My Curly ‘GINGER’ Girl Method (CGM goes CGGM)…owning my identity
You might have heard of the Curly Girl Method. Basically it was founded by hairstylist and curl expert Lorraine Massey, who wrote ‘Curly Girl: The Handbook’ which is a guide to getting really great curly hair using (and avoiding!) specific products and styling techniques. The aim is to maximise your natural wave, curl, or coil pattern while reducing frizz, dryness, and breakage. It can’t make your hair curly – it’s just bring out the best in it! The amount of information out there on this can be totally overwhelming (which is why I avoided it for so long). Plus I loved my ghd straightener. I felt like the most glamourous women had a straight, polished, sexy hair style. Curls for me were more prone to frizz, only appropriate for relaxing at the beach, and I didn’t think anyone would take me seriously at work with curly hair.
Then along came a pandemic and I was stuck at home with not much to do. It was the perfect time for a hair overhaul. It was also while I was still doing cancer treatment and doing anything to distract myself with something positive was good idea. So initially I was completely overwhelmed with all the CGM information out there, hair porosity, curl patterns, techniques (terms like plopping and raking what the!) various product ingredients….information overload! Try not to worry too much, you only need to follow the basics. So here are my basics for you:
Before
After
· Cleanse – no traditional shampoos as they are too drying for curls. Switch to a co-wash. Sometimes called low-poo or cleanser. I love Clever Curl Cleanser or As I am Coconut Wash. Sukin do a hydrating shampoo but I find this too drying but you can get it from the chemist if you need a quick, cheap option.
· Conditioner – find a good quality (no necessarily expensive) conditioner. I love Garnier’s Hair Food Papaya – cheap as chips and works wonders! Wide tooth comb in the shower and rinse with your head upside down (stops a lot of frizz on top this way).
· Gel – yep that gross stuff from the 90s. Use more than feels natural and scrunch it into your hair straight after conditioning while your hair is wet (and ideally with your head still upside down). I love Garnier’s Endurance Gel
And really that’s it – if you want to dry excess water out – use a microfiber towel (not your normal towel) or an old cotton shirt. I find it best to do this before I gel but most prefer after. And just let it air dry if you can or get a diffuser. Plopping at this stage is just a fancy way of saying you have your hair up in a towel while you do your make up – don’t overthink it. Just wrap your hair In a shirt or microfiber towel to reduce frizz and take out once your makeup is done.
So basically you just want to avoid silicones, drying alcohols, sulfates and your straightener! And I can get these products I love for less than $10 each at a chemist.
The other change is to stop washing quite so frequently. I aim for twice a week – basically every 5 days. My curls start to frizz and lose shape at 5 days. The great news is that it stays nice for most of these days and is super low maintenance. Again there is heaps of info out there on ‘refresh’ for day 2 and beyond. I find adding water to my hair just creates frizz so I avoid it. I just put a small amount of gel in my had, emulsify with a little bit of water and just smooth over my hair to get rid of that frizz. Some curlies like to finger curl to bring back curls with gel and water – this does work well but only fix curls that need fixing. Another learning for me was to touch my hair way less!
If you haven’t invested in a silk pillowcase I would thorough recommend this. I got mine from Groupon for like $20. Stops frizz and is anti-ageing – win win! To really help your curls, do a loose ponytail as high on the top of your head as possible (so it basically falls over your face) that way they don’t get squashed while you get your beauty sleep.
The overall transformation for me was massive – I went from having lose formed waves to quite lovely natural curls in less than 3 months. The first few weeks are tough and you have some extra frizz but then your hair just keeps getting healthier and healthier. I noticed how much quicker it grew and how much thicker it felt. The general health and condition of my hair improved out of sight. I also love my bright red hair so never stopped colouring it but choose gentle colours if you can just to maximise that hair health.
Probably one of the best things that came out of me doing CGM was a sense of owning my identity. I was no longer trying to fit in with all those polished straight haired gals. I was owning my vibrancy, my boldness, my curls. So many of my family and friends even commented that it suited my personality more – that they couldn’t imagine me with straight hair again. It’s been 18 months since I started CGM and I haven’t straightened my hair in all that time. I really do feel like the best version of me when I have curls and only hope that all other curlies feel the same – you don’t need to have straight hair and be the same as everyone else. Be you! I literally get stopped by strangers in the street commenting on my hair and I think it’s because it authentic, it’s unique, it’s vibrant, it’s me! So if you feel curls are more who you are – let them shine!
