Curly Girl Method: Check-in

Hello!

For my post this week, I decided to let y'all in on how I'm feeling so far about adapting to the Curly Girl Method. I adopted the method about a month ago, and already, I have seen such a difference in my hair! I can't wait to share my results with y'all, but before I do, let me first give y'all some background info!

Background

The Curly Girl Method is a method for embracing natural hair that was developed by curly hair advocate/expert and owner of DevaCurl products, Lorraine Massey. One of the main purposes of this technique is to increase the moisture in your hair by eliminating the use of silicones and sulfates from your hair regimen.

The purpose silicones serve in hair products (mainly conditioners) is to create a barrier on hair strands that allow for them to glide past each other, making the hair appear to be more sleek, less tangled, and easier to manage. However, not only do these barriers keep moisture from getting to your hair, but many of these silicones that are present in various conditioners and hair products are not easy to wash out. Some are easily dissolved by water (water soluble), while others are not (water insouble). These insoluble silicones can only be cleansed and removed by sulfates, which are mainly found in shampoos.

Sulfate is an ingredient that removes buildup from the hair and scalp. This doesn't sound too bad, but it can actually be very harmful for natural hair. Among the things sulfate strips away from the hair and scalp is sebum, the natural oil our scalp produces that is meant to nourish the scalp and hair.

Now, we all know that conditioning follows shampooing, right?! So that means that you shampoo your hair to get rid of the silicones, but then you reapply more of them when you use your conditioner. So now, those silicones are likely to remain in your hair until the next time you shampoo. What are the damaging effects of this, you ask?!

This water insoluble barrier prevents moisture from getting to the hair. Since natural, curly hair tends to be drier than naturally straight hair, these silicones can do a lot of damage. Moisture is the number one must-have for all curly girls! Whether it be in the form of water, humectants, or water-based products, it is so, so, SO important to keep natural hair properly moisturized. If your hair is depleted of moisture, then it could lead to the dreaded "d word"...DAMAGE! Loss of moisture and deprivation of moisture can result in dry, brittle, damaged hair, and that isn't a good look on anyone! Not to mention that if you strip the oils from your hair with your shampoo, and then place a water insoluble barrier on your hair from your conditioner, your hair could have little-to-no access to moisture, which could lead to more damage, dryness, and potentially breakage.

So what the CG Method proposes is that in order to increase the moisture in your hair, you cut out or significantly cut down on these silicones and sulfates! This is why the CG Method is sometimes referred to as the "No Poo Method." With this practice, you do not use shampoos to cleanse your hair. You only use silicone-free co-wash (a mild cleansing conditioner with no lather) or conditioners to cleanse your hair. Some people, like myself as of now, take to a "Modified" CG Method where if you feel like your hair has a lot of build-up, then it is ok to use a sulfate-free shampoo to cleanse your hair. However, those who closely follow the CG Method prefer to strictly stick to conditioners and co-washes for cleansing.

In my opinion, it is important that if you get rid of one, that you also get rid of the other. If you decide to stop using sulfate shampoos, but still want to keep using your silicone conditioner, remember that you won't be removing those silicone barriers at all. Every time you apply that conditioner, you will just be coating your hair more and more with those silicones, making it even more impossible for moisture to get through to your hair. And if you decide to eliminate silicone conditioners, but keep your sulfate shampoo, then you are applying that harsh chemical directly onto your hair. As I mentioned before, sulfate strips your hair of its natural oils, which is terrible for curly hair because it needs every drop of moisture and oil that it can get to stay healthy. So to keep it simple and to keep your curls happy and healthy, if you decide to stop using products with silicones, then take the extra step to remove sulfates from your routine as well and vice versa.

The CG Method also calls for the elimination of heat styling tools and other styling tools. Finger detangling, wash-n-go's, and treating your hair and curls as is is the preferred way of using the CG Method. Combs have the tendency to pull, pop, and snap the hair and can add unnecessary pressure on the strands when styling or detangling. Both of these instances can lead to breakage, which of course, is very damaging. Also, we all are familiar with heat damage and the effects it can have on the overall health of your hair!

 What does the CG Method mean for me?

Since around September 2012, 3 months after I started transitioning, I have been using Shea Moisture shampoos and conditioners. Their products do not contain any silicones or sulfates, so adjusting to the CG regimen, with regards to eliminating sulfates and silicones, was not difficult. However, even though I do not use products with silicones or sulfates, I kind of wanted to try my hand at cutting out shampoos altogether. Originally, I wanted to follow the CG Method strictly, meaning absolutely no shampoo and only using co-washes and conditioners for cleansing. However, after a couple of days of thinking about it, I decided that I love my Shea Moisture African Black Soap Shampoo too much to give it up, so I decided that I will only use shampoo once a month and co-wash/deep condition any other time my hair needs cleansing! So I guess you could say that I have taken on a "modified" CG Method! However, I do plan on phasing shampoo out altogether overtime. By the end of 2014, maybe sooner, my goal is to operate strictly by the CG Method.

I also decided to take on the practice of finger detangling, so I have done away with my combs and brushes! Well...I still have them, I just don't use them :) I thought this would be difficult, but it really hasn't been so far! For washing, I section my hair into 4 sections, apply my conditioner one section at a time while finger detangling and massaging my scalp to loosen any product build up. I then rinse the conditioner out in the shower section-by-section. I make sure to keep my hair in sections after rinsing out the conditioner to help the detangling and styling process outside of the shower go much smoother. Also, it gives me more control of my hair. I still use all of my normal staples (minus the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in Conditioning Repair Creme) because none of them have any silicones or sulfates, so I really only adjusted how I treat my hair instead of what I treat my hair with.

Why did I decide to go Curly Girl?

My biggest inspiration for making this transition to going CG was my favorite naturalista, Jess aka MahoganyCurls! I have always admired how amazing her curl definition is! When I started following Whitney aka Naptural85's blog a little more, I noticed how amazing her curl definition is, too! Then, I realized what the two of them have in common: they both finger detangle instead of using combs and brushes, and they both prefer to co-wash. Jess doesn't use combs or shampoos at all, and Whitney will use both of them every now and then, but mostly not. It seemed a little silly to me at first that finger detangling and avoiding shampoos could aid in defining your curls, but after I did some research on other women who practice the CG Method, almost all of them said that going CG and finger detangling resulted in a more defined curl pattern. So, this is the main reason I decided to go CG! I love the textures in my hair (3A in the front, 3C in the crown, and 3B everywhere else), so I want to be able to have better definition so that I can wear a super cute wash-n-go and be able to just see my curls pop when I style them! 

Besides curl definition, I noticed that when I would comb my hair, it was very easy to try to rush through it. I would find myself tugging and pulling in all directions sometimes, just trying to get through it all! I am certain that that is what contributed so much to my hair getting damaged and splitting the way it does. I would hear some of my hair strands snap and I would comb at my hair instead of comb through it. So this past month, I have really been focusing on taking my time to give my hair the care it needs so that it can grow healthy and pretty! I have put the combs and brushes down so that I can feel out each tangle and softly pull them loose with my fingers instead of being so harsh!

Results so far

I am DEFINITELY seeing some major results already! My curls are becoming more and more defined, my hair isn't shedding anywhere near as much as it used to, my hair is so full of moisture, softer than ever, and I am noticing less and less breakage. I am loving this change so far and I can't wait to see what changes will continue to happen the longer I utilize this practice.

:)

Do you stand by the CG Method? Did you try it and then realize it wasn't for you? I wanna hear about it! :) Leave your thoughts and stories here along with any questions you have! I hope you found this post helpful! And as always, thanks for taking the time to read and support my blog! Feel free to share the link! And don't forget to participate in my monthly poll question! :)

For more information on The Curly Girl Method, check out Lorraine Massey's book, "Curly Girl: The Handbook"

 





DISCLAIMER: The CG Method will not loosen or change your curl pattern. It only has the potential to enhance the curls you already have! Do not take on this method expecting that you will end up with a different or looser curl pattern. Like I said, this is a method that is meant to increase the moisture in your hair. Results of this increase in moisture could be more shrinkage, due to the enhancement of your curls, and softer hair.

NEXT WEEK ON THE BLOG: Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Conditioner review!