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What Is The Curly Girl Method? Exact Steps For Beginners

What Is The Curly Girl Method? Exact Steps For Beginners

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What Is The Curly Girl Method?

The curly girl method is also called the no-poo method that was first introduced in the book “Curly Girl” by Lorraine Massey. This method has gained traction like wild fire from the time curly hair was in trend. You can read more about it on Wikipedia.

The curly girl method is just another hair care routine formulated especially for curly hair that promises to yield marvelous results for those suffering from unmanageable hair. But just like any beauty routine, the results of this curly girl method may also vary from person to person.

Curly Girl Method Step 1 :Preparing Your Hair

curly girl method step by step instructions

The final cleanse

Unlike sleek, straight hair, a head of curly hair tends to attract and retain a lot of dirt and grime. So you may want to give your hair a thorough rinse using a sulfate shampoo (since sulfates suck of all dirt and silicones with ease).

For much better results, you can either do a hair detox or use a good clarifying shampoo like Tresemme Deep Cleansing shampoo or Neutrogena Anti Residue shampoo. Or  you can also try the reverse washing method for a week to prepare your hair for the curly girl method.

And make sure you don’t wash your hair with hard water.

Best Clarifying Shampoos

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Neutrogena Anti-Residue Clarifying Shampoo, Gentle Non-Irritating Clarifying Shampoo to Remove Hair Build-Up & Residue, 6 fl. oz
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OGX Nourishing & Invigorating Shampoo with Tea Tree Oil, Peppermint Oil & Milk Proteins - Hydrating for Scalp, Paraben-Free & Sulfate-Free, 13 fl oz
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Find a chemical-free beauty brand/product that you trust

Use this time to research the ingredients, effectiveness, and price of the brand you’re zeroing into. You can opt for products from different brands also. Just make sure you have replaced all of your chemical counterparts with a chemical-free, natural or ayurvedic options.

Get rid of products containing sulfates or silicones

The idea is to eliminate as much chemical loaded products as possible. You can refer to this article to know more about harmful chemicals in hair products.

Get a trim

Trimming your hair before making a major routine change will help in getting rid of split ends and damaged hair; so all your efforts will be put into a healthy head of hair. It makes it easier for you to observe the long term effects of the curly girl method as well.

Once you’ve completed the four pre-routine steps of the curly hair method, you can proceed with the actual routine.

Step 2: Follow Your New Curly Girl Method Routine

Wash your hair with conditioner

During your hair wash days, you won’t be using shampoo anymore. That’s the idea of the curly girl method since shampooing can strip off valuable oils from your scalp and make hair frizzy. Apply hair conditioner throughout your hair length, scalp massage gently, and let it stay on your hair for 5 minutes.

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Rub a comb through your conditioner-covered hair

Before rinsing off the conditioner, you NEED to detangle your hair using your fingers or a wide-toothed wooden comb. Doing this will ensure you don’t have to stress out while trying to detangle after the hair has dried and also avoid disturbing or breaking your curls.

Rinse with cool water

Once detangled, rinse your hair thoroughly using cool to cold water. Make sure you get all the conditioner out of your hair or it can clog your roots and cause hair fall.

Use your curly girl method products

Virgin coconut oil as leave-in conditioner, olive oil, alcohol-free hair mousse or gels, curl activators etc. anything that doesn’t contain harsh chemicals can be added to your curly girl method products list. Make sure your products are moisturizing in nature.

You might like CurlMatch: Mobile Application that helps you Find the Perfect Products for Curly Hair

Dry your hair

Blow your hair dry using an old tee shirt or a microfiber towel to absorb excess water. Then let it air dry or if you’re in a hurry, blow-dry in a low heat setting. You need to steer clear of any kind of heat on your hair to reap the maximum benefits.

Step 3: Maintaining Your Hair

Trim every 4-6 months

This is necessary to get rid of split ends and damaged hair ends as it improves the overall healthy appearance of your hair.

Be patient

You can expect to see results in about 4-6 weeks as it may take awhile for your hair to adjust to the no-poo routine. You might experience hair drying out, or hair becoming too oily till it gets adjusted to the new curly girl routine. You can also try water only method to wash your hair.

Also don’t forget to check out 50 natural hair care tips for healthy hair.

But remember…Never give up! Patience is the key to any good results. Stay consistent in your efforts while following the curly girl method and in no time you will be flaunting those beautiful curls.

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