If you have been using any social media lately, it is quite likely that you have come across the “Curly Girl Method”! This is a personal process that includes steps such as, cutting off unnecessary/harmful products, how to apply healthy products, and how to protect your hair. 

Firstly, you want to make sure when you are washing your hair, you use a shampoo that is sulfate-free in order for your hair to be rinsed of wax buildup, but also retain some of the natural oils. I prefer to rinse with shampoo twice before using conditioner, just because there may be some remaining wax or silicone, and you want to make sure that your scalp is completely clean after each wash. Conditioner is one of the most important parts of the curly girl method, and the conditioner you use can make a huge difference in the results. There is a scale to help figure out the type of curly hair you have, and it is ranked using the letters A, B, C, and with the levels 2, 3, 4. Personally, my hair type fits between 2B and 2C, but there are various other ranks and levels you can fit into. Next, you want to purchase a conditioner that works for the type of hair that you have, for curlier types like 3B and 3C, you could use brands like “Pattern” and “Bounce Curl”. For wavier hair, similar to mine, you could use products like “Shea Moisture Hydrate and Repair” and “Maui” conditioner. 

After detangling your hair with conditioner, it is now time to style your hair. This part is also mainly dependent on the type of curly hair that you have. Depending on the product you use, which can range from “Shea Moisture” to “Mielle”, you then have to fix your hair to curl the way you would like. This is done by using products such as curl gels, curl creams, and curl smoothies. Once you apply this product to your hair, you want to start scrunching your hair to the point where it starts forming crisp waves or curls. A side note, when applying these products, ensure your hair is completely wet, if it is dry, the hair will just end up with large amounts of frizziness. In order to dry this hair, there are also many methods you can use, personally, I prefer air drying it, and continuously scrunching it, but you could also use a diffuser to get rid of the gel coating, or the excess water. 

If you have grown up with curly hair, chances are you have spent most of your life without this method, and simply just brushing out those luscious curls. Now is a better time than any to quit using heat products, and begin embracing the curliness.