To think the curly hair method is a con?

[Axolotyls]

I have frizzy bird nest hair. I straightened it for years but now I’m finding that I can’t be arsed as it’s so thin it just looks lank and depressing and makes me look old and haggered when it’s straight.

So I leave it to dry naturally - massive Afro

I tried curly hair method - Looked like a hair dresser had started styling it and then got pissed on tequila half way through

its a con isn’t it? Are some people just destined to have shit hair?

I do the curly hair method and have generally nice hair (I think!).

When did you stop straightening your hair, you might find as the previously straightened hair grows out/gets cut the 'new' hair takes to it better.

It doesn’t work for me, I know my hair and there are 2 or 3 shampoos that work well, plus a certain curly shampoo and curl cream. That’s it.

Yanbu - curly girl method makes me look like a haunted child

I've always absolutely loved curly hair.

Ironic isnt it that you have spent years straightening your hair whilst when I was in my 20s I spent a lot of money, and time, having " curly perms" !

For quite a few years now I've had no hair at all , due to frontal fibrosing alopecia. And I have to wear wigs. So I can quite categorically state I would rather have " shit hair" rather than no hair. And if I had your curly hair I would be over the moon.

A friend of mine has naturally wavy hair thats almost curly. Using the curly girl method (whatever it is, its completely a mystery to me) shes got amazingly beautiful curls. She said it doesnt take her that long either. Works for some I guess and not other hair types/patience levels!

It definitely works for some hair, but I'd imagine it's not suitable for everyone. My friend straigthened her hair for years, so much that I didn't know she had curly hair, then one day she came in with beautiful curls. I know she uses quite a range of products but they do work.

It just looks like a ridiculous amount of work to me, so many steps, so many products!

I wash my hair in the shower and blast dry with a hair dryer with a bit of volumising spray. Ta-da! Takes about 10 minutes tops every 3 days. I cba with spending hours and hours on my appearance.

Since I started with it, I have massively easier to control nice looking hair that’s actually easy to manage!
before my hair was awful.

You have to experiment a but with curly hair to find what works for you. Some products others swear by will not work, and others will. I think the not shampooing is not a great idea myself. But knowing that silicones generally don't get on with curls is useful. You could start with some cheaper curl friendly shampoo and conditioner. There are some supermarket ones as well as mor expensive brands that do miniatures and starter kits to try. Then a classic starter combo would be leave in conditioner (no silicone), mousse and gel. There are supermarket brands to try. Try different techniques and quantities to experiment. It's hard because there isn't a one size fits all method, so a bit of experimenting is required. Follow people with similar hair to you on social media for inspiration.

I don't co-wash but I do use sulphate-free products. It took a few months but my curls are loads better now, it used to be so frizzy.

I think it’s a faff and it didn’t do all that much for me. I do however think changing your ‘routine’/ finding the right products can make the world of difference. I took some advice from a friend with gorgeous hair and now just wash as normal, use leave in conditioner and scrunch a bit of curly gel in and in the course of a couple of weeks my hair went from a frizzy mess to really lovely defined curls. Amazed myself as it’s so simple, I leave it to dry naturally while having breakfast etc and it’s so quick and easy.

What shampoos/conditioners do you all use?

I gave it a solid 6 months and my hair had never looked shitter. It's took me years to figure out what works on/with my hair and I still end up with a birds nest some days.

I've done CG and found it worked well but you do need to adjust the routine for your hair type. I didn't use lots of product and multiple products like some do as that doesn't suit my hair, I just used a tiny bit of extra conditioner as leave in (only sometimes) and then one product like gel or mousse. I also never managed to only wash weekly like some do and had to wash every 3 days approx. I did have such healthy hair and zero split ends through. It also takes a while for your hair to adjust and get maximum benefit (maybe a year?) and isn't going to change your hair type or curl type, just make it as healthy as it can be and therefore reduce frizz. It definitely doesn't work miracles overnight.

Then I had DC and decided to switch to shampoo rather than cowashing, just for ease. So now I use a shampoo (I try and find a gentle one without sulphate but currently just using a standard one) and conditioner and one styling product. Nothing expensive, at the moment I use the V05 curly mousse. I make sure all are silicone free. That I find gives the best result to effort ratio. Not using silicone makes a huge difference to how my hair looks a couple of days after washing, it looks passable now whereas when I was using silicone, it'd look like rats tails the next day!

What happens if you just add a little mousse or gel to wet hair, scrunch in and let it dry naturally OP?

Thing is, there’s different types of curl ( and it’s quite usual to have more than one curl pattern on one head). I used a few different products until I found something that works for me. There are actually a few forums on fb where you can sell on products you’ve bought and tried but found to be crap. I currently love aveda be curly range but that might not work for you.

I use a fine spray of water then coat it generously in curl cream then a gel ( confixor also aveda) Turn it upside down and squeeze it into clumps, squeeze the excess wet out, don’t rub it, then leave it. When it’s nearly dry I put some balm through it. Seems to last all day for me. But yes, I’d love to just brush it through and leave it, that’d be lovely.

Firstly you need sapphire free shampoo and wash out any product build up.

i waited 6 months not straightening my hair to let the curl reform.

I get a spiral cut - twice a year - find a curly hair dresser!!

I use boots own brand curl cream £2 a tub

Any sulphate free shampoo and conditioner.

Curly Jelly also works well.

I tried but find it’s such a faff. Probably if I tested loads of different products and practiced for ages, I could get it right. But in my experience, it still ends up frizzy or it looks greasy. And then it only is nice for one day (or half a day), then absolutely awful after that.

There is a transition period while you work out what works for your hair, I did mine during lockdown so not many people were about to see it, and those that were all had hair in need of haircuts too!

YABU. There are a lot of tutorials and techniques that are massively time consuming, but you don't need all those. I only wash my hair once a week and I don't refresh in the mornings either, I found that faffing with my hair only made it frizzy.

The best things I've done are stop using silicon and sulphate containing products, and sleeping with a satin bonnet on. Bonnets you can get for only a few quid on amazon, and hair products don't have to be expensive. I use 2 different conditioners and a very mild shampoo if my hair has a lot of buildup

Alberto Balsam Sunkissed Raspberry Conditioner 300ml - Boots £1 from boots

Hair Refine Shampoo | ALDI UK the blue bottle volume conditioner from aldi £1.20 a bottle

I spend more on a hair gel, if I don't use a hair gel onto sopping wet hair my curls go frizzy. I'm trying out a few different ones just now after my favorite was discontinued

YABU to say you have a massive afro unless you are of black origin.

It works for some, but not for me. It was just too much product. Mine does best with minimal handling or it goes frizzy. I use the John Frieda dream curls range and try to leave it a couple of days between washes. It generally looks best if it's just been rained on...

OP, have you read Lorraine Massey’s book, the Curly Girl Method? If you follow her method religiously, after a transition period of about a year, you will have beautiful curly hair that you were naturally meant to have. Frizz is a ‘curl waiting to happen’.

To see good results, you do have to stick with it for a long time. It gets worse before it gets better. Also, it’s more dependent on the technique than the products. So more expensive products don’t necessarily mean better results.

The basics are,

• wash your hair with silicone free conditioner, instead of shampoo (cowash)
• if you must clarify any build-up, do so with a surface free shampoo (low poo)
• at the start, to get rid of any remaining silicones, wash your hair with one last sulfate shampoo. After that, it’s only cowash or low poo wash.
• after washing your hair, apply the silicone free conditioner again and leave for a few minutes.
• then use the bowl method (google it, it’s very simple) to rinse it off. Squeeze excess water off.
• squish a little bit of curl cream into your hair. Too much will weigh your hair down.
• Plop your hair with a T-shirt. Don’t use a towel.
• after a few minutes, unplop and apply a little bit of hair gel (again, silicone free).
• let your hair air dry completely.
• if a cast forms, break it by scrunching your hair with a T-shirt.

I know it seems like a lot of work but take it from a curly-haired person who straightened her hair for two years with terrible results, it really is very simple.

Do you use a hair bonnet to sleep in? I find mine is okay when I wash it but as soon as I sleep the curls go flat.

I have wavy hair so looked into the relevant OC products. After some research I came to the conclusion that it’s a huge rip off and a massive faff.

I think what happens to a lot of people is, they don’t realise how long it takes to resurrect your hair from all the damage done by heat and silicones. So they give up before starting to see the results. It takes a hell of a lot of patience.

And it’s important to apply much less leave-in product than you think you should. 5p coin sized portions of curl cream is enough for shoulder length hair.

Lorraine’s book really is life changing. She makes so much sense.

I’ve done curly girl, now I do what suits me, shampoo occasionally, discovered my hair loves soft water sadly not an easy option where I live! Currently using Superdrug Avocado shampoo and conditioner, liked the L’Oréal tubs but have stepped away for a bit as they’re quite heavy I have fine hair which doesn’t like too much product. My go to product has been Cantu curl creme and umberto gianni gel, I end up going back to them. Also like the cantu shampoo. I have to avoid anything that pushes protein as it makes my hair frizz more. Most mornings to refresh I have to soak my hair, some days it behaves some days less so….trial and error, but the curly girl method at its basis is sound although shampoo and conditioners in general are better than when the method was first created (IMO). I find my hair is better now than when I was being militantly CG! 😁