As a part of those New Years Resolutions, one of mine was to take better
care of my hair. This is one resolution I have every intention of keeping. I
have fallen victim over the years as many other curly girls of hating my curls
and relaxing and straightening to make it 'easier'. But when you learn better
you do better. My hair was dry and damaged. My hair seemed its healthiest when
I committed to the Curly Girl Method. I decide to reach over to my bookshelf
and blow the dust off my copy of Lorraine Massey’s Curly Girl: The Handbook.
I have had the book for some time and have read it a couple of times but it was
time for me to go back to basics with caring for my hair. My goal this year is
long healthy hair in 2013. Part of my growth plan includes increasing my water
intake internally and re adapting some of the basic principle of curly hair care
I found in this book. Over the next 28 days I will style my hair using the Curly Girl Method and evaluate my results Here are the basic steps of the Curly Girl Method as outline in Massy's book.
Step 1. Clarify with a shampoo
before beginning in order to remove and silicones and build up from your hair . This will cleanse your hair of any
silicones and other ingredients in hair products that are not water soluble
Step 2. Start with freshly trimmed hair to eliminate
split and damaged ends. Because my hair is Color treated I watch for this
regularly and just trimmed my ends a few weeks ago around the middle of
January.
Step 3. Once your hair is trimmed and clean, saturate
your hair with a hydrating conditioner free of silicones. Finger detangle your
hair gently while your hair is wet. (wide-toothed shower comb is optional). In
an effort to eliminate breakage and shedding for this duration of this
challenge I have decided to eliminate combs and brushes from my hair’s diet. It
is best to untangle hair while wet to prevent damage and frizz. I find with
finger combing/ raking my hair I am able to clump my curls together and get
great results
Some great
inexpensive options are V05, Aussie Moist, Herbal Essence Hello Hydration, and
Tresseme Naturals just to name a few
Step 4. After
your initial WASH, revert to a No Poo method Sulfates in shampoo’s are
extremely drying and as a result, damaging to our curls, leading to frizz and
breakage. I only use a shampoo (sulfate-free/ no poo) in my hair once a month
at the most. Other than that I use my conditioner to cleanse/ co-wash my hair.
This keeps it nicely hydrated. Was your scalp with conditioner.
While in the shower with wet hair massage silicone free
conditioners onto the scalp and the hair rake conditioner through to keep hair
detangled. Scrunching and lathering hair leads to tangle=headaches and
breakage. Once you distribute conditioner evenly through hair, section and
detangle the hair and rinse with cool or cold water to decrease frizz and
shine. Make sure to rinse conditioner completely from scalp to prevent
buildup. Some people co-wash everyday. No more than 2-3 times a week works best
for me. You can leave a little on the hair specifically the ends to continue to
aid in keeping hair detangled while styling. Rake and scrunch hair while
rinsing.
Distribute conditioner throughout all of your hair and untangle gently. Use your hands or a wide-toothed comb. Start by untanglingbottom sections of your hair and
then gradually move upwards. Let the conditioner sit in your hair for five
minutes or so for extra moisture. You also may want to part your hair at this
point with a comb. It's recommended that you part your hair to the side to
prevent "triangle-shaped" hair.
Apply products to your hair and style as desired. Follow directions some products suggest being applied
while hair is wet, while other suggest applying to damp hair. Section hair off
and rake products into your hair section by section. I start with a leave-in
conditioner or silicone free conditioner to eliminate the frizz factor then
apply a product that aids in definition. Gels and mousse’s are optional
depending on what kind of hold you prefer. Once my product is apply I seal the
moisture with an oil or butter. Curls can be defined and shaped by scrunching
them with your palms or finger curling them
While drying
gently scrunch your hair with a t-shirt or microfiber towel to remove water and
prevent frizz. Other drying options that help with volume are plopping and
diffusing. During my growth challenge I am limiting heat, so diffusing will be
done very sparingly.
You can also us
clips at the roots to lift and add volume as well as the ends to weigh the hair
down and eliminate shrinkage.
