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Original poster

Anyone else starting curly girl method during lockdown?

246 replies

MoonBabysMagicalKalimba · 17/04/2020 13:38

I started a few days ago, I figured if my hair looks crap at least no one has to see it. Got all my products, all silicone and sulphate free, and a silk bonnet to sleep in. Curls are looking ok but quite rats tail like. There’s still a little bit of frizz too.

I’m an every day hair washer, currently trying to get my hair to adapt to every other day but the on the second day it definitely looks greasy and limp. Very glad I don’t have to go anywhere or look presentable!

Is anyone else giving this a go, or done it in the past? How long does it take for the lovely curls to appear and stop looking like I’ve been dragged backwards through a hedge?!

OP posts:
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Aaaahhhndrea · 17/04/2020 13:47

I'm embracing my curls but not strictly CG. I had stocked up on old products and I don't want to buy new ones until they run out.

I used to wash my hair every 2 days religiously, could have one day of nice hair and one day of bun hair.

I am scrunching and leaving to air dry and my curls are actually quite good. My problem is the crown of my head. The curls are lovely by day 3/4 but the crown is soooo greasy. I'm hoping it's product related but can't justify buying new.

Original poster
MoonBabysMagicalKalimba · 17/04/2020 15:57

@Aaaahhhndrea that’s encouraging that you went from every other day to every 3-4 days! At the moment that seems impossible to me, I’m on day 2 and my hair is rank. But I’ll persevere.

OP posts:
LooQoo · 17/04/2020 16:04

I’ve got curly hair, it’s also quite dry. I only wash it twice a week. I was told years ago, by a hairdresser, to stop washing every day as it strips out the natural oils. The first day after a wash it is really frizzy, day 2 and 3 are much better. Persevere with less washing!

Aaaahhhndrea · 17/04/2020 16:56

Definitely seems to be a worse before it gets better thing!

Original poster
MoonBabysMagicalKalimba · 19/04/2020 17:26

Urrrgh it’s just not working for me. I think it’s the hair gel, it makes my hair feel sticky, greasy and disgusting. My hair is really fine so I don’t usually use any products as they just weigh it down.

Is the gel compulsory? Is there a lightweight alternative that would suit very fine hair?

OP posts:
Finchbon · 19/04/2020 17:38

Lube from what I've read! If you are struggling to break the cast and get rid of the gel then you need a pea size amount to help break the gel down. Personally I'm a mousse girl rather than gel....
I'm sure you've read blogs galore but this is the girl I've tended to read curlycailin.ie/curly-girl-techniques/

justtakeatowel · 19/04/2020 22:27

I'm attempting it but waiting for products. My hair is a nightmare, I feel 10 years older curly and really ugly!

AudaCityLimits · 19/04/2020 22:32

It's not going well for me either. Ends are okay but the roots are just manky. Haven't used shampoo in about a fortnight, but tbh my curls aren't looking amazing either...

roses2 · 19/04/2020 22:52

I started just before lock down. I normally wash every 3 days and then towel dry. I tried going shampoo free but my hair felt so dirty, greasy and itchy I gave in and use shampoo. Now I just leave my hair to drop dry, apply leave in conditioner and the curls are definitely nicer and less frizzy than before.

PickAChew · 19/04/2020 23:16

With fine hair you're probably better off with mousse. A lot of them are broadly curly girl friendly.

Don't ask for the low down from me, though. I have coarse, fuse wire hair.

PickAChew · 19/04/2020 23:19

And if roots are greasy, use a sulphate free shampoo or cleanser. No poo/co-washdoesn't work for everyone, particularly a lot of Caucasian hair. It's become apparent that it causes scalp problems for a lot of people, in the long run, too.

LandOfAThousandJumpers · 19/04/2020 23:25

I tried for about 5 days (wavy, fine hair). Our shower broke and for some reason the thought of both bathing and not washing my hair was too much.

I had been co-washing and was finding it was alright for most of the day then quite greasy by evening.

When I finally cracked, the squeaky clean feel I normally love did suddenly feel a bit harsh.

I’m going to look for some sulphate free shampoo instead and try that. Or does that still count?

maybegreyhound · 19/04/2020 23:40

I've been doing CG for a couple of years now.
It takes time to find the right products.
I use Superdrug extracts or Aldi apple conditioner for co washing.
Styling products I use are shockwaves mousse then a bit of gel on wet hair and leave to dry
Mine needs washing once a week now but it took a while to get there.

Cantu products are good although not all are strictly CG. I do use the shampoo after I've coloured my hair as a cleanse before going back to the above products

RosesandIris · 20/04/2020 05:16

I have never heard of CH. I have naturally curly hair which I’ve been blow drying for years. The other day I thought I would be daring and leave my hair to dry naturally. It looked beyond awful. Doesn’t help that it hasn’t been cut for ten weeks. I read the CG link above but honestly couldn’t understand what she’s talking about. Can someone boil it down for me? I would really love to stop blow drying and go au naturel

Mumof1I · 20/04/2020 06:34

Highly recommend Cantu shampoo and conditioner and the curl custard. Its lighter than gel. Smells amazing

Pugsley87 · 20/04/2020 06:57

I've been doing CGM for 2 years now and it gets better! For the first month I really had to wash every day/2 days but now do it on day 4/5.

You really need either a mouse or a gel to 'hold' the curl but not all products agree with your hair (delightful trial and error!)

I find the Boots own brand purple gel perfect: Shockwaves left me with a sticky mess and mouse was horrific.

Keep going because it's sooo worth it. Utter game changer for me

Original poster
MoonBabysMagicalKalimba · 20/04/2020 14:18

I’ve ordered some mousse so will give that a try. Gel is just way too heavy for my hair. I felt like Ross Geller.

At the moment I’m doing a sulphate free shampoo wash every other day, alternating with a co wash. I’m using the As I Am co wash. My hair definitely feels sticky on the co wash days, but I’ll persevere!

OP posts:
Juicyfrooty · 20/04/2020 15:10

I've been trying since lockdown too, I've tried a few times over the years and always give up.

My hair is a complete mess, I'm going to persevere a bit longer though. It seems to be making my hair feel drier and coarser if anything

tiredanddangerous · 20/04/2020 15:23

I’ve been doing it for years and it does get better! It takes time to figure out what works for your hair. You’ll need to try some different conditioners and products until you find what works for you. I would start off with the cheaper ones...the conditioner I use as a leave in costs 80p in sainsburys and I use a gel which is about £6 for a massive tub. I will say that an intensive conditioner is essential for getting extra moisture into your hair.

Hair product isn’t compulsory btw. I know of a couple of curlies who just use leave in conditioner. It’s mostly about having the patience to experiment!

PerditaDreamsofFairHorses · 20/04/2020 15:48

I do it and have very fine and 2 b/c hair. I use Johnson's baby Top-to-toe every wash and I use conditioner but I don't leave it in, it's too much for my hair, and that seems to be true for lots of wavies (there's a FB group for wavies although it is a bit of a wormhole). I get by far my best results with gel, but I tip my head upside in the shower and put it through the ends when my hair is still soaking wet. If I use it at any other point, it goes horrible. I never had a transition phase, but it has got curlier as I go on.

ClientQ · 20/04/2020 19:35

I've been CG for a few years but it's still a work in progress! Massive difference from how my hair used to be

RoseyPeas · 20/04/2020 19:52

I'm doing this - using Cantu mousse and scrunch drying with a diffuser.gives me lovely curls.
But...
What do people do to style it in between washes? My curls don't stay in if I comb at all, even finger combing.

Should I put mousse in every day and scrunch dry?

justtakeatowel · 22/04/2020 08:10

Yesterday I managed a cast and scrunched out. I looked like a scarecrow but better than the day before, however today it's awful. There's no way I'd be able to go out and my front bit is too short to pin back successfully (it's below my nose but gone very strange). Do I wash it again? Finding this all a bit stressful to be honest.

Original poster
MoonBabysMagicalKalimba · 22/04/2020 12:15

@justtakeatowel what did you use for the cast? I’ve had awful results with gel, I don’t think it works with my hair. I’m getting some mousse today so I’m hoping I’ll have better results with that.

Last night I got fed up and straightened my hair. It looks nicer than it has in weeks!

OP posts:
justtakeatowel · 22/04/2020 18:19

@MoonBabysMagicalKalimba I used cantu custard and then cantu curl activator but today it's like rats tails.

I found out that the conditioner I was using isn't approved, not helped by the lockdown situation that I've not got any. I bought the cantu stuff from amazon. It's so hard to persevere when you look like shit Confused