Your natural curls: everything you need to know about the curly method

Pexels: Cottonbro

We tell you how to wash your hair with a curly method, how to dry it and style it in order to become the owner of spectacular healthy hair.

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 achieve 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 it what it needs: above all, hydration. The Lorraine Massey system allows you to transform cheeky locks into springy curls – beautiful, healthy, spectacular.

Is the curly method suitable for straight hair? Curiously, yes. In European women, really straight hair is quite rare, in 10-20% of cases. The rest of the hair is at least a little, but curly, which means you can safely use CGM.

In general, there is a whole classification of loops. They can be in the form of springs, spirals, have the shape of an elongated letter S or calm, unobtrusive waves. In any case, 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 wash method for wavy, straight or curly locks, especially if you have a problem with volume: CGM masks the lack of hair density perfectly. Try! Usually girls who have tested the system are satisfied with the result.

Surprisingly, many girls don’t 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 locks, a dandelion is revealed – a fluffy, unruly headdress of hair sticking out in different directions. In the photo from the series “curly method: before and after” you can see how this hair turns after changing the care system.

The basic principle of the curly hair care method is that the strands should be moistened, not pulled. To do this, you must follow a number of rules:

Most likely, before you did exactly the opposite: carefully comb your hair (how could it be otherwise?), pull it out and generously perfume it with silicone to make it at least a little heavier and more smooth. If you believe the reviews about the curly hair method, then the new system scares off every girl at first. But over time, it turns out that the hair really changes, and for this it is worth taking a chance and giving up old habits.

How to wash your hair with a curly method? Wash your hair one last time with a sulfate shampoo, preferably designed to clean your hair thoroughly, to remove silicone residue.

Sulfates are surfactants that clean the hair very well but dry it out. Porous hair doesn’t need such care, so look for a shampoo that says it has no sulfates in the mix – that’s what you’ll use for the curly wash method.

If the hair is very dry and we completely refuse products containing silicones, we can do without shampoo at all. In this case, co-washing will come to the rescue – washing with an air conditioner. Carefully rub the product into the strands, clean them mechanically and use special cleansing masks for the scalp. If this option isn’t for you, feel free to use a sulfate-free shampoo for the curly method. If such a shampoo, according to your feelings, does not help to clean your hair, you can alternate it with an ordinary mild shampoo: most importantly, do not apply it to the entire length of your hair – only to the scalp.

Get ready for the method of washing curly hair for straight or curly locks to change from a simple hygienic procedure to a ritual. The process can take up to twenty minutes, and if you apply a mask, then even for a longer period. There is nothing to do: washing and conditioning is the most important step of the CGM, which determines the final result.

So, I wash my head with a loopy method:

Washing your head with a curly method will take you longer than usual, but the result is worth it: the locks will be well moisturized. This is what we aspire to!

For the curly method, you will need special hair products. For example, Curvaceous, Redken High Lather Sulfate-Free Shampoo. 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 which nourish and condition the hair.

As a conditioning balm, all 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 Wella Professionals Nutricurls. This nourishing mask for curly, curly hair intensely hydrates and nourishes the hair without weighing it down.

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 method of drying curly hair has a number of features. If you now wrap a heavy terry towel around your head, the strands will stretch, and all efforts will be in vain. So use a lightweight microfiber towel or even an old cotton T-shirt you borrowed from your boyfriend. Gently pat your hair, pressing gently towards the roots, as you would when applying conditioner. After that, gather the strands into a ponytail at the crown, cover with a towel or a t-shirt to absorb moisture and let it dry naturally.

If desired, use the special “plopping” technique, which is popular with fans of the Curly Girl method. Throw wet hair forward, form curls with tightening movements and fold them over a T-shirt. Now wrap this T-shirt around your head, forming a turban, and go to bed. In the morning, by removing your T-shirt from your head, you will find beautiful curls.

The curly at home method involves air drying naturally without a hair dryer. If you are in a hurry, you can use a hair dryer to style your hair with a curly method, but only with a diffuser. Set the temperature to a minimum and do not abuse this drying.

An important feature of the method of styling curly hair is the use of leave-in products: mousses, mousses, gels, sprays, creams marked “curly”. They are applied to still damp strands with the same wrinkling 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 like dirty icicles, but don’t worry, it’s temporary! When the strands are completely dry, break this crust with the same elastic compression movements, and your curls will look perfect.

For a curly style, we recommend trying Trap, Got2b’s Clear-Curl Styling Mousse. This budget tool makes curls more pronounced and manageable, and also protects against hot air.

If the rest of the curly hair methods can be used at home, then you will have to turn to professionals for a haircut. And not in any way, but to those who specialize in curly hair specifically. You need a hairstylist who has a feel for the curly method for wavy hair and who won’t mess up your curls, ruining all your gains.

When looking for a hairstylist familiar with the curl method, look for reviews. Do not forget that haircut curls have their own characteristics. It is done on dry hair, because. wet and dry curls look very different and use products that conform to CGM principles. Also, the master will not use a comb and dry his hair only in cold air using a diffuser.

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 shampoo, and someone – only after six months. The main thing is not to stop halfway, to continue to care for your hair according to the rules of the CGM and to use products for the curly method.

Usually, elastic curls last a few days after washing, not more. After that, they can be refreshed with a special spray or cream, or you can go all the way, because washing your hair with a curly method is the most reliable way to form curls.