Curly Girl Method – Part 1

Who among you hasn't heard of the Curly Girl Method ? In Italian it translates as " the curly girl method ," but it's now so well-known that even people with straight hair have encountered the term at some point.

But what exactly is CGM?

It's a way to take care of your natural curly hair, trying to eliminate frizz and make it more defined and elastic.

Inspired by Lorraine Massey's manual "Curly Girl: The Handbook" ( 2011), it is based on an important fundamental principle: embracing the nature of curly hair and treating it with the utmost respect.

For this reason, it mainly involves eliminating all products that contain sulfates, silicones, drying alcohols, waxes, phthalates, and mineral oils.

Furthermore, straighteners or other tools with high heat should not be used. For the most uncompromising, even a hairdryer is not recommended, and it is advised to let the hair dry in the open air. When this is not possible, the use of a diffuser is obviously allowed.

Straightening treatments are prohibited, and it is recommended not to brush your hair when it's dry, but only while in the shower, perhaps with a wide-toothed comb.

For some time, this Method circulated almost exclusively online and only in niche circles, before gaining recognition in the last 2-3 years and becoming the "Bible" for curly-haired people.

In fact, today there are countless blogs or social media groups dedicated to the topic.

CGM involves several phases, let's take a look at them together!

In her book, Lorraine Massey recommends, as a first step if necessary, an initial haircut to remove all the damaged ends, so that you can then start the method in the best way and regain a defined and voluminous hairstyle.

Once this is done, we move on to a real step-by-step process , structured in the following way:

Final Wash – the final wash to remove accumulated silicones from the hair. Only in this case should you use a sulfate-containing shampoo, but one that is silicone-free.

Continue subsequent washes with co-wash or low-poo shampoo .

Apply the conditioner – you can apply the conditioner using the STC ( Squish to Condish ) technique. This involves applying the product to completely wet hair, upside down, and squeezing it between your hands to ensure the product penetrates well. Then rinse.

Styling – after washing your hair, you can apply creams, mousses or gels (it's important to pay attention to the ingredients). It's recommended to apply the products to very wet hair, squeezing it between your hands and moving from the bottom up (the so-called scrunch method).

Gently pat your hair dry using only microfiber towels or an old t-shirt, so as not to electrify it and to prevent it from absorbing too much water (as a traditional towel would).

Let your hair air dry or use a diffuser (on low temperature), touching it as little as possible.

Refreshing – To revive curls in the days following washing, you can dampen them and then reapply styling products. Finally, dry them as described above (if necessary).

Of course, it takes a little patience to see results. Usually, the minimum time needed to see improvements is about three weeks.

The techniques for washing, drying, and styling , however, vary. To find your ideal routine, you need to experiment!

We'll see you in the next article ( here ) to take a closer look at these phases.