What is the curly girl method?Creator Lorraine Messi explains everything

The dilemma of people with curly hair is real because they try to solve curly hair, flat roots, dry hair and many other problems. Enter the Curly Hair Girl Method (CGM), a system designed to help achieve better hair health and achieve optimal curls.

Weekly newspaper Yes Lorraine Messi, Who wrote it Girl with curly hair: Handbook, On how to start using CGM and what it is-more importantly, what it is not.

Messi ran Curly World, It sells CG-friendly products and provides advice on the Curl By Curl haircut she created.

She is also the author of this book Curly Kids: Manual, Which helps parents use this method on their curly-haired children, and Silver Hair: Say Goodbye to Dyes, Let Natural Light Shine: A Manual.

What is the curly girl method?

For Messi, the most important thing is that CGM is not a product, but a way of life.

She said: “CGM is a way of life and lifestyle. It uses a simple three-step curling procedure, no brush or comb, and three to four products (maximum). These products must be plant-based, plant-based, and all-round. Water soluble and rich in natural emollients, when combined with water can provide true hydration.

“The product should be free of sulfates and silicones.”

In the end, CGM is very simple, only three steps: cleaning, conditioning and styling.

Messi explained the complexity of this method and why these steps are important.

She said: “CGM follows three simple steps: cleaning instead of washing, like laundry, which can maintain the health and integrity of curls; conditioning, protecting, moisturizing and finishing curls; and styling to keep the curls moist and complete. To maintain their health and integrity. You wear them every day.”

Benefits of the curly girl method

Massey also detailed some of the benefits of CGM, including helping to show the natural texture of the hair, as well as obtaining better hydration and curl definition.

She said: “The curly girl method once you maintain the process and consistency, it will show the best natural texture of your hair-whether it is curly, spiral, wavy or wavy, curly, spiral or somewhere in between. Anything in between. In other words, what it is meant to be.

“CGM is a bit like planting a botanical garden-the more you lean towards it, the more results you will see.”

For Messi, her journey began at the age of 16, when she left a salon with ragged hair to find a new way to get a haircut.

From there, she discovered the benefits of abandoning sulfates and silicones, which are usually found in ordinary shampoos and conditioners.

She said: “It took me a few years of unhappy time to grow up before I saw the corkscrew spinning.

“The only problem is that dryness and frizz lead to excessive dehydration, because every shampoo will send every curl to the stratosphere for the rest of the week.

“Over time, I observed before the next self-cleansing cycle that my hair looked much better.”

Her journey ended in abandoning shampoo altogether and using silicone-free conditioner.

She continued: “As I continued to get a lot of compliments, for my unshampooed, bouncy, contoured, corkscrew hair, I started to delve into what shampoo really provides us and why it makes detergent. .”

Massey describes how sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)-as a so-called surfactant, used to reduce the surface tension between ingredients-can dry naturally curly hair by removing natural oils and sebum from the scalp.

In layman’s terms, surfactants attract dirt on the scalp and make it washed away. It also acts as a foaming agent, helping to create the soapy foam texture of shampoos that we are used to.

But Messi pointed out that by using our fingertips and rubbing, we can remove most of the dirt particles without using SLS.

She added: “Remember, our hair cannot be used like washed rags thrown under the sink. If you have hair, you will wear it every day of your life. No matter where you go, you will always carry it with you. Carry. We can see.

“You should love it just as you love your hands and feet and the rest of your body-it stays attached until death separates us.”

How to start curly girl method

Messi explained the simplicity of the method, but for beginners, it is still an overwhelming prospect.

But simplicity is one of the most important things to be aware of as a new CGM user. Massey warns new users not to be attracted by the idea of ​​”final cleaning” before starting, but to choose a sulfate-free cleaner.

Messi said: “Many people talk about the last wash, which is the last time a traditional sulfate-containing shampoo is used on the hair before starting CGM.

“But it is important to note that the final wash is not part of the curly girl’s approach-this is a myth that can damage the curly hair.

“Foam, soap, and foam-rich shampoos are very dry. This is bad for all types of hair, but it is worse for curly hair that is already naturally very dry.

“This is equivalent to drinking salt water when you are thirsty.”

Messi also pointed out that frizz is not the enemy many of us think, so this should not be a barrier or closure for new CG users.

She added: “Traditional shampoos are always applied to the top layer of the hair-called the canopy.

“The irony is that this part of the hair is most susceptible to dry frizz. Frizz is not a hair type, frizz is frizz waiting to happen, and frizz is frizz waiting to happen.

“You can never cure frizz. The amount of frizz you have or not depends on the condition of your hair.”

Messi added “curl muscles” that lock in over time, and as the hair texture begins to form, the hydrated curls are healthier and more elastic.

Messi also wrote a book called Curly kidExplain how important it is for children to start using this method as early as possible so that they “do not have to hate curly hair for life or not understand how to take care of it.”