anyone want to join me in trying the curly girl method?

[lilystem]

After yet another disastrous haircut where I ended up with the shortest hair ever despite asking for a chin length bob (how difficult is it as a hairdresser to realise that curls BOUNCE!) I ordered the curly girl handbook last week.

I bought the body shop sulphate free shampoo (I'm a farmer and get pretty dirty so wasn't totally convinced by co - washing) and conditioner. Day 1 on Friday I was soooo impressed with my curls! They'll look even better when they've grown again.

I've read that the hair improves over time so I'm quite excited by this.

Got a bit carried away on amazon and ordered a fair amount of devacurl products too.

Anyone want to join me?

Hello.
I'm keen, I have long very frizzy curly hair and am getting to the end of my tether with it. I keep reading snippets about curly girl, but where do I find out about it properly?

Also I've just bought a load of frizz ease stuff and don't want to waste it - but perhaps I should just get rid and move on as whilst it's better than other stuff I've tied, it doesn't really work.

Is the shampoo etc you need to buy very expensive?

Sorry for all the questions, probably not quite what you were hoping for!

I've been doing this for a little while now, but just bought one range of products and have stuck with them. It didn't make much difference to my hair to begin with, but it's a lot more under control now (should change my username really!). I would love to try more products and share experiences though.

I think you're supposed to work out which kind of curls you have and exactly which sorts if products are best for your hair, but I haven't done all that really.

I currently use the Tresemme silicone-free conditioner, Naked leave-in conditioner when needed and Boots pink curl creme (99p a pot and brilliant stuff!).

I've been reading snippets of it too, where can I read about it although it's not for me it's for my dd, I bought the body shop shampoo and conditioner last week and so far I'm impressed with it, even better that body shop had 40% off everything

Mine is wavy rather than curly, I stick to silicone free conditioners and largely sulphate free shampoos which gives my hair great condition, it's still a bit fluffy though but I have tried so many curly styling products and none of them has made the slightest bit of difference.

I've been wanting to do it but I've resorted to straightening with one gentler than Brazilian.
However, have still bought thingy-free conditioner from body shop (rainforest one recommended) and special towel. The towel is excellent! Microfibre. About £10 from amazon. Worth buying as makes hair less frizzy.
Wish my hair would be naturally curly but not flipping flat on the top.

My new mission is to veg. dye it redder than it naturally is.

Doitnow - I am by no means an expert, but there's a website called British Curlies which has lots of information - can't link at the moment. The products can be quite expensive, but the ones I listed above were pretty much the cheapest options I could find. They're certainly cheaper than FrizzEase!

They can be more difficult to come by - I can't just buy conditioner (don't use shampoo any more) in the supermarket. However, Boots often stock my ones, or I order online. But really worth doing!

Can we put photos on mn? Might be nice to see before, after and middle shots, pics of products, etc.

Oh lovely. Will have a look at that website and investigate the shampoo/conditioners.
Bit if a manic week next week but will try and get started.
Thanks all

What I'd add is that before you start the routine you need to remove all the silicone from your hair that has built up, so get a claifiying shampoo. If you don't what i've found is the residue of all those products means you're not really starting from being clean so any days when you want to skip shampoo and just co-wash (i only shampoo x1-2 wk now) won't work as your hair will still be full of gunk.

The Curly Girl Handbook is really worth a read. I saw a hairdresser who was trained by the author of that book and he really understood curly hair. Cut it dry, told me to not use sulphates or silicones ( recommended Bodyshop and Devacurl ). My hair is definitely in better condition, less fluffy/ frizzy and better curls. He also told me to ditch the Frizz ease... It's like coating your hair in plastic, may look shiny but over time it builds up and created a barrier so that your hair can't absorb moisture.

I downloaded what I thought was the curly girl handbook to my kindle but it wasn't

I've been doing the Curly Girl method for a few years now and it has transformed my hair. I often get compliments from strangers and I used to have a barnet of straw

It's not just a case of using silicone free products though. If you can work out your curl type and the texture it helps to narrow down the products that might work for you. Even then there is a lot of trial and error involved.

My hair is course, corkicelli curls but cut short at the moment.
My routine is to wash with Tresemme naturals and condition with the same.
While its still from the shower wet I scrunch the curls back in, then scrunch Naked little miracle leave in conditioner in. Blot with an old t shirt and scrunch in a 50/50 mix of Umberto Gianni Curl gel and Kinky-Curly Curling Custard. Lots of Gentle scrunching! Dry with a diffuser using the highest heat lowest speed.

It has taken me ages and £££ to find what works. Read as much as you can,the forums at curlygirl.com are a mine of info and also have loads of before and after photos to peruse. A good hairdresser who really understands curly hair is also essential.

Glasses, thank you for your tips!
I use a Microfibre towel to blot all water from my hair once washed, Body Shop's rainforest shampoo (although shampoo / poo is veritably discouraged) and their conditioner (the really rich one in a short, cylindrical tub).

I find the biggest problem is the second day, I can get mine looking good the day it is washed, but the next day I wake up and it is all scraggy, knotted and matted underneath. I only wash every third day, so the second and third days I have to comb it all, which does make it lose all the curl definition. I cannot be doing with wetting it every day, takes far too long to dry.

I've got myself all confused. I've bought the body shop rainforest stuff. The shampoo is silicone and sulphate free but the conditioner is silicone free but it has sulphates in it. Is that a problem?

Also, I've worked out my curl type (thank you for the website suggestion up thread) and should be using leave in conditioner. I can't seem to find the naked one that curltfrizzball refers to earlier. Do you remember where you got it from. Didn't even seem to be on Boots online.

Sorry for all the questions. I'm going to give away my frizz ease - no time like the present to start!!

Doit what curl type are you? I've not been using a leave in in dd hair but I don't think she needs it as her hair goes quite limp

Thank you for all the replies - nice to know there's so many of us! Sorry I disappeared - just found out there could be another reason for my newly shiny swishy hair - DC2 is due in Oct! Also had a really nasty vomiting bug. Not glamourous at all.

Doitnow - I'd started using the body shop rainforest one too and didn't realise it had sulphate in the conditioner. Would be interested to know if that works.

Good tip about a clarifying shampoo - think I need to try tnat.

Whoknows - I also really struggle with day 2 hair. I even bought a silk pillowcase which although is lovely to sleep on, does nothing to stop me looking like I've been pulled through a hedge backwards and forwards and backwards again. I normally just scrape it back but due to said awful haircut it's now too short so I'm having to wash every day.

Have just got the full size Devacurl products for my curly daughter having tried the sample set. Hair looks great when just washed but does get matted at the back overnight, which I just leave. Any tips appreciated.

Added complication is that she has learning difficulties and hates her hair being combed. I wash it and comb it properly about once a week. It definitely feels softer with the Devacurl but does look slightly more greasy. Hoping it improves in a few weeks.

Just a question. Anyone here washes hair every day? I have wavy hair, and very very very thick. I only wash my hair one or twice a week at it takes hours to dry. What drying method do you all use? I have been using the hair plopping method with a t-shirt and it does work well, but my hair can take all day to dry! I have tried the no shampoo method but didn't fit my thick hair, now I use no sulphate shampoo and conditioner, the naked one from boots. My hair is so much better than when I was using normal shampoo it's amazing.

Vjg do you have a tangle teezer?

I've just started a new routine on my dd I bought the bodyshop rainforest shampoo and conditioner and combed it through then rinsed, then done the plopping method then again combed through this morning I spritzed it with water and the comb went through no problem and usually it's a tangled mess!!

And tonight I never washed just rinsed and plopped and again the comb went through no probs

Skivvy I'm a 2c or a 3a so on the wavy/curvy border. It's also very long (well, half way down my back) and porous and course and dense - it's HUGE!

I've been fighting the curl for over 20 years and have decided that I just need to embrace the curl now as I have 2 little ones and no time to straighten it and am fed up with wearing it up all the time.

I'd forgotten about the clarifying shampoo tip - will have a look for that tomorrow.

Am getting quite excited about this all now!

Skivvywoman, we have tried tangle tweezers, tangle tamers, mason Pearson and just bought a wet brush which seems good! Haven't tried the plopping thing yet, we just use a microfibre turban.

Marking my very frizzy place to pop back when I have more time

Plopping is fsb! I have huge hair but works well. Take a look on youtube for a demo, but I co wash, comb thru with heaps of conditioner and rinse. Then squeeze excess water before applying loads of moisturiser. ..usually a bit of coconut oil and then plenty of hair lotion. Tip head upside down on large t-shirt ( draped over loo seat!) And wrap up. My hair is still soaking come morning but most folks are dry after a few hours. GIves really good definition to curls and day 2 I plop again with hair dry. Day 3 usually needs washing again as it gets a bit wild by then!

Sorry for typos....!