I can’t believe it’s been two years since I discovered the Curly Girl Method. For so many years I struggled with my curly hair, tried endless products unsuccessfully, and never found any that helped with my frizz or improved my hair’s condition. I’m still amazed that until a couple of years ago I’ve never heard of the Curly Girl Method but it was quite a discovery. I wanted to share with you today my Curly Girl Method before and after pictures. Some days it feels like my hair hasn’t changed that much and it’s only when I look at pictures from 2 years back that I realise how much better my hair looks now. I really recommend taking pictures on a regular basis to check your progress.
It’s easy to feel demoralised when you see people on social media and blogs showing amazing results after a couple of weeks or months. In reality not everybody sees the benefit this quickly. My hair looks good the day after I wash it, sometimes two days after, but it doesn’t *always* look great. The pictures I share here are the the ones where my hair looks at it’s best, but I also have a lot of bad hair days. So if you are starting the Curly Girl Method, please don’t feel deflated if your hair doesn’t look amazing after a few months. The Curly Girl Method can take a lot of perseverance and patience, it’s about trial and error and about finding products that work for you. Two years on I’ve realised I will most likely always have frizz, but I now know how to manage it a bit better and what products work for me.
Curly Girl Method Before
Before I started the curly girl method my hair wasn’t too damaged. I hardly ever straightened it and I only dyed it a couple of times a year, never bleached it so it wasn’t too bad. My hair was extremely dry, and still is although not as much, and I had a lot of frizz and no definition. I used to spend a lot of money on products specifically aimed at curly hair. I now realise those products are full of silicons and drying alcohols so they don’t make much of a difference to curly hair; in fact I think they make it worse.
Curly Girl Method After
I’m not going to lie, two years on my hair is still dry but it’s in much better condition than before. I’ve tried many products since I started the Curly Girl Method and I now have a better understanding of which ones work better for me and which ones don’t. I try to keep my routine simple using a co-wash, conditioner and gel and sometimes a mousse too.
London’s water is quite hard so my hair needs clarifying frequently which I do with shampoo or with an apple cider vinegar rinse. Clay masks are still a favourite of mine, and even though they are a bit messy they produce great results and are great for hair growth.
I try to have my hair cut a couple of times a year to remove my split ends, although I’m sure you agree that hairdressing appointments as a curly girl are not always a fun experience!
Top Tips for a successful curly girl method
- Ditch the shampoo. Yes, some people find hard to give up shampooing their hair, but believe me, it will be ok. Make sure you scrub your scalp really well with your fingertips for a couple of minutes when co-washing. It will take a bit of time for your scalp and your hair’s natural oils to get used to this new routine (the transition phase) but after a couple of months you will start to see a huge improvement.
- Deep Condition. Curly hair is naturally dry, so try to deep condition at least once a week, or even more if your hair is really damaged by chemicals and straighteners.
- Keep it simple. Start with a simple routine; a co-wash, conditioner and a styling product are good enough to start with. Make sure you stick to the same routine for a couple of weeks before you decide to introduce or swap any new products.
- Use microfiber towels. Cotton towels cause frizz, microfiber towels also prevent breakages
- Clarify every 6 weeks. It’s good to clarify frequently to avoid product build up.
- Do not brush your hair, especially when it’s dry. I detangle my hair when it’s wet in the shower, but I haven’t owned a brush for many years!
You can read all my other Curly Girl Method posts here
