It’s no secret that curly hair can have a mind of its own. Depending on your cocktail of products, techniques, weather, or lifestyle, it can behave in totally different ways. For my 4A coils, and many other curlies I know, our curl pattern is not the same throughout our heads. Personally, I have smoother 3B curls in the front, 4B at the crown, and tighter, S-pattern 3C/4A ringlets in the back. Sometimes my spirals will spring and live their full, bouncy life, and other times they rebel and need more TLC to actually flourish.
Because of the trial-and-error nature of curls, many of us constantly scour the Internet or personal and professional circles to find out new, better tricks and products to a seamless curl routine. Popular among the curly crowd: The “curly girl method,” or CGM for short.
Dedicated to shedding time off wash day and everyday styling, the method was developed by curl expert and hairstylist Lorraine Massey. But what exactly is the curly girl method and does it work for all curl types? How long does it take to master and will it actually cut down on styling? To find out all the details, we asked celebrity hairstylists to share the best tips and products for those looking to try it out.
Experts Featured in This Article
Lorraine Massey is a hairstylist, former DevaChan Hair Salon founder, and author of Curly Girl: The Handbook.
Leigh Hardges is a hairstylist at the Maxine Salon in Chicago.
April Kayganich is a hairstylist and educator for Hairstory network.
What is the Curly Girl Method?
In 2011, Massey published Curly Girl: The Handbook ($5) to encourage those with curls to embrace their natural texture through CGM: a five-step process that’s guaranteed to create your best curls over time. “This method is used to best ensure optimal curl hydration and definition,” says hairstylist Leigh Hardges. “The biggest benefits to the CGM are hydration and allowing the curls to form naturally, sans manipulation.”
The method recommends avoiding ingredients that can be harsh on hair (think: sulfates and silicones, which can create a waxy buildup and weigh down your curls) and instead, utilizing gentle, conditioning products filled with protein that will encourage the curl. “Sulfates are a pretty harsh detergent; they can make curls dry and prone to breakage,” says hairstylist April Kayganich. “Whereas, silicones can suffocate curls by leaving a heavy chemically laden coating on the hair.” The method also avoids heat styling and brushing so as not to damage the curl pattern.
Now, more than 20 years since the book’s release, curly-hair experts and enthusiasts have learned to quickly identify which ingredients do or don’t make the cut. In fact, there are many ingredient checker communities dedicated to this, with CurlsBot and Is It CG? being the more popular ones. (Editor’s note: this is a great place to start but don’t use it as the ends-all-be-all list as they are not always up-to-date.)
The experts recommend giving it at least four weeks before you actually see the longevity of the method. Remember, the path to picture-perfect curls is a marathon, not a sprint.
How to Do the Curly Girl Method
Hardges says CGM looks to promote moisture and reduce interference with the natural curl pattern – yielding to a head full of defined, shiny and bouncy curls, coils, and spirals in five steps.
Step 1: Reset the Scalp
To free your hair of any buildup, the first step is a cleansing reset using a clarifying shampoo of your choice. We like the Oribe The Cleanse Clarifying Shampoo ($49). These break down any residue from leave-in conditioners, gels, or other stylers that often wedge their way onto the scalp. This is the only step in CGM where it’s OK to use sulfates – these shampoos tend to have sulfates to cut through heavy oils and creams, and remove any gunk from previous styling methods.
Be sure to use sparingly; clarifying sudsers can strip the hair of natural oils and cause dryness if overused, so make sure to only do this step at the start of your CGM journey, if you accidentally use a no-no ingredient, or if you notice too much buildup and want to properly refresh the hair.
Step 2: Cleanse Your Curls
Post reset, you’ll then go into your actual cleanse. “The second shampoo will be more suited to the hairs’ needs – think moisture or color protection,” Hardges tells PS. You can do this with a sulfate-free shampoo like the Amika Normcore Sulfate Free Shampoo ($24) or Kérastase Bain Fluidealiste Shampoo ($42), or with a cleaning conditioner (aka a no-poo or co-wash) like the Aveda Be Aveda Be Curly Advanced Co-Wash or Hairstory New Wash Rich. Cleansing conditioners are both a shampoo and conditioner in one.
Sulfate-free shampoos have little detergents and will break down scalp oils and buildup, without stripping the hair. Experts recommend using it for fine, wavy hair to flat curls that tend to be on the greasy side, whereas co-washes or no-poos are rinse-out conditioners favored by many coil and spiral curl types (types 4).
Step 3: Condition, Condition, Condition
Hardges says this is the most important step: “Fully saturate the hair with your conditioner to nourish the hair and make it easy for detangling.” When you’ve applied enough product, it will feel slippery. This is a good thing; it makes detangling with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb easier. The original CGM says to avoid any combs and brushes, but many naturals and curlies have added these tools to help with tension, length, and coarseness. Kayganich suggests Cricket Dressing Comb ($9) as a great option.
Once the curls are completely tangle-free, rinse only 90 percent of the conditioner out. The remainder will act as a primer to your styling products.
Step 4: Add Styling Products
While the curls are sopping wet – Hardges recommends doing this step in the shower, as soaking wet curls are the most frizz-free curls will be throughout the process – apply your curl enhancing products like gel, mouse, foam, and more. Rake the product through with your fingers from root to ends and scrunch from the ends to roots, being generous with how much you use to help with definition and frizz-free spirals. And don’t panic here if your curls look crunchy, this gel cast will help to create springy curls and will be broken later.
Step 5: Air-Dry Hair
Using a T-shirt or microfiber towel, Kayganich says to gently squeeze out the excess water and product from the hair, then allow it to air dry. Once the hair is completely dry (after four to eight hours), gently scrunch the hair again to break the gel cast and crunchy feeling.
By repeating steps two to five each wash day, you will eventually get frizz-free, hydrated, just-walked-out-of-the-salon curls.
Curly Girl Method: What to Avoid
As a recap, you must avoid sulfates, silicones, alcohols, and traditional shampoo while on the curly girl method. Instead, reach for co-washes and no-poo formulas that are free of harsh detergents. Remember that all sulfates are banned (except for during step one), so if your products contain sodium-lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, or other common hair-care sulfates, you’ll want to skip them to keep your hair’s natural oils intact. You’ll also want to avoid sulfates and alcohol. (While not all of the latter are bad in hair care – lauryl alcohol and cetyl alcohol can be hydrating – in this method, it’s best to skip them in lieu of alcohol-free formulas to avoid drying out the hair.)
As for tools, be sure to keep away from traditional bath towels for drying, which can cause breakage and frizz, and hot tools for styling, which can damage the hair.
Although the curly girl method comes with commitment and a potential learning curve, experts believe it can alter your curls for the better. It also works on all curls, and only curls. It will not change your hair texture, but enhance it. You might find yourself in the trial and error, experimentation phase for longer than the recommended four weeks, but don’t give up. If your natural hair is wavy, curly, coily, or spiraled, sticking it out is worth never having to worry about how to style your curls again.
Natasha Marsh is a freelance writer who writes about fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. Prior to freelancing, she held styling staff positions at The Wall Street Journal, Burberry, Cosmopolitan Magazine, British GQ, and Harper’s Bazaar.
