The Method, Part 2

Ok, now that you've all read my incredibly boring curly backround, it's time to get to the real stuff.

I have literally spent years trying to find the magic secret to perfect curls, and I think I'm almost there. I admit, I'm a total "product junkie" and I'm always looking for the next Holy Grail of hair care to set me right. Between deep conditioning, straightening balm, sulfate-free shampoo, moroccan oil, frizz serum, scrunching gel, finishing cream, and up to 5 conditioners in my shower at the same time, it's gotten a tad out of control at times. I actually have 4 different products on their way to me in the mail right now. Hey, every curly has a different hair cocktail. Don't judge me.
But I have since figured out it's not totally about the products you pack on, but it's about how to care for your hair itself.

That's where the Curly Girl Method comes in.
(to be referred to from here on out as "CG")

"What is the CG method?" you may blindly ask. Well, sit down and have a drink, 'cause I'mma tell you.

CG is all about protecting curly hair and keeping it as healthy as possible. The basic idea is that curly hair generally has a weaker hair shaft than straight hair. Because of all the curves and bends, the hair cuticle is naturally more open and porous, and therefore loses moisture much more easily and quickly.
Most shampoos have something called sulfates in them, which is the active ingredient used to clean the hair. However, sulfates are very harsh cleansers and extremely drying on hair. It's the same active ingredient used in dishwashing soap. This strips the hair shaft of moisture, and for curly hair, this ends in disaster. If the curls are thirsty, they will soak up moisture from anywhere they can, and most often, it will be the humidity in the hair that is the most accessible.
And you all know what happens then. POOF.
Beyonce ain't the only one that can see your halo.

Now, to combat this excessive dryness that the sulfates have caused, most curly hair products (most conditioners in general too) use silicones to coat and slick down the hair shaft, thereby smoothing out curls and frizz. This is only a temporary fix, for the 'cones, as they are called in CG world, in addition to merely treating the symptom and not the cause, actually prevent moisture from entering the hair at all, leaving it parched underneath the fake sheen.
Not only that, but most silicones are so heavy that they can only be removed with... you guessed it... SULFATES.

So, we have the continuous catch-22 of hair care. We need silicones to cover up the damage the sulfates have done, but we need the sulfates to get the silicones out and clean the hair.
What is a curly to do???

It's quite simple actually. DON'T USE EITHER ONE OF THEM.

Now, it's true that some shampoos are made without sulfates, but if you want to go true CG, all you really need to wash your hair is... conditioner!
"Ew, that won't get my hair clean! How gross!"
Au contraire, my fair weather readers.
Curly hair needs all the moisture it can get. All you have to do is massage conditioner into your scalp, and the movement of your fingers plus the mild cleansing properties of the conditioner will be enough to loosen the dirt and oil enough to be rinsed out, and viola! Clean hair! Some girls use a lighter conditioner for 'co-washing' and a heavier one for actual conditioning, but you don't have to.
And let me just say, I have not washed my hair with shampoo in almost 6 months. My scalp is perfectly clean and healthy. If I really feel like I need it, I do a rinse with 2 cups of warm water, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil (for flakes) and it gets any residual product and oil right out. Not to mention the ACV makes my hair crazy shiny. Condition after, and you're ready to go.

Now, I will admit, when you transition to CG, the hardest part is seeing just how many of your current products have sulfates and silicones in them. When I checked, all but 1 of my products were not CG approved.
Let me say it again: Out of over 15 hair products, I could only keep using 1.
It took a lot to just toss all that money out the window, but it's totally been worth it. My hair is moisturized, healthy, bouncy, and pretty consistently forms the ringlets that I love so much.

There are more things you can do to help your hair, but that main no-sulfates-no-silicones philosophy is the core of being a CG. Some other CG tips include:
- Deep conditioning once a week
- Using only wide-toothed combs or finger combing, and only while in the shower
- Scrunching excess water out of your hair with old t-shirts or microfiber towels (NEVER use regular towels, they will pull on your hair and make it frizz)
- Using as little heat as possible, air drying is best if you have time
- Finger curling some pieces on top to make them look more uniform
- Finding out what type of curls you have and therefore what specific products to use
- "Clipping" hair at the root for added volume at the crown
All that is part of it too. But the main plan is to keep as much moisture in your hair as possible. When your hair is moisturized from the inside out, it won't be so desperate for the humidity in the air, and your hair will actually make it through the day.. or 2 or 3 if you're lucky!

I'll put some links that I have found incredibly useful if you feel like you need some more education/inspiration.

First, if you feel like you need more inspiration to go CG, here are only about a million before and after examples:
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/general-discussion-about-curly-hair/47609-post-your-before-after-cg-pics.html

Here is a more detailed step-by-step guide of CG, in case I didn't explain it well enough, or if I was too snarky for you:
http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair

Here is some scientific info on hair, in case you want to know more about why it works:
http://livecurlylivefree.com/curly%20hair%20basics.htm

If you're wondering how to identify products that don't have the SS demon duo, here are the ingredients to watch out for:
http://livecurlylivefree.com/product%20ingredients.htm

Here's where you can get a general idea of your curl type:
http://www.naturallycurly.com/texture-typing?utm_source=naturallycurly&utm_medium=bighighlight&utm_campaign=TTV4

This is from the website of the guy who recently cut my hair and convinced me to go CG forever. He rocked the cut, and has so many amazing tips, I'm in love:
http://www.nyccurls.com/knowyourcurl.html

Here is where you can look for products that fit you, read reviews, and easily see if they have evil ingredients:
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlproducts/search

Deep conditioning is not a requirement, but they help SO MUCH, and you can even make your own! Here are some recipes:
http://www.curlynikki.com/2010/05/homemade-deep-conditioner-recipes.html

If you don't know what conditioner to start with, this crazy bitch systematically tries and reviews dozens of conditioners. I'm thankful, yet I pity her:
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/general-discussion-about-curly-hair/10605-conditioner-chronicles.html

Just to remind you that curly is beautiful, this tumblr makes me happy and proud to be curly:
http://welovecurls.tumblr.com/

For further research, http://www.naturallycurly.com/, http://www.curlynikki.com/, http://livecurlylivefree.com/, and http://www.curlmart.com/ are havens of information on what to do, what to get, and where to get it.
Go on, educate and treat yo'self. You deserve it.
Well, I do anyway. I'm assuming you do too.

Whew. That was all a mouthful. I hope some part of this helps you in any way. Love your hair, love yourself.

The Method, Part 1

So, assuming you've read the title of this post, I'm sure you think that this will be about acting? Or, maybe how my move is going? Or maybe just how I manage to juggle a job, hobbies, and a social life all while staying fit with a smile on my face and shiny, perfect hair?

HAH. Especially if you thought anything about that last sentence was true. HAH.

Well, you're right about one thing. I'm going to write about my hair.
It doesn't always turn out shiny, and it sure is a far cry from perfect, but I've been making some changes to my routine over the last month or so, and in the last 2 weeks alone I've had more people ask me about my hair than in the last year.

Having curly hair is a blessing and a curse. Lately I've come to see it as more of the former, but growing up, it was a different story.
It seems like before about the year 1995, no one really knew a lot about curly hair. Any information available was supposed to apply to all hair types, whether it be cutting, brushing, cleaning, or setting your hair. Someone had finally turned curlies onto the diffuser, which helped, but for girls who lived in humid climates, trying to get your curls to look good and stay that way was next to impossible.
My own mom, who has full, beautiful hair, kept it in a pixie cut for most of high school in muggy South Florida, just because she didn't know what else to do with it. After she grew it out, she would blow-dry it most of the time, and it wasn't until after she married my dad she finally started to work with her natural texture. I have heard and read about similar stories so many times, and to those curlies who got through the 60's, 70's, and 80's without the products/information we have available today, I salute you.

As for me, I didn't really care much about my hair until middle school rolled around. Mom taught me to diffuse it, but beyond that, I just had no idea. I went from bushy, brushed-out hair, to helmet head ponytails, to crunchy misshapen curls, and all the while, frizz FRIZZ FRIZZ (using text size to demonstrate how it got progressively worse throughout the day). I got really good at the 'messy bun' look. Or, for me, a bun.
Basically, I spent days alternating which I hated more: my acne-prone skin, or my hair.
Through late high school and college, I found a mixture of products that more or less worked, but my hair would only feel healthy right after a cut, and never stayed that way for long. It always felt dry and just on the brink of total rebellion. I was treating the symptoms, not the cause.

Then, a few months ago, I decided to do some real research on my hair. I've been going to the same woman to cut my hair since middle school, and the 2 times I've 'cheated' on her, (and yes, that's what it felt like) I was horrified at the results. So, knowing this time around I would not have time to go home by the time I needed my next cut, I started looking up the real curl geniuses. I found one, but through his site, and about 100 links later, I found a storehouse of information on caring for curly hair; so much so that I found out styling, while important, is incidental. Healthy hair doesn't need or want you to mess with it much, and after hours and hours of research, I think I've stumbled upon a method that has changed the way I see my hair forever. I can now say, with no sarcasm, I LOVE my hair.
Not to mention that while yes, most guys prefer straight hair, the ones who like curly hair are REALLY REALLY into it. And hey, who can blame them?

This may all sound very shallow and narcissistic, but confidence is strongly linked to hair for many women, including me. My mom and sister always make fun of me for how much time I spend on my hair and face, but I feel like they are my best features, not to mention the ones people see first. I feel the most beautiful when I am healthy, and if my hair can project that, I can walk out the house with a little bit of swagger.

So, my fellow curlies, this is for you. In my next blog (Part 2), I'll give you a step-by-step idea of the method I follow, and some helpful links if you feel like educating yourself further on this matter.

And to my dear beloved girls just born with shiny, healthy, straight hair, just to make it clear: we don't hate you.
Well, ok, sometimes we hate you, but on our best hair days, we know you get jealous of us too :-)