To think Curly Girl Method is just a huge amount of stress to look lank and greasy??

[TheOtherSideOfTheMountain]

I know the die hard CGM followers will lynch me for this.

I thought lockdown was the absolute perfect time to take up Curly Girl Method. So I've not only been doing it myself for 5 weeks now, but also avidly researching and following loads of social media groups to learn all about it.

The thing that has really struck me is...even those who get through the "settling" period of letting your hair adapt to no shampoo, no silicone and sulfates etc - because it's accepted that you have to become a greasy mess for a bit to come out the other side - whisper it just never end up looking that great.

I must have viewed hundreds of galleries of people showing before and after pics. Some of them DO look amazing- that's how I got sucked in. But what I've noticed is the ones who look fab with huge bouncy curls, when you really read their routines properly - often aren't following it properly. They're cheating with the odd shampoo, or a non CGM conditioner. Those who religiously only use the approved products and methods seem, even at their very best, to look a bit dreadlocky....sort of greasy and stringy. Even when everyone tells them they look awesome.

So why has this method got such a cult following? People are spending literally hundreds of pounds trying to find the holy grail approved product. They're beating themselves up if they accidentally use something which isn't CGM approved. I'm seeing people get really really stressed about not following every instruction to the letter. But nobody is acknowledging the fact that actually they might look a whole lot better if they just cherry pick the bits of the method that work for them?

No idea how it’s so onerous for most. One of mine has curly hair. Looked absolutely shit until as an older teen they saw a ‘curly expert’. It didn’t look shit because they put in no effort whatsoever but because we had always treated it like the hair we all have (pretty straight traditional hair) and so as they became independent they did what we had always done. So brush every day, regular shampoo and conditioner. This does not work for curly hair.

The key is to have it cut by a person who specialises in curls - dry cut, curl by curl. Four times a year. They now only wash it every 10-14 days even though very sporty and exercise regularly to the point hair is drenched in sweat. It’s only brushed once every 10-14 days immediately prior to being washed (or it turns from curls into a ‘fro). Specialised shampoo and conditioner is used but a very small amount is used so even though expensive they only get 3 bottles of each a year. Conditioner is leave in. They sleep with hair up on a silk pillow. Looks absolutely amazing ever since doing this as directed by curl expert.

Can’t tell you how little time they spend on their hair as compared to not only the average person, it’s literally no time actually.

Not cgm but when I moved to sulphate free (I like celeb luxury viral). My hair is so much shinier and glossy

@HoppingPavlova

Why did you always treat it the same until they became an older teen? As the odd one out with curls didn't you research their hair type rather than leaving their hair looking bad?

Frompcat
Uh....thanks

It may not be your thing - your prerogative of course - but it is emphatically not greasy at all. My hair is dry, always has been.

It’s not for me, I don’t like that slightly oily look that you get. I prefer a tad of frizz, I guess best example would be Nadia Sawalha. A bit ‘drier’.

I picked bits of the CG method that work for me. I particularly found the advice to use a smooth towel and never brush to be really useful.

I also use sulfate free, silicone free etc. products.

I wash with a gentle shampoo, then use a wash-out conditioner, then comb through Boots curl creme and just leave it. No styling whatsoever, not even scrunching, just one kirby grib to hold a kink down at the front while it dries.

I recently started the CGM. So far no issues with greasiness.

18 months ago I switched to sulfate and silicone free shampoo and conditioner which is not CG friendly (Maui Moisture for very dry hair, the pink bottles). I noticed my mass of frizz started to develop waves I hadn't seen since childhood. I used those products up recently whilst practicing some CG techniques like squish to condish and plopping. Hair got wavier so decided to give the full method a go.

I use As I Am cleansing co wash which was a pleasant surprise - it's cleaned just as well as any gentle shampoo and it smells even more amazing. I have Noughty's wave hello shampoo in case of build up and their conditioner. So far the As I Am cleansing conditioner is not much less cleansing then the shampoo.

I would recommend a cleansing conditioner if anyone is struggling with co-washing. It's easier than a regulat conditioner IMO. I also use a hair massager to help rub it in and lift it out after. It also helps to get your scalp wet - my hair takes a good minute or two to get soaking wet in the shower.

I have watched videos on YouTube and Instagram but not Facebook. Not seen anyone whose hair looks lank or greasy. My hair has been so artificially straight for years that I don't dare join a fb group in case my friends notice and laugh!

It makes my hair look absolutely appalling. The time I wasted in trying to get it to work for me 😫 I think the people whose hair looks good with it are those with very curly hair or thick hair. Mine is thin but frizzy and a mix of curly and wavy and it honestly looks terrible no matter what I do unless I get a kerastraight treatment.

Oh, and a big problem I had with it was that if I tried to leave the house before it was dry, it just turned into an unruly bush of frizz immediately. Not practical as it takes 3 hours to dry in the house and even then it looks shit (but less shit than if I’d gone outside).

I'm with you op... got lots of hair.... I go on Facebook see amazing curls, see what they use then buy the products.... sometimes my hair likes them sometimes not....

And I will add....hard work too.

Why did you always treat it the same until they became an older teen? As the odd one out with curls didn't you research their hair type rather than leaving their hair looking bad?

Pure ignorance really. It’s how I learnt to look after my hair from my parents and I kept this up as an adult. It’s how my DH learnt to look after his hair from his parents and he kept this up as an adult. So it’s all we ever knew, just thought everyone dealt with hair in the same way! FH, myself, all brothers, sisters, parents all have ‘typical’ hair so it’s all we ever knew and thought all hair was treated/looked after the same. Yes, we were to blame.

As for how our kid (now adult) has this hair, fuck knows. Personally, I think they were a hospital mix-up as it’s not just the difference in hair but many other things that have never existed in my family or DH’s family and kids could not look more different to us if they tried. I didn’t even have an affair that could explain it. Irrespective, after over 2 decades with them and god knows a lot of grief they are ours no matter what, never giving them up.

The thing is even if your hair doesn't get greasy after 5 days it is still going to smell.

Yep, me! I spent 6 months experimenting with different products, different 'plopping' techniques, different ways to lift my roots as they dried. My hair was in much better condition by the end of it, but I came to the conclusion that I just don't like my natural curl pattern!!! It is a wavy type of thin hair that just never looks bouncy and gorgeous whatever I do to it. Plus the bit underneath is naturally straighter than the rest and just looked plain odd and poked out noticeably from the curls.

By all means try it out, but unfortunately it wasn't the amazing life changing experience for me! I now let my hair dry naturally or blow dry it (if I can be bothered).

IMO the full CG method works best if your hair is really dry, coarse and/or thick because it's all about adding loads of moisture. If you have anything other type it's best to do a modified version (IME). I have fine, dry, thin, wavy hair (2a/b), and the CGM really weighs it down. My hair needs moisture because it's naturally frizzy, but too much and it looks disgusting (buildup). There's a fine line I need to balance, and it took me ages to figure that out!

I use Shea Moisture Argan oil shampoo/conditioner once a week, and then I co-wash in-between if my hair is dry. If I get buildup I use a sulphate shampoo to clarify now and then, depending on how my hair is feeling. I just go by how my hair is feeling (it changes every day depending on the weather, the planets, my horoscope etc...)

I also do an oil mask every couple of weeks and I remove the oil by either using the sulphate shampoo, or a sulphate-free shampoo + an apple cider vinegar rinse to remove the oil. I also really love the Maui vanilla bean mask, it's so moisturising without leaving my hair greasy.

For styling I like the banana Hair Food or the Shea moisture curl & style milk, just on the ends of my hair only.

So far this has worked and I don't have as many bad hair days as I used to. I've also discovered that as damage has improved that it's not as curly as I thought it was! GAAAH.

The science behind it is...I think

Old way
Add silicones (conditioner and product) and waxes oils to the hair - looks shiny but covers hair preventing moisture getting to the hair and creating build up - so you needed a strong, sulphate shampoo to clear away the product/silicones etc. This dries out hair. So you need to add in more plastic/silicone/waxes etc to give appearance of shine. Ulitmately, under the silicone etc the hair is drying out cos of the shampoo.

CGM - only use water based products (so silicone free conditioner/water based gels, no oil or wax which coat the hair and are difficult to get off. This means you can ditch the drying shampoos. In fact, because they are water based products you can just wash your hair perfectly well using conditioner - it is the agitating/washing/water that cleans the hair perfectly well without the soap/suplhate.

I personally have found it works well for me - but it does take a lots of product trial and error. And I think people can be searching for the holy grail of totally frizz free, glossy curls - which if you are not careful can end up being over-product-laden slightly lank curls which can look greasy. I find I don't mind a bit of frizz as I get more volume.

The FB page is fairly draconian though! Don't go there unless you have a thick hide.

And don't over complicate what you are doing. Conditioner, bit of leave in conditioner (same one), squeeze a bit of excess water out and then add gel works for me. I do "break" the CG rules though as I wide-tooth-comb through the gel and then "squish" the curls upwards afterwards.

The thing is even if your hair doesn't get greasy after 5 days it is still going to smell.

It doesn't though as the conditioner washes and scents it. And I'm not being defensive because it's not me but dd who follows it and her hair smells lovely.

Ah frompcat, you charmer you.
So not only am I deluded that my hair isn't greasy, but I also smell.

Don't hold back, will you

There’s some real charmers on here😂

I’ve been curly girl for about 3 years now. My hair isn’t greasy, it’s dry and thirsty as fuck!
And doesn’t smell as I actually condition it daily in the shower as despite being 3 years CG a refresh is beyond me.

If it doesn’t suit you, that’s fine. No need to be a dick about it though.

Yeah mine definitely doesn’t smell. I have an autistic 12 year old with a very heightened sense of smell. She would tell me immediately if it did!

People are spending literally hundreds of pounds trying to find the holy grail approved product.

I use a cheapish conditioner, the boots curl ccream for 1.99. I tried lots of products but didn't spend a fortune. I wash my hair twice a week, cut it myself (and looks good). I met my hair air-dry. It's as low maintenance as it gets without silly hair dresser bills and I get comments on my hair all the time...

I dont understand why anyone would want to iron the curls out and get this boring standard haircut to the tune of several hundred pounds a year .

there are loads of brands yelling curly profucts for £20 upwards a bottle. I would avoid these at any cost. no conditioner is worth £20. it's just a marketing gimmick to avoid

Anybody with super dry and frizzy curls want to recommend anything life-changing? I stick to Kantu but happy to hear any recs.

I love the Shea Moisture Jamaican black caster oil masque for my super dry hair. I use it weekly as a deep conditioner on dry hair.

@Fifipopopo we like Shea moisture weightless creme rinse and garnier ultimate blends almond crush. DD's hair is fairly fine but very frizzy and 3c curls

@Fifipopopo Creme of Nature shampoo and intensive conditioner is lovely and not too expensive, I get it from Superdrug. It makes my hair really soft and silky like bunny fur!!