During the time that I was gone, I didn't really do anything different with my hair. I basically practiced the same regimen. I styled my hair in mini twists & twist outs. I've just done the same old thing...until now...
I have decided to try the Curly Girl (CG) method on my hair. For those of you who don't know, the CG method was designed by Lorraine Massey. She has a book called Curly Girl. It describes in detail on how to care for your curly hair. Yes, we as African Americans do have curly hair. With her methods, you do not use shampoo on your hair. I know it sounds crazy to some people but you do not use it on your hair. You may however use a shampoo that is sulfate free if you feel as though you have to shampoo your hair. You wash your hair with conditioner (Co-wash) that is free from silicone. Also, you do not use any type of styling tools on your hair. That means no combs, brushes, flat irons, blow dryers, etc. I know you are reading this & by now you are probably saying, "No shampoo, no combs. This girl is crazy." This method has been proven to work on all types of curls from waves to zig zags. Gel may be used as a styler. The gel should not contain alcohol, silicone, or parabens.
Over the weekend, I tried out this method with my hair. Right now I think I have the Scary Spice look!
The book says that it may take about 2-6 weeks before you are able to notice a difference in your curls. I sort of followed mahogany curls' (www.youtube.com/mahoganycurls) technique of the CG method. I washed and finger detangled my hair with Tresseme Naturals conditioner. I then applied TIGI Bed Head Moisture Maniac conditioner to my hair as a leave in & applied ECO Styler Gel. I used the brown protein gel that has a level 8 hold. I don't think it turned out horrible. I think that as my hair gets the proper moisture, my curls with flourish. Some parts of it are a little frizzy. I think it is partly due to lack of moisture. Also, you should not disturb the curl while it is wet. I couldn't keep my hands out of it. It took a long time for my hair to dry. I did my hair Friday night. Sunday night, one portion in the middle of my hair was still not dry. I'm not sure if I applied too much product to that section or if that's just how long it is going to take to dry. If you wish to not use gel on your hair, Summyr1988 (www.youtube.com/summyr1988) also explains how she does the CG method on her hair. She just started the CG method a few months ago & she documents her progression.
For more info on CG method, Lorraine Massey's book Curly Girl is a great starter point for the basics. You may need to do some tweaking based on your hair & your lifestyle. There are also many great bloggers out there that demonstrate how the method is done.
Have a great day!
Naturally Me
