WTF is Curly Girl???

Starting Curly Girl? Confused? You will be. Let me break it down for you…

Curly What?

An angel named Lorraine Massey first brought us the CG method in 2001 and inspired curlies all over to put those straighteners down and embrace the curls! You can read her book on it here!

Can I do it?

If you have any kind of textured hair then you can, and you should! There are different types of hair, ranging from 1a to 4c, the 1s being straight and the 4s being textured af.

What do I avoid?

Shampoo! Shampoo can dry your hair out, so stick to conditioner!

Brushing! You can comb when wet, but don’t you dare put that comb anywhere near your dry locks! Don’t even run your fingers through, as this will break up the precious curls!

Sulphates, silicones, alcohols! Jesus, I know, this is a lot to take in. Sulphates are found in shampoos and silicones are in conditioners, and they both cause build-up. Avoid, avoid, avoid. You can check your product for naughty ingredients here

Towel drying! The fibers in towels can cause frizz, so instead use a cotton t-shirt - much cheaper too!

Cotton pillowcases! Can you do anything? This one sounds ridiculous, but it will be your saviour on early mornings! Cotton pillowcases can cause frizz when you roll about in the night, but if you use a satin pillowcase, your locks will gently slide about!

My sexy satin pillowcase

Heat! Where possible you should air dry your hair, but we all know this can take HOURRRSSSS, so if you must use a hairdryer, use a diffuser

Hair dye! Hair dye, especially bleach, can dry your hair out, so try to avoid (gotta hold my hands up here and admit that I’m a sucker for hair dye!)

What tf do I do?

Co-wash! Start your curls by washing them with water and conditioner. Whilst the conditioner is in, comb any knots out. When washing the conditioner out, you can leave a little in to help hold your curls.

T-shirt dry! Dry your hair with a cotton t-shirt until kinda damp.

Recycling those t-shirts that no longer fit

Product time! Take your chosen product (free of sulfates, silicons, and alcohol) and run it through your hair. This is easier to do if you section it out and use the ‘praying hands’ method, which stops your from separating the curls.

Dry! Air-drying almost always looks better and is better for the condition of your curls, butttttt we aren’t all gifted with time on a morning, so you can use a diffuser to dry it.

SOTC! Scrunch out the crunch! Some products will leave your hair a little crispy, so when it’s all dry, scrunch and crunch!

Deep condition! You should be using a deep conditioner or hair mask once a week.

You can read my step-by-step method to perfect curls here... but be warned - it isn't all CG friendly!

Happy curling,

Leah x