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This is the number one question I’m asked during my video Curly Consultation sessions, so I wanted to make a whole post about it. For more information about these consultations, Click Here:

These are my suggestions, and in somewhat of an order I’d recommend trying them. Everyone will have different tips and different orders so it’s up to you how to plan your frizz battle.

First of all a little frizz is totally normal for curly and wavy hair.

1) Are you in transition? If yes, you could def be experiencing frizz.

2) How damaged is your hair? The more damaged it is, the higher the chances you’ll have frizz.

3) Could it be a protein mimicker reaction? Check your products for coconut, aloe, seaweed or sea kelp. Try avoiding them one at a time.

4) Are you in an area with humid weather? Is it summer? Try avoiding glycerin.

5) Are you using too much leave in? If it’s humid or summer, try using less .

6) Are you using enough gel? If it’s humid or summer, try using more gel and/or a harder holding gel.

7) Are you using enough water? Or using too much water? Both can cause frizz.

8) Did you just try a new product? Could be a negative reaction to an ingredient or product. If you suspect this is the case, put the product to the side.

9) Could you be protein sensitive? Try reducing protein or try switching to the smaller proteins, like hydrolyzed silk protein or hydrolyzed keratin protein.

10) How’s your protein moisture balance? Both too much protein and too much moisture can cause frizz.

11) Do you have split ends? Trim them off ASAP! Cut them off to prevent them from traveling up your hair shaft.

12) Could it be buildup? If you’re cowash only, a lo poo might be enough, Apple Cider Vinegar rinse or Lemonade Rinse. If you use lo poo regularly, try a Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse, Lemonade Rinse, or a clarifying shampoo.

13) Could it be an issue with hard water? Try a hard water shampoo.

First of all, if you’re in protein overload, it’s going to be okay! I am going to help you get out of it. Just keep reading.

As I’ve discussed in both posts right before this one, protein mimickers can make it look and feel like you have too much protein. I’d recommend first looking into seeing if its a mimicker reaction because it’s a much easier fix. Click Here to read more information about these mimickers. The worst offender is coconut. Try clarifying, then going 3 washes with no coconut and see if that does anything. Any ingredient with the word “coconut” or Cocos “Nucifera”. If it’s not a mimicker, or you can’t tell and you are unsure on which direction to go(moisture or protein) or feeling overwhelmed, it won’t hurt to assume it is protein overload. Worst case scenario, your hair may get overmoisturized, but this is much easier to get out of. I always recommend to try moisture before protein for this reason.

This is what can cause protein overload:

1) Doing protein treatments (Aphogee, gelatin) when you didn’t need to
2) Doing protein treatments too often
3) Leaving protein treatments on too long
4) Not deep conditioning after a protein treatment
5) Doing protein treatments and also using protein heavy products
6) Using protein heavy products for weeks or months without balancing with moisture
7) Loosing track of how much Neutral Protein Filler you’ve been using, using too much of it, or using it too often. This is a very potent product, and if you have hair that can’t tolerate too much protein, this can definitely put you hair over the edge.

It’s important to also check by FEELING your hair. Is it rough, dry, brittle, tangled under layer, stringy, cast wont break? So rough that it pricks you through your shirt?

So how do you get out of protein overload?

1) Clarify. ACV rinse will work fine. Click Here to see a tutorial of how I do it. Or if you prefer or a clarifying shampoo that’s fine too. Just make sure you deep condition after!
2) Immediately stop using any products with protein. Click Here for an easy to read list of the different kinds of protein.
3) Deep condition more often. Like weekly.
4) Try not washing out all the conditioner from your hair. Leave a little in there
5) Try spending more time doing STC
6) Leave more water in your hair before and after styling
7) Try using more leave in conditioner
8) Try plopping for longer. Like 30 min.
9) Click Here to read more tips for adding moisture.

Once you think your hair is starting to balancing out,(this could take a while, like a few months depending on how much extra protein you have in your hair, so hang tight) you can slowly start adding in a products with protein again so you don’t tip the scale too much towards the other direction of overmoisturized hair.

Keep in mind that even those who have been CG for years can still get confused with this balance, only it does get easier over time to know what your hair wants.

I’ve FINALLY figured out my hair doesn’t need too much protein. It doesn’t need protein treatments. It just wants products with protein sometimes, mostly in conditioners and gels. But my hair’s favorite way to get protein is by adding like 3 drops of NPF into the conditioner I use or the deep conditioner I use. NPF added to my normal wash day products is too much for me. I have to give a big thank you to my curl friend Megan for helping me with this. She has soooo many helpful posts explaining how she knows he hair doesn’t need much protein, how she figured this out, and how she keeps her hair balanced.

If you would to have a one on one Curly Consultation with me, Click Here for more details.

I’m going to start off with overmoisturized hair,  because I have more experience with that it’s easier to understand and treat.

So let’s start from the beginning. Are you currently in transition? If this is you,  I’d reccomend waiting until after transition before adding protein or buying new products. Transition hair,  as frustrating as it is won’t last forever.  But I think it makes more sence to wait until after transition to start activity adding protein because at that time your hair is so unpredictable, and not looking too great because your hair is still adapting to this new way of caring for your hair.

Also,  transition hair usually needs all the extra moisture it can get after being deprived of it for so long.

Click Here to read what transition hair is.

Click Here to read my transition hair tips…. they’re good…I promise.

If you’re past transition, these are what I’d recommend you look at:

1) What products have you been using? Are they all protein free? Or do they have protein,   but they are low on the ingredient list? Click Here for an easy to read list of proteins you can use to check your products. The top 5 ingredients are what your product mostly consists of. And after that,  the further down the list you go,  the concentration of the ingredients will be less and less. If there’s protein in the top 5, it’s considered to have a good amount of protein.  If it’s middle of the list,  there’s some.  And if it’s towards the end of the list,  there’s barely any. Also,  there can be more than one type of protein,  so the more kinds of protein there are, the more protein the product has,  and also depending on where it/ they are located on the list. 

2) Have you been deep conditioning more often? Have you been balancing by adding a little protein during or after? 

3) What does your hair FEEL like? Is it soft, mushy, gummy,  sticky,  feels like cotton candy?

4) Are you sure it’s not a protein mimicker reaction? This can be confusing because mimickers can make your hair look and feel like you have too much protein,  when it doesn’t,  that’s why they are called protein mimickers.  But they can also make it look like you have too much moisture. This can be very confusing,  especially if you’re new to CG. Click Here for more information about the mimickers. 

If you answered to these questions, or your answers were mostly yes, and you’re not new to CG, you probably do need more protein and less moisture.

So how do you balance it out? How do you add more protein? 

You don’t need to clarify because there’s nothing you need to remove. I know you’ve probably seen some people recommend this. But I don’t think it’s necessary at all, I think it will actually make it worse,  especially if you’re using a sulfate shampoo.

I don’t recommend jumping into a full on protein treatment (like gelatin or aphogee). I actually don’t recommend this to anyone under 4 months CG.

I also do not suggest using Neutral Protein Filler, again,  until you’re at least 4 months CG. It is a tricky product. If you have hair that doesn’t need as much protein,  and you overdo the Neutral Protein Filler or do one of the above protein treatments when you didn’t need to, you could easily put yourself into high protein or protein overload,  which can take months to get out of. And protein overload can lead to hair breakage.

Try one of these suggestions:

1) Try a deep conditioner that has protein in it. 💜Mielle Babassu & Mint Deep Conditioner is a popular one in the curly community

2) Try adding in a product every wash that has protein in it. (I prefer conditioners and gels. These just seem to work better for my hair). If you think you still need more protein,  try using two products with protein every wash.

3) Try a combination of 1 & 2.

If you think it’s still not enough protein, and you’re past transition, consider a beer rinse. It’s considered a protein treatment,  but milder than the aphogee and gelatin. Adriana has information and a tutorial about beer rinses on her Instagram page. 

A step up from that would be to try the gelatin or aphogee. But make sure you follow with a deep condition after either of these two. Marisa has some great information on her Instagram page on gelatin treatments. 

I don’t believe a rice water rinse is a protein treatment.  I think it’s actually more of a treatment to add moisture. This is because the molecules are nowhere near small enough to be able to penetrate the hair shaft. 

Once your hair starts looking like it’s balancing out, start easing up on the protein a little.  Keeping your hair balanced will take time, patience and trial and error. Keep in mind that even those who have been CG for years can still get confused with this balance, but it gets easier over time as you learn what works for your hair.

If you would like a one on one Curly Consultation with me, Click Here for more details.

I’m going to be completely honest here.  The protein moisture balance was the hardest concept for me to understand.  I’ll probably be have to write multiple posts about this topic because there’s a lot to it.   I’m currently 2 years CG, with about 5 months previous experience from my first attempt at it.  I keep thinking….okay, I definitely got it now!….. but then I mess it up again.

Thinking back, my hair was doing a lot better before I joined the curly hair community on Instagram.  I was just using a handful of products that worked really well for me and I was keeping everything super simple.  Meaning no treatments at all, except a deep condition every 3 ish months after I got my roots touched up. And that was it.  I actually think my balance was perfect back then because I wasn’t manipulating my hair so much with trying to add protein or moisture.
To see the the products I was using back then and the simple routine Click Here: (coming soon) 

I don’t want to put down the curly community by any means. The support, connections,  and real life friends I’ve made over there were more than I ever expected. 

I think what happened was I was suddenly introduced to sooooo many new products and sooooo many new routines. It didn’t take long for me to break the promise I originally made to myself before I started my 2nd round of CG…..to keep everything stupid simple.

I started buying more products in hopes they would work for me like they did for other people. I gave into product fads and bought what seemed to be the most popular product at the time,  and my hair absolutely hated it. This played a part in not only messing up my balance I had going,  but it also started making my hair so unpredictable trying too many products too quickly.

I started doing deep conditioning weekly, when my hair was perfectly fine doing it every 3 months which caused my hair to get overmoisturized

I started using more products with protein in them,  thinking I could use an extra boost of protein.  

And when I started upping the amount of NPF (Neutral Protein Filler) I’d put in my products and starting doing protein treatments, like gelatin, because I saw others having success with them, I’d go into protein overload

Now I know you’ve read about all the different signs to look for to figure out if your hair needs protein or moisture,  but it’s not always easy figuring out which way to go.  And I think a big part of it,  that you probably don’t hear too often is that protein overload can look very similar to moisture overload. They can both make your hair very frizzy.  They can both look like your curls are dropping.

I’ve always found the stretch test inconclusive.  It just doesn’t give a good enough answer. I’ve tried it so many times,  on so many occasions,  and it’s never helped me.  It’s very difficult to try to figure out the percentage of how much your hair is stretching. And it’s hard to figure out if it’s snapping too fast or not. I gave this up a while ago.

Now what I do to figure out what’s happening with my hair is mostly by how it FEELS.

This is what I look at now now to try to figure out if I have too much protein: 

• If it feels very rough & brittle , like rough enough that’s its uncomfortable if it touches my bare back or pokes through my shirt.
• If it’s very tangly, especially on the under most layer,  outer most layer,  and the face framing pieces
• If I’m hearing it snap off when I’m gently taking my hair out of an elastic. I learned this from my curl friend, Amber 
• If the ends are fraying, and feeling like those are the roughest getting parts

And also thinking back:

• Did I do a protein treatment or treatments when it wasn’t necessary? 
• Am I using too much Neutral Protein Filler. My hair only really needs like 3 drops to balance a deep conditioner.
• Have all or most of the products I’ve been using contain protein?

If you think you have protein overload, Click Here to see how to get balanced again. 

This is what I do now to figure out if I have too much moisture: 

• Was I deep conditioning too often?
• I’d also check and see if I was accidentally not using any products with protein for too long. 
• If it looks frizzy,  curls dropping,  but FEELS soft and smooth

If you think you might have too much moisture,  Click Here to get it balanced again

Also,  it’s important to note that everyone’s hair can look a little different at both protein overload,moisture overload and balanced.  This is what my hair looked like at these 3 points. Over time you’ll learn to figure out which way to go for your hair.  But remember,  you’re not the only one who struggles with this.  Like I mentioned before,  I still struggle with it.  And I’m sure many other people get lost, even if they’ve been CG for years.  They may just not share it on their Instagram accounts. 

What helped me the most to understand this better was to imagine it like a seesaw. You don’t wanna tip too far in either direction. You wanna try and stay in the middle. Sounds easy, but it takes time and practice. 

Over time,  and through trial and error,  you’ll start figuring out if maybe your hair doesn’t need all the deep conditioning.  Or maybe it doesn’t need extra protein and that just a few products with protein would be enough for your hair when it needs it.

Not to try to confuse you even more,  but I  also recommend you to look into protein mimickers even before you start figuring out your balance. It could be  that your hair might not tolerate one of the mimickers,  but your balance is fine. These tricky mimickers can make it look like you’re in protein overload when you’re not.  

Click Here to read more about the protein mimickers

I’ve finally realized that I just need to go back to what I was doing before. No protein treatments.  Deep condition once every few months.  And use a product every wash or every other wash with protein.  That’s it.

My hair just doesn’t need that much deep conditioning. And the part that took me much longer to understand, is that my hair also doesn’t need that much protein. It seemed to like it more before, but now it doesn’t. I learned about the protein part from my curl friend, Megan .She has a lot of information on her account about why she doesn’t use much protein anymore.

If you would like a one on one Curly Consultation with me, Click Here for more details.

I’ve had long hair since I was about 18. But it didn’t start to get super long until I started Curly Girl Method.

You’ve probably already seen a ton of these “how to grow your hair long” tips,  but I think mine are a little different.

1) STOP trimming it!  Trims are not necessary as long as your hair is healthy. It’s a myth just to get you back in the chair so you spend more money. You only need to cut if you have heat or chemical damage.  Hair grows about an inch every 2 months.  So if you’re getting regular trims every 2-3 months,  you’re not gonna get anywhere because you’re cutting off all the new growth.  The longer you wait before trimming, the faster it’ll grow.

2)Find a hair stylist that LISTENS to you.  If you say an inch,  and they take off 3, you’re gonna go backwards.  Or try trimming yourself with a Unicorn Cut. Click Here to see my tutorial.

3)Follow the Curly Girl Method.  It is a much more gentle way to care for your hair. And the 5 min of cowashing massages the scalp and can help promote growth

4) Don’t use too much heat or chemicals on your hair.  Use low heat when diffusing.  Using regular color on your hair is less damaging than bleach. A demi or semi color is much more gentle on the hair than permanent color.

5) Be gentle when detangling. Use lots of conditioner to help with the knots.  A wide tooth comb or your fingers will be the least pulling. Click Here to see how I detangle.

6) Don’t wear tight hair styles too often and alternate your part. When I want to put my hair up, I either use hair sticks or hair clips. Click here to see which ones I use. 
www.lillarose.biz/Lorayne

7) Don’t try to force hair products to work when they aren’t.  This could lead to extra tangles and extra breakage

8) Don’t switch your hair products around too fast. You could lose track of what’s working and what’s more not

9) Drink lots of water and eat a well balanced diet

10) Exercise frequently

So, you’re used to doing your hair a certain way for SO long, probably even decades for some of you. Then you stumble across this curly girl thing.  At first, maybe you brush it off because you either don’t want to risk it in case your hair looks even worse. Or maybe you just think it’s way too much. But then maybe you start getting more curious. What is this CG thing is all about? Could it really work for me?  So you browse through before and afters, and you think,  no way! These girls must just be really lucky and have perfect hair.  But as you see more and more of these transformations,  you think wow! –  Maybe this is an actual thing that works!  Maybe I should try this!

I’m going to be honest here. Being new to CG can be tough.Transition can be very frustrating. And All the new terminology can be overwhelming.

Maybe you second guess yourself. But you decide to make a real effort at this in case it really can improve your hair.

So then you have to go out and buy all new products and completely start from scratch. Create a new routine with new products. 

There got to be a point where I realized my wash day got to be way too much. I had to SLOW DOWN. I had to keep reminding myself that I don’t HAVE to buy all the products I keep hearing about. I don’t HAVE to do all the techniques I keep seeing. I don’t HAVE to make wash day SO MUCH MORE than it used to be pre CG.  I HAD to make wash day enjoyable again!  I never had a holy grail “product”. I had a holy grail “realization”.  And this was it!

These are a few of the things that really helped me: 

As someone with anxiety, learning to navigate all this wasn’t easy. I had no map and I was going in blind.  It was big guessing game,  lots of trial and error. I’m the kind of person like wants to know exactly how to do something before I start,  and have all the information in one place.  I didn’t really have that when I was new. But it is the whole reason I started this website. I wanted to put it all out there, all in one place,  and also simple and easy to follow information. I will do the best I can to make this easy for you.

If you’re new to Curly Girl,  or to my website,  Hi! 

If you also have anxiety,  and/or anxiety about your hair,  I see you! 

If you would like a one on one Curly Consultation with me, Click Here for more details.

Transition Hair Tip #1 

Greasy Hair

Try washing your hair more often.  IT’S OKAY TO WASH YOUR HAIR EVERY DAY! You may notice that most people each it  it less often, like maybe every 3 – 5 days, but this is probably bc they have CG longer than you. Wash your hair when you need to, on your own schedule, not someone else’s.

You can also try increasing your scrub time, especially if you’re cowashing. Cowashing requires at least 5 full min of scrubbing to properly cleanse the roots and scalp. 

Try an ACV(Apple Cider Vinegar)Rinse Rinse or Lemonade Rinse. Click Here to see a tutorial of how I do an ACV Rinse.

Try a brown sugar scrub.

Transition Hair Tip #2

Frizzy Hair? 

Try deep conditioning more often. Transition hair needs a lot of moisture. You can choose a one that is store bought. Or you can make own by adding a few drops of a CG safe moisturizing oil. My favorite products to deep condition with are Not Your Mother’s  Matcha Green Tea & Wild Apple Blossom Nutrient Rich Butter Masque and Sally’s GVP Conditioning Balm.

Try avoiding protein mimickers  (coconut,aloe, seaweed/kelp). For more info about protein mimickers, Click Here: 

Try avoiding protein.  Your hair might not need it right now.  Or your hair may just not like the kinds of protein you’ve been using.  Click Here to see a list of proteins

Try reducing products with humectants. The most common one is Glycerin.

Transition Hair Tip #3

Do Not Do A Protein Treatment 

IF YOU ARE UNDER 4 MONTHS CG, I HIGHLY ADVISE YOU NOT TO DO A PROTEIN TREATMENT. This is because you might put your hair into protein overload,  which can take MONTHS to recover.

Instead, if you think your hair wants protein,  try using one product with protein every wash or every other wash.  If you think your hair needs even more,  try adding in more products with protein, one at a time, until you think your hair is more balanced. Click Here to see my favorite products with protein. 

Transition Hair Tip #4

Beware Of Product Fads

Just because a product or a product line works for someone else, doesn’t mean it will also work for you.

As you get to know your hair,  and try new products,  you will  figure out what works and what doesn’t through trial and error.  But this will take some time. When you want to try something new, only try one new product at a time so you can keep track of what products your hair likes and doesn’t like.

Transition Hair Tip #5

Don’t Compare Your Hair

Instead of wishing you had someone else’s curl pattern, texture, volume, or length, learn to love YOUR hair.  You can’t even compare your beginning with someone else’s middle.  If you find yourself doing this,  try taking a break from all the hair social media.

The only comparing you should be doing is looking back at your own hair and how it’s changing. 

Transition Hair Tip #6

Take Photos And Notes

When you are beginning your CG journey,  it really helps to take pictures of your hair and also jot down notes of what you used and how you used them. The more detailed notes,  the better.  This way you can easily refer back to what worked and what didn’t.  It will also help prevent confusion.  As you learn more and figure out your hair’s needs, you won’t have to do this as often.

Transition Hair Tip #7

Make Your Routine Enjoyable

  If your wash day starts becoming too much, remember….You don’t HAVE to buy all the products. You don’t HAVE to do all the techniques. You don’t HAVE to make wash day SO MUCH MORE than it used to be pre CG.  If your wash day isn’t enjoyable, MAKE IT ENJOYABLE!

Transition Hair Tip #8

 Learn How To Read Labels

Learning ingredients and how to read labels will take time,  but it’s definitely worth it. This will help you figure out if certain ingredients bother your hair so you can avoid them.  You don’t have to figure out all of the ingredients at once, but even just knowing a few is a start. 

For example,  it didn’t take me long to realize my hair can’t tolerate coconut. So I avoid anything that says “coconut” or “cocos nucifera” in the ingredient list. 

Transition Hair Tip #9

Start Simple & Cheap

There are so many Curly Girl safe products out there now,  and new ones coming out all the time.  When you’re new it can be hard to tell if something’s working or not bc transition hair is unpredictable.  It’s also a time where your hair will look worse before it starts looking better.  So it makes sense to start off with the cheaper products during this time until your hair starts improving or you start understanding your hair and this method better.  I also highly reccomend starting off with minimal products so you don’t get overwhelmed.  One lo poo or cowash,  one leave in and one styler.  

Transition Hair Tip #10

Save Your Receipts 

If you have your receipt, most stores will take back your used products and refund you if it’s within 60-90 days and if there’s at least 75% left in the bottle.  Even if you don’t have your receipt, many stores will still take them back, and give you store credit instead. Target, Walmart, Ulta and Amazon are all very good about returns. 

Transition Hair Tip #11

Watch Tutorials

Reading about how to care for your curls does help,   but watching what to do can help even more.  I don’t mean watch all the tutorials about everything curly hair all over the internet.  That can be overwhelming for beginners.  But watching tutorials about the just the Curly Girl basics can help a lot.  For example; how to cowash,  how to STC,  how to plop and how to diffuse.  @curlsandbeautydiary, @itscurlysusie, @laura_marie_smith, all have really great videos on YouTube.  These easy to follow tutorials were the ones that helped me the most when I was new.

Transition Hair Tip #12

Modify & Simplify

As you explore the curly hair internet world,  you’ll come across many hair video tutorials.  But remember, when you see a routine you like, that you think might work for you,  you don’t have to do everything exactly the same.  You don’t have to use all the same products,  or even the amount of products they used.  Try it with products you already use and like, or with a smaller lineup of products.  You also don’t have to do all the techniques shown.  Don’t be afraid to change things around,  or shorten certain parts to make it work for your hair.  Think of it like a buffet; choose what you like & leave the rest behind.

Transition Hair Tip #13

If It’s Working Keep Doing It

If you find products or a routine that work well for your hair, stick with it!  There’s no need to fix what’s not broken.  I’m not saying never try anything new.  But it’s easy to fall into the temptation of wanting to try everything out there.  When you do try something new,  try one thing at a time so you don’t lose track of what worked and what didn’t. 

Transition Hair Tip #14

Have Realistic Expectations

Transition takes time.  Don’t expect your hair to start looking better immediately.  Remember, transition is usually 3-4 months.  Also as your hair gets healthier, your curl pattern may change,  but don’t expect it to look like your hair goals.  I don’t even think having hair goals is that healthy.  Instead of wishing for someone else’s hair,  learn to love your own.

Transition Hair Tip #15

Progress Isn’t Linear

Whether you’ve been following the Curly Girl Method for weeks or years, there will still be bad hair days.  There will be ups and downs along the way and it’s perfectly normal.  However, generally speaking, the further along you are the less you’ll have and the easier it’ll be to troubleshoot.

Transition Hair Tip #16

Keep Your Wash Days Balanced

When you’re new, all this Curly Girl information can be very overwhelming.  And the protein moisture balance might actually be the most confusing part.  So,  instead of trying to figure it out all out before you understand your hair well enough,  just keep your wash day balanced.  Choose one product with protein to use every wash day.  This should give your hair just enough protein, so you don’t end up with protein overload or overmoisturized.  If you feel like it’s too much or too little protein,  either scale back and use the protein product every other wash or try using a 2nd product with protein. 

Transition Hair Tip #17

Take Advice With A Grain Of Salt

There’s nothing wrong with asking for advice.  There will be a lot of it,  especially in the CG FB groups.  It’s important to learn to figure out what you think will actually benefit your hair at that specific time.  Lots of people are eager to help and have good intentions.  But not everyone actually knows what to do.  It’s confusing when you have diff people telling you to try all diff things bc it makes it hard to choose what to actually do.  I suggest asking how long someone has been CG before jumping into their suggestion.  Also, if someone gave you great advice before,  try asking them again.  And don’t be afraid to learn to trust yourself!  As time goes by,  you’ll become more and more confident in your own knowledge.

For information on a one on one Curly Consultation with me,  Click Here: 

What is transition hair? 
Transition is the period of time it takes your hair to adapt to the Curly Girl Method.  Your hair will probably look worse before it starts looking better. But don’t get discouraged! It won’t last forever!  Without  silicones coating your hair anymore,  it can look dry, dull, & frizzy.  Without sulfates, your hair & scalp can get greasy as it gets used to more milder cleansers.

How long does transition hair last? 
How long transition hair lasts is different for everyone,  but the average seems to be about 3-4 months.  It may take  more or less time, depending on the health of your hair when you begin.  For example,  if you were regularly using direct heat (flat irons. curling wands and blowdryers without a diffuser) or if you were regularly using bleach, it may take longer for your hair verses someone who didn’t, or did them less.

The first time I started CG, in mid 2017, my transition lasted about 5 months.  It was very frustrating.  There were many days that I cried because of how my hair looked.  And I thought it would never get better. But once I started understanding what my hair liked and didn’t like, it started getting better.\

The second time I started CG, in July of 2018, I honestly don’t even think I went through transition at all.  My hair looked really good right away.  I’m guessing it I’m bc I already had the 5 months from before of past experience as well CG knowledge

To read about why I quit the CG method,  that first time,  click here: (coming soon) 
 

Click Here to read my transition hair tips

If you would like a one on one Curly Consultation with me, Click Here for more details.

Step 1) The Final Wash

Wash your hair with a shampoo that has sulfates,  but no silicones. Make sure you rinse thoroughly. This will remove the non water soluble silicone buildup from your hair. Silicones are like a fake plastic coating around your hair, that don’t allow moisture to get in.   The faster you remove them,  the faster you will begin to see progress. After you’ve done the final wash, avoid all sulfate shampoos.  If you skip the final wash,  it will take considerably longer to see results.  Silicones will eventually wear off, but can take months and prolong your transition time. After you’ve done the final wash and removed the silicones,  your hair probably won’t look as “pretty” at first.  But if you stick with it, you’ll start to see what your natual curls or waves can do!

Here are a few easy to find final wash shampoo under $15:

• Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo
• Suave Ocean Breeze Shampoo 
• Herbal Essences Black Charcoal Shampoo
• Ion Hard Water Shampoo

Note: The final wash wasn’t in the book, but was added in the online community(Facebook groups). As you learn more about the Curly Girl Method,  you’ll notice more differences between the book, Facebook groups,  and the curly community on Instagram. In the book,  she doesn’t say to final wash. However the strictest FB CG groups say to do it just to get the silicones out faster. This is what I learned when I was new(in early 2017). It made sense to me then and it still makes sense to me now.  It’s really only one more time using a sulfate shampoo, and I think it’s worth it to just have a fresh start.  But you have to remember other things in the book aren’t followed word for word either. (She says to never use sulfates again,  but many clarify with sulfate shampoos.  I do not.  She says no brushes at all, & definitely no dry brushing, but again,  some people do both. She says to never use direct heat again…flat irons, curling wands,  blow dryers…  but some still straighten & blow out their hair. ) Ultimately you just have to decide for yourself how strict you want to follow. I always recommend beginners to start off strict, and modify if you want,  but when you understand the fundamental principles. This website is made with the intention to simplify and explain the best I could. Since there are so many people following this method now, & the curly FB groups are also getting bigger & there’s more & more of them,  the information is interpreted a little differently. The ones I always recommend are the stricter ones. Curly Girls! (Conditioner-Washing Group for Women) and The Curly Crew! (Curly Girl Method Support Group for All)

Step 2) Cowash

 Choose a Curly Girl safe conditioner or a Curly Girl safe product marketed as a cowash to wash your hair.  Make sure to scrub your scalp and roots for at least 5 full minutes.  Conditioners don’t have cleaning ingredients that are as strong/harsh as a shampoos so that’s why you need the extra scrub time to clean the scalp & roots thoroughly.

Will washing with conditioner make your hair greasy?

At first your hair may be greasy if you just started CG because your hair goes through a transition period of getting used to milder cleansers and no silicones. Transition generally lasts about 3-4 months,  shorter for some and longer for others. Once you’ve passed transition, as long as you’re scrubbing for at least the 5 full minutes,  your hair shouldn’t be greasy anymore.

To help with greasy roots, you can try an ACV(Apple Cider Vinegar)Rinse. 1 tablespoon of water mixed with 8oz water. Click Here to see a tutorial of how I do it.

How do you cowash?

Wet your hair under the shower. Then apply conditioner all over your scalp & roots. Massage well with your finger tips in tiny circular motions for AT LEAST 5 MINUTES. Even though conditioner CAN clean the hair,  you’ll need to scrub longer since the cleaning ingredients aren’t as strong .You don’t need to cowash the length. Anything that trickles down the hair is enough to clean it. Just make sure to rinse it all out.

Click Here to see a tutorial of how I cowash

Should you condition after?

When you cowash,  you’re cleaning the hair.  You’ll still want to follow with a conditioner on the length of your hair. 

How often do you cowash?

As often as you like. 

These are my favorite conditioners to use for cowash:

• Yes to Carrots Nourishing Conditioner
• VO5 Moisture Milks Stawberries & Cream Moisturizing Conditioner
• V05 Extra Body Volumizing Conditioner

Step 3) Deep Condition

Deep conditioning adds moisture to your hair. You can either use the same conditioner you used to cowash and mix with a few drops of a Curly Girl safe oil. I just use my regular conditioner with no added oil. This is the one I use: Sally’s GVP Conditioning Balm. You can also buy a Curly Girl safe store bought deep conditioner. This one is my favorite: Not Your Mother’s Matcha Green Tea & Wild Apple Blossom Nutrient Rich Butter Masque . Apply the deep conditioner generously throughout the length of your hair.  Then put it up and put a shower cap over it.  For added heat, wrap a towel around the shower cap.  Leave this on anywhere from 30 min to 2 hours.  As you get to know your hair,  you can personalize deep conditioning more to work for you.  After this initial deep conditioning,  you don’t have to deep condition every time you wash your hair.  You can alternate between deep conditioning and just conditioning as you learn your hair’s needs.

When in your routine do you do it?

Here’s a few popular ways:

• Wash, deep condish,  style(I do this one)
• Wet hair, deep condish,  wash, style
• Apply to dry hair, wash, style

Step 4) Detangle

You’ll want to start detangling while you still have all the conditioner lathered in your hair.  This is when your hair will have the most slip. With conditioner still in your hair,  run your head under the water for a second and squish water in.  Repeat until hair starts feeling softer.  Add more water or conditioner as needed.  This is called Squish To Condish (STC).  Start detangling at the ends of your hair,  and slowly move up your length to your roots.  The most gentle options would be either a wide tooth comb, I use either of these 2, or just your fingers. They will be the least pulling on your hair. Some modified curly girls choose to use a wet brush, which isnt technically CG approved, but it comes down again to how strict you choose to follow. The denman brush isn’t meant for detangling, it’s meant to help in the styling process.

To see a tutorial of how I STC and detangle, Click Here

A quick note about hair loss

Following CG method should not cause hair loss. It’s normal to loose some hair when detangling. Shedding 50-100 hairs a day is normal. It can look like more if you have longer hair. And if you’re going 3 or 4 days between washing,  it will be that many times more hair. 3 days would be 150-300 hairs. As long as you’re being gentle, you should be fine. Detangling too roughly, getting frustrated with it,  can cause hair loss as you would be ripping hairs out. 

If you do notice sudden hair loss, I highly recommend talking to your doctor to rule out anything serious.

Step 5) Leave In Conditioner

 Leave in conditioner will help keep your hair moisturized.  Transition hair usually needs all the moisture it can get.  You can either use a product marketed as a leave in conditioner or you can use some of your regular conditioner.  You will eventually figure out which works better for you as well as how much or how little to use.  Generally speaking, if you have longer or thicker hair,  you will probably use more leave in than if you have shorter or thinner hair. 

Do you have to use it?

Nope, you don’t.  But most curly girls do.  If they don’t,  they probably use a cream instead.

My favorite leave in conditioners are Giovanni Smooth as Silk Direct Leave In Conditioner and Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave In Conditioner

Step 6) Style

Choose a CG safe gel, cream, mousse,  hairspray, or a combination of any of these,  to help hold your curls. I recommend just choosing one of these to start with. Gel seems to be the most popular. You can either apply them to soaking wet hair right in the shower or to damp hair.  There really is no right way to style . You just have to figure out what works for you through trial and error.  When you’re new, it’s best to start simple and with a routine similar to your pre CG routine. Then, as you learn what your hair likes and doesn’t like,   you can switch products around as you go along.

Here are some popular ways to style:

• Raking-  Rake stylers in using your fingers as claws, like a cat
• Praying hands – Take both hands,  facing palms inward towards each other and glide your stylers on your hair inbetween them
• Scrunching – Take your hair in the palms of your hands and gently squish your hair up to your head
• Finger coiling – Twirl small sections of your hair around one of your fingers

To see my styling routine,  Click Here. You’ll see 3 different ones there,  I do the first one 95% of the time.

Step 7) Dry

You can plop or microplop, or a combination of both.  Plopping is way of using a cotton t shirt or microfiber towel to help form/set your curls.  Microplopping is a way of using a microfiber towel or t shirt to gently squeeze/scrunch some water out of your hair. I don’t have any tutorials of these,  but if you YouTube them,  you’ll find them. Most people will plop/microplop before drying.

If you are new, there’s nothing wrong with air drying, especially if you’re just starting CG in the summer months.  And some people prefer to just air dry all the time.  If you do diffuse, use cool air.  I belive even the warm air is still too hot. I’d recommend only using warm air only for short periods of time if you do. Heat from a diffuser is considered safe because its not direct heat like flat irons and curling wands. 

My favorite diffusers are the Xtava Black Orchid and the DevaCurl DevaFuser

Step 8) Scrunch Out The Crunch (SOTC)

What is it?

It stands for Scrunch Out The Crunch. Once your hair is dry it may feel hard and crispy (a cast)

How do you do it?

You just start gently scrunching your hair.  As you’re scrunching, the cast will break, leaving your hair feeling soft.

What do you use?

You can use your bare hands, a t shirt, or a satin or silk scarf. You can also use a CG approved oil and put a small amount on your hands.

How long do you scrunch?

Until the cast breaks and your hair is soft.

What if the cast doesn’t break?

You can try putting a little conditioner on your hands,  rub them together,  then scrunch. Or you can grab a dampened t shirt and scrunch. If you are having trouble breaking the cast, it could mean you might have used too much product or the product was too strong for your hair.

What if I don’t get a cast?

That’s perfectly normal.  Not everyone does.  You can still achieve defined waves and curls without one. 

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After these initial steps, skip step 1 and start at step 2.  For step 3, you can go back and forth every other wash with conditioning or deep conditioning as needed. 

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If you would like a one on one Curly Consultation with me before you start, or if you are feeling overwhelmed, Click Here for more details.