The Curly Girl Method

[sleepsforwimps]

I want to thank whoever it was that mentioned this method in a thread a while back. I googled it and have started the no-poo method, it has absolutely transformed my hair. So thankyou, thankyou, thankyou whoever you were.

i am gearing myself up for trying this too!
have bought products.
has anyone tried it with shorter hair?

Hi devilsadvocaat I have short layered hair and have no problems with the CG method.

I'm thinking of using this method on my daughters hair now, she has masses of lovely tight curls which is an absolute nightmare to wash, I mostly keep it plaited, as it is easier to manage, but I would love to find a way of showing off her glorious curls without having to worry about it getting matted and unmanagable.

I have short hair too and it's much better since using the CG method.

Am currently co-washing with OS mint and tea tree conditioner most days, with the occasional shampoo with one of the Naked ones. I'm using the Superdrug Coconut and Sweet Almond conditioner and getting on really well with it. I used to use the Fructis one but found that my scalp got really itchy...

Styling with some Boots pink Curl Creme and Umberto Gianni Curl Friends Gel. Then finishing with a little coconut oil.

I know that sounds like a lot of products but it's less than I was using before and my hair is so much better than when I was using Frizz Ease. And most of the products I use cost less than a pound....

The only thing is that I'm finding that I still have to wash my hair every day. All the curl is gone and it's just a flat frizzy mess. Anyone got any good tips for second day hair?

Pinkmarshmallow, have you tried posting on the curly girls forum? They seem to answer queries like yours really quickly.

Oh my. I am ridiculously excited at having found this thread.

Am going to go pooless and keep the towel on after moussing up.

i have ordered my turbie towel, have os mint condit, ug curl scrunch jelly and miracle moist to begin the process.

not starting straight away as i have some old shapoo and products to us up first.

Well I've been using Dr Organics tea tree and boots pink curl creme. I have found the 'plopping' to be the most vital bit though, it makes a huge difference to my hair.

Have skimmed through this thread with interested as a transplanted New Yorker with wavy-curly hair!

Sorry if I missed this in passing, but what about haircuts? Does anyone have recommendations for a decent curly hair stylist in London? I can't get anyone to cut my hair dry (or rather, have tried and had hair butchered more than once!)

Hi BorntoFolk I find that wetting my hair everyday in the shower activates the curls, if you know what I mean, I am down to once week co wash, with a comb through with conditioner mid week. Do you really need to use 3 products for styling your hair? have you tried eliminating one of them to see if it makes any difference? just a thought

For good second day hair, I've been spraying water on it with a spray bottle, scrunching and then leaving it to dry. Often requires a bit of pinning up, but so much better than before when ponytail was my only option!

Does anyone else not get on with plopping? I find that my hair is worse when I do and much better when I just leave it to dry a bit on its own then diffuse.

Oh, and when I go to the hairdresser now, I just take my own conditioner in with me and styling products. They haven't batted an eyelid. Where in London are you? I go to a great girl in Victoria Park.

I second the spray for 2nd day hair, and less product on it might help too.

ilove, if I don't plop my hair is very flat. I have sort of fine hair with ringletty curls, the plop gives it a bit of body. Diffusing works best for this, but then I get more frizz.

I don't want to use more product to lessen the frizz as that gives me the same problem as borntofolk.

How do you lot cope with crunchy hair when you leave it to dry?(doesn't seem to happen when I diffuse)

I don't get on with plopping either, it just seems to flatten my hair into strange shapes but it is quite short and dries quickly anyway.

I leave it to dry most of the way and then finish it off with the diffuser which gets rid of the crunch.

Thanks for the tips re second day hair. Will try spraying and see what that does. It's really bad the second day though so I think it does need a thorough wetting!

I think I do need three styling things. The gel is essential for hold but it's not very moisurising. And the curl creme gives no hold at all but I find my hair is more shiny and soft when I use it. I use a tiny bit of coconut oil on dry hair to get rid of any frizzy bits. I'll think about whether I can cut out something though...probably the curl creme I think.

For crunchy hair, I scrunch the hair with damp hands, works for me.

What other options are there instead of the Boots pink curl creme? I'm in France and Boots don't deliver here, so I'm trying to either get stuff locally (international brands) or use an online UK chemist that will post here (but they can't sell boots brand stuff)

what do you guys use for your weekly intesive treatment or do you just leave your conditioner in for an extra 10 mins?

ilovegreenbeans - who cuts your hair in victoria park, i am local & neeeeeeed someone who knows what they're doing....

hoxtonchick- I've been going to Greta at Idol Hair in VP Village for a couple years. She's fab. I think they're all pretty good there, but she's curly herself!

oooh thanks. will check her out.

googietheegg, I'm sure you have Body Shop in France? If so, then you can use Body Shop Cottonseed curl boost, approx £8, according to the british curlies website forum. Hope this helps.

hugebelly, I'm wondering the same as you... was in Boots today and they have lots of Naked range ones but they were over £7 per tub and I wasn't sure which one to go for, so I didn't get any.... I wonder what everyone else uses?

I don't do an intensive treatment, but mine isn't corkscrew curly, am I supposed to?

I don't do intensive either, but I do usually leave the conditioner in for a good 5 minutes everytime I condition, about twice a week. I have ringlets.

Thanks pinkmarshmallow, but we don't have a Body Shop near us...I'm hoping to find a list of branded stuff that I can either get here or order from an online chemist.

To everyone who's posted thank you! I visit MS v.sporadically due to manic work and 2 teens to contend with.
Today doing my bit for the community with a few posts on threads instead of my usual fast weekly lurk!

The cowash method (which I first learned about on a similar old thread here) has indeed transformed my curls from dry frizzy mess back to the shiny wringlets of my (now faraway) youth. I've received a few compliments and female colleagues actually asking what hair products I use!
Before your posts I was washing every other day with silicon curly hair products, suffering from an itchy scalp and despite masses of (yep! silicon laden) conditioner and mousse my hair felt like straw and curls went frizzy within 24 hours. Now have been co-washing and silicon free for 2+ months.
I think the key is not so much -not- shampooing but vanishing silicon completely and low frequency pooing with a gentle, low sulfate shampoo.

Using Naked shampoo for weekly wash (I tried going for 12 days on co-wash only but I like the feel of freshly shampooed hair so more than a week is a step too far for me at present!), then co-wash in between (every other day) with Garnier R&S conditioner, and using U.G.pink gel. I dont bother with plopping and find that using the gel on wet hair out of shower is best, then just wrapping hair in towel to remove excess water and leaving to dry naturally, sometimes just a quick blast of diffuser to set curls and with head upside down to give volume to roots. Voila!!

Tried OS Teatree/Pear conditioners (they were £1 at Boots so thought what the heck!) but they were not moisturising enough for my dry hair and Garnier works best for me. I am still using Naked shampoo every 8 days or so. Might try Aussie when it runs out.

Will keep an eye on thread as the links and info is fab for us curlies. Thanks again!

PS Frizzease is EvilEase for curls!

Hi SoyYO, I don't think Aussie is good for lo-poo iirc.
I can recommend Dr Organic if you want a change. I might try the Naked stuff, which one do you use, are they all cone free?