Curly girls!! Silicones ..

[secretgirl]

Hi.
I want to start looking after my naturally curly hair better. I feel it's gone downhill over the last few years and I keep seeing things on Facebook and online of curly girls going silicone free and their curls are so different and beautiful after following this method. Is it the curly girl method?
Can anyone recommend a website for a beginner or even outline for me what to do wxactly from start to finish as the amount of info out there is overwhelming and I don't know where to start with products etc.
Thanks everyone 😀👍🌷

watching with interest.

This is a good explanation of the Curly Girl method.

You don't need to break the bank with products - if you go into a Holland and Barrett you'll find co-washes and conditioners that work for the CG method.

Most importantly, get a good haircut, from someone who knows what they are doing! The current trend is a 4x year migration to Birmingham to see Matt James at Spring - I'm apparently not the only weirdo to travel from London - but there are others dotted around the country.

For styling products I use Trepadora (which is brilliant but costs its weight in gold) or DevaCurl. But there's an element of trial and error to discover what works for you.

Is it expensive? my hair is curly and it afros if i try to brush it or style it curly, and i hate it.

jill you should only brush through with fingers/an afro pick when wet, with conditioner in - sounds like we have similar hair.

Have heard great things about silicone free for curly hair. However, it didn't work for me. My curls turned into a fuzzy, frizzy, dry looking mess. I obviously need silicones to keep my hair in check

could someone do a list of easy to find stuff to buy and tell me what to do with it. I tried the no shampoo thing before and ended up looking like i'd done a long shift in a chip shop!

If you are on Facebook search for the Curly girls page. Send a request to join & they have a HUGE amount of information on there with loads of files of products & photos.

EggsEleven Same here, not sure if it really made much difference to be honest.

I need silicones too.

The mistake a lot of people make is to use silicone based products to condition the hair, which doesn't work. I use shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.

Silicone based products are great for finishing /styling though as they keep humidity at bay and help avoid frizz.

The brand I generally go for is shea moisture, fairly cheap (compared to brands like devacurl - which is also great if you can afford it) and it's now stocked in boots. The coconut and hibiscus curl enhancing smoothie is my absolute favourite product, leaves my curls super soft and defined, and it smells wonderful.

I also recommend seeing Matt James at spring in Birmingham. His salon is literally the only salon in the UK I trust with my hair.

Silicones aren't all that bad, some can build up on your hair and weigh your curls down which might stretch them out. My curls are pretty tight so that's not a problem for me.

If you get too much product build up you just need to have a good clarifying wash with a sulfate based shampoo and then follow up with a deep conditioning treatment. Don't use sulfates regularly though as they dry your hair terribly. I clarify about once every 2-3 week, in between I co-wash.

This is a good article explaining what you can use and what to avoid. www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/kinky-hair-type-4a/silicones-good-bad-the-ugly/

I second Shea Moisture curl enhancing smoothie!

I use it on 2nd/3rd day hair and it's great for putting spring back into curls and taming frizz

Or in London, Unruly Curls in Shepherd's Bush for a lovely haircut

I bought the Lorraine Massey (DevaCurl salon/products owner) which was really useful and highlighted that there is no one size fits all solution for great curls - different curl patterns need different products and even different washng/drying techniques.

I agree that a good cut that enhances your individual curl pattern is really important. The book helped me understand a few key points on cutting that I was able to discuss with my hairdresser. We tried a few different styles and eventually hit on the right one for me.

That should read - I bought the Lorraine Massey book:

www.amazon.co.uk/Curly-Girl-Handbook-Lorraine-Massey/dp/076115678X?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Thanks for all the replies. A lot of info to get through 😀. For those who found a difference doing the no cones, sulphates etc, how long did you give it?