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

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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

I'm not sure where she is, but quite possible West Coast USA. I wouldn't try to copy any of the routines but I do find the 'journeys' encouraging when just starting out. Seems to be a fan of Innersense. I've not properly looked because I have to do some work now. But knowing me I'll follow for a few days then ditch. I only follow 2 curly girls. I have a rule about keeping the number of people I follow to below 80. If I find a new IGer to follow someone else needs to go. My Innersense arrived this morning but just used same old for the wash routine just now.

She's taken hardly any off the length of the longest layers. She said she didn't need to as it's in good condition and it would help with the overall shape. And when I looked at the floor afterwards there was a lot less hair than I imaged. But it does feel shorter. I guess the curls could have bounced up more so it looks shorter? It's nice to have some framing around the face.

The shortest layers at the front were about 2 inches below my chin when she was combing it straight to cut it. But now they've bounced up they're just below chin height, which is perfect. And then the layers get longer until the longest at the back. Then there in the middle at the back that sit about an inch below the base of my skull. (Once a hairdresser butchered that layer and it was far too short and I could literally do nothing with it. Then I found my current hairdresser and she helped me grow the layers out but it took 2 years).

She said there's an approximate 2 inch difference from the shortest at the front to the middle of the back. She said we could go shorter and more extreme in the graduating, but suggested I go away with it like this and can have more off next time. I'm glad she said that. I think had I gone more extreme I might have looked like a pageboy/someone from the 1970s. The length isn't there at the back yet.

Booked in for a colour in 6 weeks and a cut in 12.

I think in the photo above Bo the hair has parted over the shoulder, so you can't see the longer bits which are down my back.

(I really am procrasting about working!).

Lovely bouncy curls, Pupsie.

I washed this morning with Acure Clarifying Conditioner (co wash) and then the Innersense Hydrating cream conditioner, which I like. It feels very light, almost like a low poo but that's probably a good contrast to the Cantu Leave In Conditioning Cream, which is much heavier. My hair seems to like the increase in protein but I'm doing it slowly. No photos, as it's been so rainy and just up in a loose, low bun.

Gah. Wasn't quite dry. But happy. And relieved that it was what I wanted cut and colour wise (roots only: you'd never know! She's a keeper) and it hasn't undone any progress.

I really like the style power domi has. Need to decide what to do with mine!

Have you ever had yours longer queen?

@Pupsiecola yes but not while doing CG. It's been sort of mid back length before

You can see how much longer it was! I think I had 6 inches off

Pic might help...

Wow. I never knew you wore it straight! Are you tempted to grow it? Looks fab how it is and I love a bob. But I think for lots of people they want to use this headstart on growing it as it's not been cut for so long.

Bo, I bought the apivita SPF and in all my eagerness to examine ingredients, hadn't read instructions. When got it home, I saw it is to be sprayed on damp or wet hair. Was in sun today so just sprayed it over my dry hair - it went a bit stiff. Had my hat on too though.
Let us know how you get on with your experiments.

By the way Bo, why were you asking about my hair length with straight? Curiosity or did you notice something with the curls?

Pupsie, I also find on now planning wash days around what type of exercise I am doing during the week.
Your new hair looks lovely! Happy you're pleased with it and your trusty hairdresser did a good job.

https://www.chemist.co.uk/calypso-sun-sea-hair-protection-100ml.html]]

Someone sent me the above just now. Looks too good to be true (price wise anyway!). Apparently it has UVA and UVB. Bo what were the INCIs for the two UVs. I remember one you mentioned for UVA but I can't see that there.

I was not prepared for queen with straight hair. I'm so used to the curls!

It does look a fair bit shorter than it was, or at least more curled upwards Pupsie, clever if she managed that without sacrificing too much length.

Sophie, no, purely self indulgent question on the length, I'm trying to figure out how long my hair would need to grow approximately before it actually appears a longer length (it seems perpetually stuck in short/on the shoulders) and how long that would then take. Debating on whether to take Biotin supplements or not.

Hmm, the calypso isn't really broad spectrum as the UVA protection is very small. As a beach product it's probably good but I wonder how that would be for day to day wear (seems to be an issue with all of them).

I have also been looking at Leonor Greyl Sérum de Soie Sublimateur. I've used it in the past and enjoyed it. No SPF rating on there but it does have a UVB filter in it. Probably just not a lot, not sure if hair needs a lot though. CG approved so potentially something for every day? I used it after shampooing, it was very light but gave good definition (it has silk proteins) and shine. It's a bit of an old cult product (back when cult products were still a thing for decades).

Sorry, Sophie, what INCIs are you asking after? The mimitika and something else?

Ignore the Leonor Greyl, I had an old INCI which still had a UVB filter in it, it no longer does. Back to the drawing board.

Yeah I see what you mean Bo. I've just stretched a back bit down and it is quite long still. This is today vs 6 weeks ago.

No I meant the INCIs on the link I sent Bo. The calypso sun hair protection as it is cheap ( £3.60 I think). I'm quite surprised one of the curly girl brands hasn't got a good UVA and UVB sun protector for the hair on the market.

I think hair seems to take ages to get past the shoulders. I'm lucky as think my hair grows quite quickly - as do my nails which is a bit annoying as manicures tend to grow out and leave a white bit of nail at the bottom before the rest of the nail varnish has chipped. Have you tried rice water rinses ? They say they are good for hair growth.

Yes your length looks the same Pupsie but the overall shape is a more curly hair one. I remember when I had my hair cut recently, she was snipping for ages but when I looked down at the floor, there was barely any hair there.

Ah what I meant with the INCIs was what ingredients indicate a UVA or UVB protection?
I remember avobezone is UVA but that's all.

Sophie, just run them through INCI decoder for the easiest option, it'll signpost them. When you hover over the 'i' in a circle you get the more common name as UV filters have really complicated names.

According to an online article (get the gloss or in the gloss, can't remember, the one that's UK based anyhow) the Vichy body SPF I have is good for hair and scalp too even if not marketed as such. I had been eyeing thinking I'd give it a try so I will see how it goes today as I'll wash it tonight/tomorrow anyhow. Think I might give it a trim this morning first.

Yeah, I know what you mean, feeling like it takes forever to go beyond the shoulders. My hair and nails grow v. quickly too. I think there's also the factor that with wavy hair it becomes more pronounced the longer it gets so is probably taking forever to show any substantial length for forever as it creeps up. My hair is just about bra strap length level now but I still feel stuck in Bob/Lob country. I'm hoping another 10-12cms would do it which would be a couple of months but I'm not that optimistic.

And, yes, why haven't CG brands jumped on it? maybe because healthy protected hair isn't all that much in their interests, their entire financial model is based on damaged hair. Probably more likely due to formulation, you either end up with an oil that's probably too heavy for most to use all over the hair or you need to use silicones and/or alcohol with a lot of the filters. Some filters that are best suited for this are even silicones and the US market (which most CG brands seem to be from) are limited to a narrow range of old fashioned UV filters. If I had any idea in what was needed to create a product I'd be investing in hair SPF for daily use development right now.

Thanks Bo. Interesting theory re the lack of CGF sun protectors. I'm surprised generally as I think there must be a good market for them and surely they must be able to come up with something.....

I also read that after wetting hair (before getting in sea/pool) you can put in LIC. I might try that next week when we go to an island. Will put on the sun spray as the final step. Not convinced that any of this will make a real difference though.... might need to do a major protein treatment when back to compensate for all the moisture from the LIC.

How can your hair be bra length yet bounce up to your shoulders??? It's doesn't look that curly.... and could it really grow 10-12cm
In a couple of months??!! Surely hair can't grow 5cm a month....? (I want the supplements you're taking )

Well the Vichy experiment is a fantastic fail I'm less confident about trying the mitika now.

My hair grows about 2.5 cm a month. I've snipped off a cm or so this morning so I think 5-6 months, hopefully it'll stop being so shoulder centred. I'm not sure why it comes across short. it doesn't curl up madly but I guess s-waves take up more horizontal space where coils go up at an angle?

What was wrong with the Vichy Bo?

Wow! And I thought my hair grew fast.... (although Ive never actually attempted to measure exactly how much it grows in a month). Yes, hadn't thought about waves taking up more horizontal space.

I've had to plan when I will wash my hair tomorrow in between other things I need to do. I want to diffuse as out tomorrow evening (and hair looks better when diffused) but diffusing really adds so much time to a wash. Debating on taking my diffuser with me next week when we're away (to attach to hairdryer in hotel) but decided that's a bit silly and I probably won't have time to diffuse anyway.

Wash day today. Time to try a new product I think. Think I'll try either the Pantene mousse or some Innersense. I'm assuming I mousse then gel, although I think some do it the other way.

Also going to try a new technique whilst applying product as my hair does get stuck up, especially at the back. I found it on a new IG account: welshiecurlgirl. Very informative posts.

Greasy and lanky Sophie although it looks pretty good today 🤷 could be the hair cut, I suppose, without intending too I snipped off more at the front so my layers are looking a whole lot better again.

Pupsie I double fist my foam I'll do a dollop through my roots then gel then foam all over. This was a self invention/discovery after I got so confused about my Franken routine and the foam featured twice as a result.

*You can also just use foam instead of gel, I need to try that with the Innersense still.