherwise you risk separating the lumps of curls more than absolutely necessary.

Rinse hair through and free of conditioner.

Step 3: Wet styling

While the hair is splash wet, apply products for care and styling. Leave-in conditioner, oil and cream. Use scrunching for application, but remember to be gentle so that you do not separate the curls that are forming and clumping together.

Many people find that they need to use more styling product than they would normally do in dry hair. It is as if the hair is eating the product. Experiment with different products and different quantities – there is no one size fits all solution when it comes to styling.

Step 4: Drying

Put the hair in a plop, by letting it fall down on your microfiber towel or t-shirt. Wrap the hair in the cloth and place it on top of the head. It gives the curls a boost. Attach the cloth and let the hair dry a little in the plop for 15-60 minutes.

The plop just takes the worst moisture after the bath and helps the curls to stay in shape.

You can also sleep with the plop if you wish. Some people experience good results by drying their hair overnight in this way.

It is important not to comb or scrunch the curls during drying – however wait until it is completely dry and stiff before doing more with it.

Step 5: Softening

Scrunch the dry hair gently but thoroughly with your hands, to break down the hardness the hair gets when it air dries. Feel free to use your fingertips to gently lift the hair from the scalp. Always be careful not to break the lumps of curls into too small parts as it may give frizz.

So long does it take before the Curly Girl method works

Most people will experience an immediate improvement in the shape of the curls from the first wash. But it takes several weeks before hair and scalp have gotten used to sulfates and oil production in the scalp has returned to balance.

Once the hair and scalp is used to the Curly Girl method, it is typically not necessary to wash the hair as often. 1-2 times a week may be enough. On the other hand the curls can get benefit from being refreshed from day to day, as the hair can lose shape and fullness after sleeping.

Many Curly Girls and Guys see continuous improvements in their curls over several months after starting the method because they have to try different products before finding what works for them. This does not mean that it takes many months before it becomes beautiful, but simply that it pays to stick to the method, even though it can sometimes be uphill – especially if you have difficulty finding the right products for your hair.

It can be really helpful to join Curly Girl groups on Facebook for help, inspiration and support, and to find specific product recommendations on blogs or YouTube, from people who have the same type of curls and preferences as oneself.

Keep the curls fresh for days

You can reactivate the hair products by spraying a little water or your favorite styling product in the hair.

In addition you can help the curls stay in shape by sleeping with your hair in a plop, scarf or pineapple.

Tips for Success with the Curly Girl Method

• Have your dry ends cut off. Broken ends are very difficult to get to curl naturally and beautifully – not even with gentle washing and lots of moisture and conditioner. They will contribute to a tangled and frizzy look that does not promote the beautiful curls.
• Consider getting your hair cut in layers as curls love layers. It gives more fullness and makes room for the innermost curls.
• Use praying hands or scrunch-method to apply the hair products.

What do you need?

It is very individual what works for the individual Curly Girl or Guy and therefore a little different what one wants as part of his hair care routine. Here is a list of all the products and tools we recommend for a complete Curly Girl hair care routine. Choose the things you think can help you.

• Wash-conditioner
• Conditioner
• Leave-in conditioner
• Hair oil
• Hair creme
• Styling gel
• Wide-tooth comb for the shower
• Microfiber towel or t-shirt
• Hair dryer with cold setting and diffuser
• Hair clips to hold the hair while it dries
• Scrunchie or spiral hair tie for the pineapple-method

• 

Try our bestseller curly girl method approved brand Boucleme. Boucleme has a discovery kit that includes curl cleanser, hair cleanser, curl conditioner, curl creme and curl defining gel. It’s a great opportunity to begin with.

Find curly gir approved shampoo and conditioner here.

We have brands like:

• Amika
• Aveda
• Boucleme
• Redken
• Kerastase
• Matrix
• Milk_Shake
• Waterclouds
• John Masters Organics
• Davines

Good luck with your curls!