➿ Fantastic Haircare: Making Sense and Science of the Curly Girl Method

[botemp]

Offshoot from the Fantastic Skincare threads to document the trials and tribulations in order to make sense and science of the curly girl method. We don't necessarily follow it to the letter and are even critical of it in places. Nor are we especially knowledgeable at this point but we're learning as we go. Feel free to join in (especially if you have superior knowledge) as we attempt to approach this with an interest in ingredients and try to not buy everything that promises us magical things…

Useful blogs:

Curly Cailín
Science-y Hair Blog

@botemp yes same gel, and yes no preservatives. It's ok in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for 6 months

In the freezer? I assume you portion it up and then defrost a chunk as freezing and defrosting and then freezing again seems a bad idea.

Yes, ice cube trays seem best

Yes I see what you mean about the curls Quirky. They are a bit larger - some look a bit wave-y. Reminds me a bit of Bo's waves.

Your hair is just getting curlier and curlier Pupsie. Huge difference from the before photo. Is your DH liking it? And what did the denman paddle brush do that made such a difference compared to another type of brush?

Yes much more volume Bo. It looks good! Did you use a diffuser or air dry? I used a diffuser today and didn't part it when wet (which sometimes do as it goes all over the place otherwise) and had a lot more volume (but had to sort the short front curls out when dry).

I think I will get the apivita sun spray Bo. I was looking for something more for the beach and pool rather than to wear daily (but perhaps I should be wearing something daily.... hhmmm).

Nice waves Outtheforest. Your hair looks so good - like you just had it styled that way at the salon!

Lovely curls Queen. I'm also realising that I constantly have to give my hair protein (which is annoying as it's easier to give hair moisture I feel).

Had a mammoth hair session today: chelating wash, the olaplex and then a deep conditioner with a spoonful of aphogee mixed in (couldn't face the rice faff today) and then diffusing. Hair looking lovely but... tomorrow we're Going to the beach so a bit of a waste really

Oh how long have you been doing the CG method Queen?

Here's a photo of back today - I think the olaplex and protein helped. I'm pleased i'm
making progress - even if it's slow, I can see a difference. (I'm still using a very simple
Routine wit the same products).

About 4 years I think

I was only using a wide toothed comb before Sophie. It was quite ouchy when trying to detangle and I'd lose some hair no matter how gentle I was. With the paddle brush I hardly lost any and it was much quicker and less painful. I don't usually comb product through (I've tried it with the comb a couple of times) but I used the denham to brush the leave ins through before squishing and I feel I got a much better coating due to the density of the teeth but they are also soft and an a cushioned bed so it all felt very easy and beneficial.

Bo I thought you'd been doing this longer hence the question re RPing.

PS everyone's hair looking fab!!

Sophie how often do you go to the beach/pool?

No wonder your hair always looks so fab Queen. Would you say it's reached it's full curl potential? (Just read curly Cailin who decided after 3 years she has reached this stage). Any top tips/ game changers for us lot who are all starting out now?

Hi Pupsie, Good you found something that works for you. I also brush through my leave-in (with denman brush - not the paddle one) but don't brush in gel. Not using a curl definer at the moment so not sure if I would brush that or not (probably not though). My hair doest get v tangly but perhaps I should get for DD (the one with straight hair) as she always sounds like she is tearing most of her hair out when she brushes it (that's really not funny as all though - need to have words with her).

Re beach/pool - We live about 30 mins/40 mins drive from the beach. Going to today and last time we went was last weekend - generally try to avoid weekends though. DCs finished school end of June but I had an exam on Friday so I spent all last week studying. Now I'm free! - hence the beach day. I will also take them all to an island next week so that's beach every day.
Pool - I don't like going in and very rarely put my hair in. DCs in every day I think!

I don't think it quite has yet! Experiment I guess is the main tip, with changes like trying products on soaking wet hair, or damp hair. Mousse after gel and vice versa and see what works. Don't be scared to use more product as well, I am VERY generous with product. And my hair isn't a massive leave in conditioner fan so I don't use much of that

Lots of lovely curls and waves. If I air dry my hair, I definitely have more curl pattern variety and some of my hair at the sides is more wavy. If I diffuse, it is curlier all over, but tends to fluff up, I don't know if that's a protein/moisture balance.

The Manes by Mell video on porosity was very helpful, saying that hairdressers grade hair porosity more to do with its condition. So, I reckon I'm about mid porosity but have a lot of hair, so it takes up lots of product (depending on the product). There is so much more information on curly hair than when I started the CGM. Also, my hair has changed, thanks to stopping the dye and hormonal changes. What used to work, does not so much.

Pupsie, I always used to use a good clarifying/chelating shampoo after each dye and then continue on with cg friendly products. I was warned by my hairdresser not to wash too quickly after as it can compromise the colour.

I agree Sophie. I would only brush through leave in, nothing else. Congratulations on finishing your exams!

Quirky yes I will probably not wash the same day. I suspect I will clarify tomorrow, so pre cut and colour. Thinking I shouldn't put leave in in before a colour?

Hadn't thought to clarify after. I'll probably do a normal wash the day after and the Olaplex. Will be tempting to wash the same day tbh. She would probably diffuse it if I asked her to and I sort of want her to see it dry so that she can make any adjustments but I don't think this will work.

So I will probably take my leave in with me and ask her to comb that through. Drive the 20 minutes home and apply some gel and see what happens.

Also, I always book my next appointment whilst there and that will be especially important as she'll be so booked up. I think I'll make one for 6 weeks for colour (usually 5) and 12 weeks for cut (usually 10).

The boys are having cuts tomorrow, with a barber in our nearest (small) city. Can't believe it, before me!! DS1 has straightish hair and usually has a short back and sides with a fringe just above his eyebrows. DS2 has a lot of hair and it's quite thick and wavy. DH did a buzz cut on him about a month ago as in the heatwave he got so hot (and especially with his gaming headphones on of an evening) but it's a good length now for a tidy.

I thought colouring always had to be done on dirty hair?

Your hair looks great Sophie how long is it when not curly? I'm air drying at the moment (because, lazy). I'll repeat the last wash day work a diffuser, probably tonight to see if there's any difference. Been clearing out lots of clutter and moving around heavy furniture the last few days and my hair isn't feel all that fresh.

WRT SPF, yes I think I'll get something for super sunny days and pool/beach, may send for the ultrasun as that's without fragrance. I think I'll just have to rely on a hat for protection on other days.

I've never had my hair coloured dirty Bo. I usually wash it the day before. Don't usually necessary clarify but then I've never used this many products before.

It's what I've always been told by hairdressers when booking in colour. I think it's to protect your scalp, maybe something to do with application too?

Yes I remember the photo of you being very generous with product Queen!

I diffuse on the lowest heat setting Quirky and do the pixie method which is supposed to reduce frizz. As soon as I think my hair might be frizzing (as it starts to get drier), then I tend to stop - maybe until about 70% dry? I think diffusing can cause more frizz than air drying.

Thank you Pupsie

I think they just say no colouring on freshly washed hair Bo because it can irritate the scalp a bit (I believe - because once I had hair coloured on freshly washed hair and it stung). Last time I clarified after the colour to wash it out (but with a sulphate free clarifying shampoo) and then did olaplex.

Hhmm not sure how long hair is Bo as never wear it dry and straight - pulling the curls down now - maybe 3 or 4 cm longer. Weirdly I find that the back bits at bottom are now more ringlet-y when they air dry.

Never been told that re colouring. Maybe it only applies if you're having bleach/highlights etc?

For me it wasn't bleach or highlights. And it stung a bit and she asked if I'd washed my hair that morning and I said yes (I was clueless about hair colour and didn't know that was a no no)

Interesting. As I said I wash it the day before usually as I had always washed it every day or every other day.

I think I said before that once I had done an Elasticizer treatment a week or so before and the colour was odd. Parts were very red. I had to go back and have it redone. Since then I usually clarify the week before.

Pupsie, how did your appointment go?

I was in Belgium yesterday and sniffed every French hair SPF in a pharmacy and disliked them all. Sigh. Was about to order the Ultrasun but that has fragrance too, must have missed that previously.

Did get something of potential interest in my inbox this morning. Mimitika sun body oil SPF30/50. The INCI is CG approved, it has a good selection of next generation UVA and UVB filters. Does have fragrance, ugh, but I've smelt the mimitika stuff before and it wasn't horrifically off putting in my memory. It's a dry oil (not actually marketed towards hair) so I think it could maybe work, or at the very least for sun/beach days as it's also water resistant. I think there's a shop locally that sells it, &other stories shops may have had it too at some point. I'll report back if I can try it in person. On paper it's comparable to the Clarins, going by the INCI, but about 2/3 the price and better filters.

Good thanks Bo. Just got home. She absolutely agreed with everything I asked for/didn't want and knew why. I showed her a pic of Powerdomi re the shape and she agreed with that too.

Just about to Olaplex and style. I'll post a picture later.

I found another IG account to follow:

instagram.com/desertcurlsstudio?igshid=1bdsmadhnrllz

They had me at "after gym refresh".

I ran on Saturday and didn't wash my hair after. OMG it was so itchy in bed that night that it kept me awake for over an hour. Won't be doing that again! Need to plan my one or two runs a week. I don't get anywhere near as sweaty lifting weights so that should be okay. We've got a CrossFit style Assault bike coming today. I'll have to factor that in to hairwash days: meant to be brutal.

Half dried with diffuser. Looking promising. But often the cast doesn't hold. Wonder if it will now it's bad a decent chop.

Hmm, 'desert curls' would put me off, it's the complete opposite climate to here. I'm assuming she's in a dessert climate by the name, I don't Insta.

I'm very scared by anything with the word assault in it 😬

Looks like you had quite a bit cut off, Pupsie, how much approximately?