How To Start Curly Girl Method For Wavy Hair
Many of us desire wavy and smooth hair; however, we fail to achieve the same due to lack of proper knowledge and different hair texture. The routine that might have done wonders for someone won’t necessarily produce the same results for you. That happens because natural hair comes in many forms. The
Many of us desire wavy and smooth hair; however, we fail to achieve the same due to a lack of proper knowledge and different type of hair textures. The routine that might have done wonders for someone won’t necessarily produce the same results for you.
That happens because natural hair comes in many forms. They can be wavy, loose curly, tightly coiled, etc. It implies that there is no single routine that can produce effective results for everybody. Every routine needs to be modified from time to time to get favourable results for a long time. This Curly Girl Method will work on dry & frizzy hair.
However, few routines can work great for a majority of women. One such routine is the Curly Girl Method. You might have tried it already, or chances are you have not heard of it yet. Today, this article will help you know what the CG method exactly is and how it works.
Let’s get started.
What is the Curly Girl Method or CGM?
Lorraine Massey, the founder of Devachan Salons, is the inventor of the Curly Girl Method. The method comes from her book Curly Girl: The Handbook.
According to the method, products with Sulfates, Mineral Oil, Waxes, Silicones, and Alcohol are completely avoided. If you are already following the method, you know that they are not a part of your curly hair care routine.
The method implies that while cleansing, you can only either use natural-based shampoos or conditioners or the ones free from the chemicals mentioned above. The same can be said for detangling too.
If you are a beginner at the CG method, here is how it works.
How does the Curly Girl Method work?
The Curly Girl Method is carried out in two washes. Both washes involve five steps.
Before getting started, you go through a pre-poo treatment.
Step 1: Pre-Poo Treatment
Pre-Poo is the treatment that you do before a wash for extra nourishment. The method involves lightly oiling your waves with light oil. It can be Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil, or your regular Almond Oil. During the treatment, you can choose to detangle your hair gently.
All you need to make sure is that you take up a light amount of oil. Oiling your hair with a heavy might make your waves flat. The best time for the treatment is the day before or the night before the day you have to wash your hair.
Step 2: Clarify your Hair
As we all know, chemically enriched products leave a good amount of build-up on your scalp. This build-up does not let the essential nutrients of a good product to reach your hair roots. A clarifying shampoo is used to clean that build-up from your previous products, which contains sulfates but is free from SILICONES. You can find such products online or buy one from your local store. Make sure you read the label carefully. Now, you need to know women with wavy hair need more clarifying than the ones with curly hair. It is due to the reason that sebum (natural, waxy oil) weighs hair down faster in wavies.
To retain the shine and bounce of your wavy hair, make sure you clarify once in 3 weeks or a month. Since your scalp is all fresh and resets to normal, you are good to move on to the next step.
Try Our Below Clarifying Shampoo:
Step 3: Condition your Hair
The next key step in CGM is conditioning your hair. Just like curls, waves need conditioning too. Start by taking a generous amount of conditioner on your palms. Using the praying method, start conditioning your hair from the crown of your head. Gently work your way down to the ends of your waves to ensure complete conditioning of your hair.
Once you are done with conditioning, start detangling your hair gently with a wide-toothed comb. Follow the detangling by Squish to Condish method. If you aren’t aware of it yet, let us tell you that it involves the reapplication of a light amount of conditioner for a finer curl definition. You can choose to add water in this method using a spray bottle so that you can control the level of dilution you want with your leave-in conditioner.
Now, rinse off the conditioner completely post-conditioning.
Step 4: Styling your Hair
Now that your scalp is clarified from build-up and well moisturized, they are ready to be styled. Depending upon the waves you want, you can use different styling products for your hair. If you are looking for a finer curl definition, you can buy a curl up defining cream that will not only allow you to style your hair, but it will also lock your hairstyle in place.
On the other hand, if you have lighter waves, you can choose to use a gel cast or mousse to hold your style in place. Make sure while styling your hair, you use the praying method and not the raking method. Using the raking method might disrupt the curls and cause breakage in clumps.
Raking is when you use your fingers to distribute the conditioner evenly through your hair length. It kills your waves and stretches them back straight. However, the technique works great for deeply conditioning your hair, but for those with wavy hair, it might end up spoiling your mood completely.
After applying the styling product in the right way, flip your hair and scrunch. If you hear a squelching noise, then your hair is adequately wet. In case the response is negative, add some more water and repeat the same.
Try Our Below Hair Styling Products:
Step 5: Dry Your Waves
Here comes the last part of the method. Drying plays a crucial role in any hair routine; however, it is often ignored and taken with less care. Even though waves dry up faster than curls, but still precautions are necessary to avoid any breakage. These precautions are also required to preserve the benefits of the products you used during the CG method.
To dry your hair effectively and gently, try the plopping method. Later, you can diffuse or air-dry your hair to give your natural hair a voluminous appearance. Now is the time to flaunt those waves.
Step 6: Refreshing Your Waves
Now, comes the refreshing part. We know that the waves get heavier quickly since the oil travels at a faster rate than curls. To cope up with the same, you need to spray your wavy hair with a nourishing liquid. That liquid can be simply coconut water that you can use on your hair after a day or two post CGM. It will condition your hair deeply, and you will be ready to rock those waves again. You can also use a leave-in conditioner in a water mixture instead of coconut water.
Time for a Second Wash.
Step 7: Cleansing Your Hair
Just like the first wash, you need to pre-poo your hair first before washing hair. To cleanse your hair off any impurities, dirt, and build-up, you will have to use a silicone-free mild sulfate cleanser. This will ensure that the impurities and the build-up are scraped off your scalp while retaining the natural oils of your hair.
You can buy such shampoos online or from a local store. Read the labels and compare different shampoos based on reviews and ingredients. This way, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of the extra ingredients apart from the basic ones present in them. Once you are finished cleansing, follow the remaining steps just like you followed before.
Step 8: Wash Day
If you have started to feel that your waves are getting heavier, let us tell you that it’s normal. It’s your scalps way of saying that you need to cleanse it. Usually, women with wavy hair feel it on the 3rd or 4th day of routine.
You can simply wash your hair with a cleansing shampoo allowed by the CG method (Sulfate-Yes, Silicones-No). Repeat the conditioning, styling and drying step to complete the Curly Girl Method and attain desirable waves.
Step 9: Deeply Condition your Hair
Even though women with wavy hair do not require deep conditioning as much as curlies do but practising, can improve your hair health exponentially. Instead of regular conditioning, just add a few drops of olive oil, a tablespoon of honey to your regular conditioner. Let it seep down your scalp for a minimum of 30-40 minutes. You can use a heating or shower cap for the same too.
That will ensure that the moisture is locked in and your pores are open again. This, in turn, lets the conditioner deep down to the roots and deeply nourishes it. Conditioning your hair deeply once a week is enough. You can choose to do it on the weekends so that you can get time for relaxation too.
Try Our Below Deep Conditioning Products:
Tips to Remember:
In case you missed out on some major points, here is a summary of all those key points that you need to always remember in your journey with the Curly Girl Method for Wavy Hair.
(i) No to Chemicals
The first and most important tip that you need to remember is no use of chemicals for your natural hair. That is the base Curly Girl Method is standing on. So, when you visit a store this time, do not forget to read the label carefully.
(ii) Your Wavy Hair Needs More Clarifying Than Curly Hair Type
Clarifying your hair once in 3-4 weeks is needed to eliminate any product build-up and to get desirable wavy hair.
(iii) Prefer Praying Method instead of the Raking Method
The raking method kills and stretches the waves completely. Always prefer the praying method to condition your hair properly.
(iv)Use a Water Spray Bottle to Control the Amount of Water for Conditioning
Controlling the amount of water for conditioning allows you to condition them efficiently and gives you voluminous waves.
(v) Use Lighter Products for Styling
Using heavy products during styling or pre-poo treatment might weigh down your hair. So make sure you use only light products, and in a limited amount to avoid weighing down your hair.
(vi) Use a Diffuser or Dry Your Hair Naturally
Drying your hair carelessly might produce static or friction between your hair and the towel. This, in turn, leads to hair breakage. On the other hand, drying your hair with a blower scraps off natural oils with its heat. This makes them brittle, and they are prone to breakage too. So, it is always better to use a diffuser or let your hair dry naturally.
(vii) Do Not Compare Your Journey With Others
The biggest mistake that we often do is comparing our journey with others. Not each product and routine work the same way for everyone. Everyone has a different hair type, different lifestyle, which changes the results experienced by a person. Stay consistent and be patient on your track. If you are experiencing any changes for good, do not rush. Consistency and patience is the key. Embrace the beauty that you have right now.
Conclusion
That was our article on how you can start your Curly Girl Method for wavy hair today. The article elaborated various steps involved in the method and the basic dos and don’ts you should keep in mind while practising CGM. Follow each one of them regularly and take them seriously to attain the best results for your wavy hair. Apart from that, try to focus on your diet and lifestyle too.
The essential nutrients required by your scalp comes from the diet. If it is well balanced, the hair health will improve and give you the results that you always desired. The same goes for your lifestyle. Habits like sleeping on time, waking up early, exercising will have a crucial role in making your hair what they are today. So, incorporate all these things in your daily routine and for more health and hair-related topics, do not forget to check out our website.