Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Curly Girl

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When I was in my twenties, my hair was sleek and shiny, not to mention naturally blond. I wore it long and straight, always blow drying it after washing, every day. Things began to change, though when I had my first baby, twelve years ago. My friends asked me if I had colored my hair - darker! It lost some of its shine and wouldn't lay quite straight.

The more babies I had, the more unmanageable my hair seemed to get. I labeled it "bumpy." I wished it would either be curly or straight, but it couldn't seem to make up its mind, and I didn't feel like it looked good no matter how I tried to wear it.

Then, I found this book!

Can I just say, Curly Girl rocks! I found tons of great tips to make my "bumps" turn into actual curls. Here is some of the advice I followed to perk up my curls:

  • Never brush your hair again. That's right. Throw away your hairbrush. It will only stretch out the curls that are trying to be there.
  • Don't use shampoo. You heard me. Though this doesn't mean to never wash your hair. It just means don't wash it with shampoo. There are some great recipes for gentle, moisturizing washes in the book. My favorite is the "scrub" with conditioner and brown sugar.
  • Don't rinse the conditioner out of your hair. Curly hair is thirsty hair. It needs more moisture than straight hair.

There was one bit of advice that I just couldn't bring myself to follow, though. I'm sure you're surprised that I would balk at anything after I just admitted that I don't use shampoo or a brush, but yes, there is one thing that I absolutely will not do. This is where I draw the line: Cold water rinse.

Supposedly, it "seals the hair shaft, giving more shine." I've tried. I really have. I'm sorry. I. Just. Can't. Do it. In fact, I would be likely to give up coordinates for Allied Forces during a time of war if I were threatened with a cold water rinse. I need my hot water, people.


Other than that one torture tactic (shudder), the book is a gold mine of ideas for us gals who have hair that won't behave under normal circumstances. If you ever feel like your hair is bushy, bumpy, or frizzy, you just may be a "Curly Girl" and you haven't discovered it yet.

That's what "Works for Me." You can find lots more great ideas at Rocks in my Dryer.

To see a photo and the Lavender Mist recipe, go to my "More Curly Girl" post.
Edited to add: My scalp does not itch because my hair is never dirty. I do wash it every day, just not with shampoo. I use conditioner and a combination of other ingredients to scrub my scalp thoroughly. It is squeaky clean and always smells fresh.

18 comments:

Unknown said...

I would love to have curly hair but I can't go an but a few hours without brushing my hair! I'm a brush-addict!

Cherish the Home said...

I have this book and really enjoy it too!

I used to have stick-straight hair until about 5 years ago and now it's wavy.

I can do the cold water rinse but washing with conditioner is what I can't do. Instead I buy natural shampoo without detergents.

Blessings,
~Mrs.B

Brandy Brow said...

I've used the cold water rinse and it really does make a difference. Of course, I have the advantage of directing frigid water away from my body with my long hair. But doesn't your head itch terribly from being dirty if you don't shampoo it? (Dry Scalp, I assume, as Dry Scalp shampoo cures it.) I don't know how anyone can go without shampoo.

I would never ever throw away my brush, either. Although my hair is wavy and can curl well by blow drying when scrunching it to my head, my brush is a must with hair that reaches my fingertips. Dredlocks do not equal bountiful curls! ;)

You have my curiosity perked enough to check out the book. Thanks for blogging about it.

Brandy of The Building Brows

Anonymous said...

I tried Curly Girl for a while. :) I didn't like having to spend so much time on my hair.

But I would have kept up with it, except for the fact that I have two kinds of hair. The hair in the back of my head is really curly. The front (sides) goes straight no matter how hard I try.

I have even tried Curly Girl at different hair lengths (below the waist and shoulder length) and the front just goes stick-straight. The back is still cursly, even with brushing and everything. :P Do you have any advice for me??!!

Nikki said...

Sounds like a great book! I know my hair is really "thirsty" too. I lost my brush once and never really missed it. I have a large tooth comb that I use after my shower. I'll have to check out this book.

Anonymous said...

Brandy, I added an update at the end to explain why my scalp is never itchy. As for the dredlocks...Nope, don't have 'em!

Tammy,
The hair on one side of my head is straight. If I can't get any curl at all in it (after gel and pincurls), I just pull the top portion back in a clip. My back and especially underneath is the curliest.

Anonymous said...

I have stick straight hair. STICK.STRAIGHT.

Wish I had slightly curly hair! :)

Great WFMW. You inspired me to do one, too!

Have a wonderful day!

Bethanie said...

Would you post a picture of your hair and tell what the other ingredients you use are.
I'm pretty desperate for information on this subject. What I've been doing isn't working.
Also, if you don't brush your hair then what do you do?

Lori - Queen of Dirty Laundry said...

Thanks for the tip! I have wavy hair that just sort of lies there, but I would love to have bountiful curls. I'll definitely have to look for this book.

Laura said...

Wow I think I'm rushing right out to purchase this! I have major hair issues with my frizzy curly mess...yuck!

Thanks for the tip!

Laura

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tip. I have very long hair and it's naturally wavy/curly. Lately, I can't get it to do anything. Will add this book to my wish list!

The Estrogen Files said...

WOW!! I have bumpy hair, but not as curly as my middle daughter! I will be purchasing this book. Thanks for a great WFMW!

Unknown said...

I'm a CG. ;)

I LUV it... I feel like I can "do" my hair and it will stay "done" all day long. Before -- when I was trying to straighten it -- it would be "undone" before noon. YUCK!!

Hooray for Curly Girls! Ü

Anonymous said...

That's great help! My hair has straightened since my first pregnancy, but my daughter's got curls that I've never been able to manage. Thanks for the tips!

Someone Beautiful said...

Oh your hair is beautiful! Please, when you get the chance, will you share your daily "hair wash" recipe and which conditioners you use? Thanks for posting the lavendar water recipe. :) I am a curly girl with frizzy hair that looks different every day. I have heard of Curly Girl, but the thought of never washing my hair was just too gross. I have extremely dry hair but oily roots. The way you have described it, I can live with -- even a cold rinse. Thank You!

Anonymous said...

I just found your blog off of Kim's (In a shoe) blog and have been checking out the archives. I saw this post and just had to brag-I know the girl on the cover of the Curly Girl book! She went to college with my husband and when we were at a wedding together discussing our curly hair, the book came up. Her hair really is as gorgeous as in the picture. Just had to share:)

SarahBeez said...

I don't know if I could ever give up brushing my hair (I do it in the shower w/ conditioner in and then comb before & after products) it gets SO tangly and it's a good way for me to get out all of the hair that falls out throughout the day but gets caught up in my hair. I never brush it dry or without conditioner in at least!

As for leaving conditioner IN I may just give that a try but I'll have to wait for a weekend in case it feels too gross (I have a sensitive head!)

Cold water rinse- I don't know if they make a big difference for me, I usually forget to pay attention to any differences, but I do them once in a while. Usually only when I take a shower in the afternoon, I hear ya on the hot water, especially first thing in the morning!

Anonymous said...

I am a 53 year old curly girl. I have spent my life time trying to get my hair just right. Just recently I found that less is better, less product,fussing ect.Now I never use shampoo and use product sparingly the results are amazing.If I could go back in time I would have not spent all my time and money on things that never worked in the first place.

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