Who follows the Curly Girl method? Have questions

[matrips]

I started trying to follow the curly girl method about 7 weeks ago. I use a sulfate free cleansing conditioner, and then deva curl cream. I stopped brushing. my hair, but I do comb it. I don't wet my hair and apply more conditioner or cream aside from the days I wash it, which is much less than it was with regular shampoo.

 

So my questions since I was just re-reading some curly girl stuff, and I think I am doing some things wrong.

Should I be using several conditioners on the day I wash it? I use only the one, scrub my scalp and lather my hair and rinse. That's it. Should I be doing another step?

Should I be wetting my hair each day or applying a leave on conditioner?

Do you never dry comb or finger comb your hair? How do you take care of it? That's why I'm wondering if I should be at least rinsing it each day so I can comb it.

Which products do you use and like? What do you like each one for?

My hair is not that soft and silky. In fact, it irritates my neck some. Hence my question about applying more conditioners or leave in ones.

 

I really want just wavy hair instead of curly, kinky looking hair. Is there anything I can use that would smooth it out more? ( not a flat iron though). Or is that more of a dream? I used to have very straight hair; this curly stuff is since kids. And I'm finally trying to deal with the huge mess (I have super thick hair that will bellow out and frizz up).

[shawthorne44]

I started trying to follow the curly girl method about 7 weeks ago. I use a sulfate free cleansing conditioner, and then deva curl cream. I stopped brushing. my hair, but I do comb it. I don't wet my hair and apply more conditioner or cream aside from the days I wash it, which is much less than it was with regular shampoo.

 

So my questions since I was just re-reading some curly girl stuff, and I think I am doing some things wrong.

Should I be using several conditioners on the day I wash it? I use only the one, scrub my scalp and lather my hair and rinse. That's it. Should I be doing another step?

Should I be wetting my hair each day or applying a leave on conditioner?

Do you never dry comb or finger comb your hair? How do you take care of it? That's why I'm wondering if I should be at least rinsing it each day so I can comb it.

Which products do you use and like? What do you like each one for?

My hair is not that soft and silky. In fact, it irritates my neck some. Hence my question about applying more conditioners or leave in ones.

 

I really want just wavy hair instead of curly, kinky looking hair. Is there anything I can use that would smooth it out more? ( not a flat iron though). Or is that more of a dream? I used to have very straight hair; this curly stuff is since kids. And I'm finally trying to deal with the huge mess (I have super thick hair that will bellow out and frizz up).

 

This is what I do.  My hair is more wavy than curly.  

 

I have the DevaCurl products.  

 

When I shower, I first give my hair a really really good rinse.  I let the water get to the scalp everywhere.  My hair is also long.  Then I put in some No-Poo.  I believe that is a really a light conditioner.  I mush that around in the scalp area, and then rinse.  Then I turn off the water, and sit down in the bath and use the DevaCurl conditioner and a wide tooth comb and I comb my hair using lots of conditioner.  I believe that you aren't supposed to comb your hair, but I don't understand how that works.  I have to comb mine.  Once my hair is combed and every hair has conditioner all over it, I rinse.  Then I lean over with my hair over my head, and I add more conditioner, mostly to the ends and I leave it.  

If I am feeling industrious, i.e. once a month, I will apply the gel stuff and wrap my hair in giant bendy rods.  I probably give my hair a wash.condition once a week.  

 

I know there is an older thread on the Curly Girl method.  I left here once to google something related to curly girl, and the first hit brought me back here.  

[redsquirrel]

I don't have much advice to give you except to tell you that you are not alone with having to deal with new hair. My formerly silky straight hair is a crazy curly mop since my second kid. It didn't happen all at once, but now I have family and old friends asking my if I have started perming my hair.

 

It is a big learning process and the sad fact is that curly hair is a lot harder than straight hair. I don't find that things go the same way twice with mine.

 

Today someone compared me to Merida from 'Brave'.  :blushing:  I wish it looked that good. :lol:

 

and I have given up on trying for wavy and have embraced the curl. Much less frizz

[matrips]

and I have given up on trying for wavy and have embraced the curl. Much less frizz

I live in Florida. Frizz is here to stay so I'm trying to combat it the best I can :)

See I thought wavy would help keep my hair down better than curly. Hmm.

[matrips]

This is what I do. My hair is more wavy than curly.

 

I have the DevaCurl products.

 

When I shower, I first give my hair a really really good rinse. I let the water get to the scalp everywhere. My hair is also long. Then I put in some No-Poo. I believe that is a really a light conditioner. I mush that around in the scalp area, and then rinse. Then I turn off the water, and sit down in the bath and use the DevaCurl conditioner and a wide tooth comb and I comb my hair using lots of conditioner. I believe that you aren't supposed to comb your hair, but I don't understand how that works. I have to comb mine. Once my hair is combed and every hair has conditioner all over it, I rinse. Then I lean over with my hair over my head, and I add more conditioner, mostly to the ends and I leave it.

If I am feeling industrious, i.e. once a month, I will apply the gel stuff and wrap my hair in giant bendy rods. I probably give my hair a wash.condition once a week.

 

I know there is an older thread on the Curly Girl method. I left here once to google something related to curly girl, and the first hit brought me back here.

Do you wash yours every day? Or do you sometimes dry comb it? I think the combing in the shower is supposed to be fine. But I've been combing it at other times. Thanks for the detail on your method. What was your hair like before the CG method?

[milovany]

Technically, with the curly girl method, you're not supposed to brush or comb when your hair is dry, ever.  I rarely, rarely do.  Maybe on a whim 3-4 times a year I run a brush through it, but other than that the only thing I do along these lines is run my fingers through my hair when I'm putting the final conditioner in before getting out of the shower -- and I do that mostly to get all the loose hair out.

 

My method is using a cleansing conditioner first (rinsing that out).  Then I turn toward the shower head and bend over to let the water run over my hair so it hangs down that way instead of down my back. That's when I run my fingers through my hair gently and not too much. Still bent over, I turn off the water, put a glob of conditioner in my palms squeeze it into my hair (not onto my scalp) from the ends up.  Then I do the same thing with gel. I do both without squeezing water out of my hair first.  My hair is dripping wet when I apply both these products and I do the sounds-like-walking-in-wet-sneakers sounding thing (squishing gently).  Then I grab the cloth diaper I use to dry and very gently and not too much squeeze/squish from ends to scalp to get some moisture out (so that it's not dripping when I stand up).  I gather the hair in the cloth diaper and hold it against my scalp as I stand up so it doesn't flip.  I think the idea is you want to avoid as much unneeded movement with the curls as possible.  Then I put the clips in along the part for lift. I have taken to diffusing my hair at this point.  I feel like I get it curlier this way.  But sometimes I also let it dry naturally. 

 

I do this a couple of times a week.  I don't usually get it wet on the in between days.  I just deal (which means it's a bit frizzy and these are the days I have it in a scarf or ponytail).  Maybe some day when I'm not so busy I'll try getting it wet in between times but for now I'm happy with this method. 

[Moxie]

I'm rocking a short straight pixie so I don't know why I'm asking but, why upside down?? I'd probably drown myself!

[milovany]

The water runs down your hair, not your face ... your nose and mouth are on the opposite side of your head, so drowning would have to be pretty intentional.  :D

 

I do it because I imagine it gives my hair a little bit of lift on the top of my head (along the part).  I feel like it looks flat unless I purposely work on getting it to not go flat through doing it this way, and the clipping.  I'm open to being wrong in my imagining, though.  I should try it again the other way. 

 

Oh, another reason I do it though is because it creeps me out to have a ton of hair come off on my fingers (shudder!).  So leaning over this way, I can just let it rinse off my hands quickly and then I clean the drain filter thing when I'm done. 

[shawthorne44]

I'm rocking a short straight pixie so I don't know why I'm asking but, why upside down?? I'd probably drown myself!

 

I guess because I find it easier to just get the ends since I like to leave in some conditioner.  

 

When my hair wasn't so long, I combed it that way in the shower.  It seemed to protect the hair around my face.  

 

I like my hair.  My only problem is split ends and I've always battled them.  I have been eyeing these heated scissors to trim my hair and hopefully help with that.  But, they are expensive.  

[milovany]

All that said, I think getting a deva style cut is VERY helpful too.  At least that's what a deva stylist told me (she said care and cut are 50/50 in success), and I'm going to put it to the test on Friday.  I'm driving two hours just to get an official deva cut.  I've had one once before, but I feel like the gal was a little bit casual with it.  It turned out alright, and I do think it helped the curliness show better, but she did some things that were un-deva.  I think the one I'm going to on Friday is more committed to the deva method. 

[KungFuPanda]

I wet and condition almost every day unless I slept with my hair in a ponytail on top of my head (pineappling) so the curls don't get messed up when I sleep. I apply deva gel when my hair is wet, but not drippy and style it wet. If I want more lift, I put alligator clips at the base until it dries to hold some of the weight of the hair so the curls near the scalp don't get weighed down straight. Sometimes I use a diffuser and just dry upside down.

 

With minimal effort I can have well-defined, non-frizzy curls most of the time. Some days I'm no match for the humidity. Some days I just wear a bun so I don't have to deal with my hair. If I want big, loose curls instead of ringlets, I use hot rollers. A curling iron never worked for me. I had a performance today, and since I badly need a haircut, I cheated and wore a fake ponytail so I'd only have to cope with bangs and make-up.

[jar7709]

I love my curls since I found Curly Girl! I have pretty long and intense curls. I pineapple every night. On days I wash, I add an alcohol free gel and a leave in conditioner upside down, and just air dry. On days I don't wash, I spray with lavender water, loosely finger-comb, and add more leave in conditioning cream. Works well for me.

[lots of little ducklings]

All that said, I think getting a deva style cut is VERY helpful too. At least that's what a deva stylist told me (she said care and cut are 50/50 in success), and I'm going to put it to the test on Friday. I'm driving two hours just to get an official deva cut. I've had one once before, but I feel like the gal was a little bit casual with it. It turned out alright, and I do think it helped the curliness show better, but she did some things that were un-deva. I think the one I'm going to on Friday is more committed to the deva method.

Best wishes! I definitely think my deva stylist helps tremendously and is worth the money, and am thrilled to have her nearby too. I attempted once to switch to another stylist claiming deva training (had a coupon-- that's the only reason), but i regretted it. She sold the products, but didn't have a clue how to cut curly hair.

[elegantlion]

I use conditioner only, wash about every other day, wet comb it about every other time I wash it, and have the best success with Aussie's 3 min miracle (I'm have no real budget for expensive products). I use apple cider vinegar about twice a month. 

 

Smoothing frizzy hair is hard, but keeping it in good condition is the key. I've tried smoothing conditioners with some success. I trim my own hair and that helps regulate the curls better. 

 

 

[KungFuPanda]

I forgot to mention the best budget tip. Trader Joe's Tea Tree Conditioner is 'almost' as good as the Deva brand and cost A LOT less.

[wapiti]

FWIW, the Deva conditioner isn't moisturizing enough for me; I use a Shea Moisture conditioner (sometimes the one with protein though usually the one without) and a bit of the Kinky Curly one.  I do like the Deva gel - I use the light (angel) and the more firm one (arc angel) depending on what I feel like.  This week I've been using only Kinky Curly gel, just to be different.

 

The most economical conditioner I use is the Tresemme Naturals, though I don't remember if I've ever used it by itself (I can't seem to leave well enough alone LOL)

[Slartibartfast]

I don't ever brush my hair once it is dry. I only finger comb it when it is wet.

[milovany]

I forgot to mention the best budget tip. Trader Joe's Tea Tree Conditioner is 'almost' as good as the Deva brand and cost A LOT less.

 

 

The most economical conditioner I use is the Tresemme Naturals, though I don't remember if I've ever used it by itself (I can't seem to leave well enough alone LOL)

 

 

Agree with both of these.  Have used and like them both and they're on our regular rotation (we have more than one CG here).  Our favorite of the cheapo conditioners though, I think, is Suave's Coconut conditioner (emphasis on the coconut one).  That's the one we use most. 

[Desert Strawberry]

My hair is only wavy now. It seems to get more or less curly after each kid.

 

I have super dry hair and scalp. My hair skims my waist. I almost always wear it pinned up or in minibraids.I don't generally put much effort into it.

 

I don't use commercial products in my hair at all.  

 

Once in a while, I wash my hair with castille or African Black soap.

 

I rinse -not every day-as needed. I use an ACV rinse. This smooths the cuticle of the hair without coating it with lacquer.

 

While it's wet, I rub in a small amount of pure Shea butter. Then I comb with a wide comb.

 

On days when I don't rinse, I spritz it with a little olive oil in water before combing. 

 

I do brush because I get mats. I spritz afterwards. 

 

My 3yo has very curly hair. I treat his hair in much the same way. I wash his more often. No vinegar for him. I spritz him nearly everyday. I very rarely use Shea butter on him.

 

 

 

[Lieutenant Stranger]

I follow it.

 

CONDITION CONDITION CONDITION! I didn't believe it, but it is really true. I use multiple conditioners. I spray my hair before the shower with water, and then put a protein-heavy conditioner (Mane & Tail) on it. Then I rinse it out in the shower (upside down helps my curl formation best). I either use a low-poo or conditioner, followed-up by a spray-in conditioner. Then, an obscene amount of gel. 

 

I never brush or comb my hair-- only finger comb while conditioning. As for conditioner, I mainly use Burts Bees right now. 

 

I have not had luck with just slightly wetting it. I have to give it the full amount for my curls to work.

[redsquirrel]

I live in Florida. Frizz is here to stay so I'm trying to combat it the best I can :)

See I thought wavy would help keep my hair down better than curly. Hmm.

 

I have found that going for wavy only increased frizz. It just gets floofy and mad looking. I say that I look like Carol Kane in Princess Bride.

 

What has been working for me lately, and when I say lately I mean this week, is that I have a spray bottle and I put in a good sized blob of curl lotion (I have been using Ion brand from Sally's) and then I add water and a dash of grape seed oil (what I have) and shake it up very well. Then I bend over and spritz and scrunch. I don't like that my hair smells of product. I would love to find an unscented curl product that works.

 

I still look like Merida having a bad hair day, but it looks slightly on purpose.

 

I have gone in an out of using only conditioner to wash. Maybe I should go back? I shampoo only once a week at most and I only use sulfate free shampoo. It really does make a huge difference. But I work out a lot and I get convinced that just conditioner isn't 'enough'. But then again, sweat is water soluble, lol.

[Word Nerd]

I really want just wavy hair instead of curly, kinky looking hair. Is there anything I can use that would smooth it out more? ( not a flat iron though). Or is that more of a dream?

 

NaturallyCurly.com is a good site for determining and learning what products and tips work best with your curl type. You might try leaving a good amount of conditioner in your hair after you shampoo rather than rinsing it all out. I comb tons of conditioner through my hair in the shower after I use a sulfate-free shampoo. I lightly rinse the conditioner from the top of my head but don't rinse much at all from my hair below my nape to the ends. You don't want too much conditioner on your scalp, but leaving it on the ends helps control frizziness.

[JennyD]

I completely agree with whoever said upthread that a Deva cut is key.  I don't live near a Deva stylist any more (sob) so I get one really great cut every year when we go back to visit family and then in between two pretty decent cuts by the only local stylist I could find who seems to have a reasonable clue about curly hair.   But the Deva cut is just much better, and lasts so much longer.

 

As for care, I work out and swim a ton, so I shampoo pretty regularly with the Deva no-poo.  I've tried just using conditioner for long periods many times, but my hair just eventually gets dull without the no-poo.  I try to remember to condition as well -- my hair does look better when I do -- but it doesn't make a dramatic difference.   My favorite product is Jane Carter Solution Nourish and Shine, sort of wax/balm.  Sometimes I use coconut oil or jojoba oil,which are also nice.  

 

One of the biggest Curly Girl helps for me was the advice to not rub hair dry with a terry towel.  I squeeze dry with old cloth diapers and then use clips for drying.