by
Chinwe
*Dawnyele, the second YouTuber referenced in this article, passed away on October 19, 2012, shortly after giving birth. To support Dawnyele’s young son, Zaylen, consider donating here.*
By Loo of HealthandHair.blogspot.com
What is the Curly Girl Method?  It is method developed by Lorraine Massey and Deborah Chiel to help care for curly hair.  The method entails frequent co-washing, finger combing, wash-n-gos, no shampoo, no silicones, and more.  While many curly ladies have caught onto the routine, it is rare to find a kinky-haired gal who has, largely because of the regular wash-n-gos and co-washes involved.  But on youtube, there are a couple of kinky gals who are experimenting with the method and one who actually has very similar routine.  These women are featured in the videos below, and can perhaps be inspiration to those with type 4 hair who desire to wash more frequently and wear their hair loose in the summer.
For a more detailed description of the method, check out their book titled “Curly Girl: The Handbook“.  For a short description of the no-shampoo routine involved in the Curly Girl Method, check out this article.
1. Though she didn’t exactly use the Curly Girl Method, Cynthiarf was the Type 4 Queen of wash-n-gos, frequent co-washes, and finger combing, which are components of the regimen: video tutorial.
65 Responses
I found the curly girl method recipes to be fabulous for my 4b/c hair. I found this book on amazon. For those who are interested it available on amazon. Heres the link
I use the Tightly Culy Method, which is similar to the CGM. I have 4a hair with low porosity, so I need a leave-in and deep conditioner. I also need a shampoo for cleansing. I wash and go all the time. The TCM has my curls popping and not as tight or clumped looking.
Interestingly I must say do definitely resonate with some of ladies here who have said that the curly girl method did help with clumping of hair. I was more than certain that this wouldnt work for my 4b/c hair and really was skeptical at the beginning. I did commit my self for months to stick to the CG method and interestingly I ended up with definitely well moisturised hair that clumped very well with definition. After all the comments I have seen anti- CG( as in appears not resonate with many people with kinkier hair), I have my website which details the CG process for me and what my journey was like. http://www.blackcurlygirlmethod.com
I’ve been natural for 3 years and I wish I would’ve done the curly girl method much sooner!! My hair is fine but very dense. Super coily, I guess the texture is somewhere around 4a with 4b and 4c patches here and there. I got tired of wash day taking an entire day and retwisting my hair every night, only to have my ends popping off all over the place. Since doing the curly girl method, I’ve noticed that my hair clumps up into curls more and defines all the way to the roots. It’s much easier to detangle as well the more I wash. My hair is actually shiny. It has never been shiny. I think the key is to finger detangle as well. That being said, my 4c patches don’t define well, but they aren’t super tangled either. I think the key is curl clumpage. If your curls clump together, then the curly girl method will likely work for you. Just a matter of finding the right mix of products.
I think the problem is that type 4 girls expect their hair to look like type 3 hair. Since type for is naturally coily, it has greater shrinkage. However, I personally don’t mind it and I have gotten compliments on my hair. I simply wash, condition, detangle, moisturize, put leave in conditioner and finally a sealant. I just make sure my sides are laid and my hair is looking nice.
I am so sorry to hear about Dawnyelle’s passing. That is devastating.
On the topic, the Lorraine Massey Curly girl WNG method did not work for me. I have been trying to refine my hair maintenance process so I read Lorraine Massey’s book. I Like what she had to say and felt she was doing a great job of teaching “curly” girls how to appreciate their hair. I don’t define my self as a curly girl. I am more of a Wooly/Fluffy girl. The technique doesn’t work on wooly hair. My hair does curl in the back but not at the top. It’s wooly! And I love it! Not combing my hair was not an option for me! I have to comb it to set it! I also found that I had way too much conditioner in my hair. This method left my hair white and very goopy. It took too long to dry… So I will continue with my method:
Co-wash
dry with a t-shirt
Part my hair In squares
Moisturize,
twist and tuck to set and
style the next morning.
RIP LADY. GOD’S PEACE,MERCY, AND COMFORT BE WITH YOUR FAMILY
I have super tight, shrunken coils. My hair is so dense and thick that twist outs, bantu knots, etc take HOURS to do. Since doing the CG method and wearing wash and gos, I have more time to actually live my life rather than styling my hair! To detangle, I first use my fingers to stretch the coils out then go over it with a wide tooth comb–all while my hair is sopping wet and loaded with conditioner. The CG method has made my hair so soft–softer and more supple than any other regimen. My kinky coils are more defined. But it’s still super tight, kinky hair. I really had to find a comfort zone with the way that my hair is, the way it looks and the way it grows out of my head. All that styling was too much manipulation, too much effort and too much time wasted trying to make my hair look like someone else. CG is also much cheaper and easier on my wallet. Now I use a $1.49 conditioner and $3 gel instead of the pricey hair care products that break the bank.
Yesss! Finally someone who gets it! I HATE spending hours on styling, literally wasting my life away to style my hair and getting it to be elongated but still moisturized yet still full its entirely too much. I have all 4 types on my head and I absolutely love wetting my hair everyday. I don’t care if it shrinks up, that’s what it does. Dry hair doesn’t work for me, I hate the way it looks and feels, and while I could add oil to have shiny-but dry feeling hair or shea butter to have tacky-but dry looking hair, it’s just not worth it.
Conditioner & oil Wash and go puffs work for me. And sometimes gel for the perimeter of my head. I too use inexpensive products. V05 clumps my hair perfectly and aloe vera gel occasionally.
4 haired ladies please stop getting frustrated with your hair in an effort to make it look like something else. I get ssk no matter what I do and its OKAY, its just what our hair does. 🙂
I am a 4c, the reason why many ladies are frustrated with their type 4 hair is because they don,t have much knowledge on how to take care of their hair type.
I started using the CG method this week and it has been amazing. My hair is mainly 4a, but the textures range from a strip of 3b down the top, 4b in the crown and clumps of 4b/4c mixed all over the place. I do have fine, thick hair (very thin strands but tons of them) and my hair is usually pretty soft and seems to absorb water like a sponge.
My hair is only 4 inches long, so who knows what it will be like as it gets longer. I co-wash daily, then run Giovanni Leave-In conditioner in it and let it air dry. It seems that my coils have loosened (the ones that were the diameter of a knitting needle are now pencil width). The clumps of 4b/4c still don’t coil, but I think it just adds more interest to my hair. I’ve always had soft hair, so I actually get more definition doing this than doing twists or coils. And it is so much easier. The key seems to be to get my hair sopping wet and put in the Giovanni in the shower. My hair dries fast so even waiting 10 minutes outside of the shower is too long.
I have 4B/C hair and its short kind of a layered bob, so when I wash my hair there is serious shrinkage! Then along with the shrinkage are knots that take for ever to get out, so to do so many cowashes are not doable, I still wash my hair once a week and that seems to be alright, but I can’t wash and go because my hair locks together. I can’t really even really detangle my hair with my fingers all that much, so I use medium heat on my blow dryer to get the majority dry then I let the rest air dry. For such short hair its an all day process. I hope it gets better onc eit grows out more.
Not sure what my number is, but I know I have thick, coarse and nappy hair. Wash and go is never the biz because the shrinkage takes things to the left pretty fast.
I generally stretch on flexi rods and then just rock protective styles or I do twists and twist outs. Half of the styles and “methods” I see out there would never work for someone with as much hair as I have and the type I have.
I have been CG for a few months–modified because I go over my finger detangled hair with a comb for “good measure.” It has increased the moisture in my hair so much that I do not need to moisturize as much as I once needed to. I also do not wear wash and gos. I usually wear bantu knot outs, braid outs, and twists.
CG is not just for wash and go’ers!
I have 4b/c hair and when on holiday [only to hot places] I will do a wash and go everyday, I find that I can have sort of 2nd etc day hair but I have to rewet it to reactivate the gel, I always wear it in an Afro puff. When I stop getting curl definition I simply add more gel until wash day.
However, I get a lot more shedding when I wash my hair and I only finger detangle after I DC.
When I have my hair in a stretched style I find that when I wash it I have shed much less hair.
I would love to stick to the wash and go method but it is impractical as I live in the UK and the winter weather is too harsh. However on holiday when I do the wash and go method I find my hair loves it, I get great curl definition and my hair feels spongy, springy and soft. Love it.
I have type 4 hair and just started a modified curly girl method. Anyways, I’ve noticed in the past couple weeks my hair has less tangles and feels more elastic. I don’t use gel because it does nothing for my curls, coils, or naps lol. I just let it do what its gonna do.
How sad that such a vibrant young lady passed away. Just got teary watching that video and hearing her talk about her pregnancy. Her family’s in my prayers
I didnt even look at the vid, it was sad when I seen her pic, btw I tried to vote thumbs up, which I thought I was voting…
I believe I have 4a hair. It is easy to do my hair. I use Kinky Curly products. I wash, finger comb and add gel and I’m done.
I really like my hair, but I find many men do not like short, natural hair. C’est la vie!
[img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ktc1rhyi1m_191340663-2.jpg[/img]
If the men you are around don’t like your hair, then it’s time to find new men. Their are plenty of guys out their that love short natural hair. These are the men who know that for a woman to rock it she’s has to be both beautiful and self confidence.
I must agree, WNG’s aren’t for everyone. I have BSL 4B hair that is very, very, very, DENSE. My mother and sister both are 4A/B’s whose hair is far less dense than mine and for them the WNG isn’t a big deal.
As for me, when it comes time to detangle I’d have a better chance of shaving my head, lol. My hair has no sort of uniformed pattern and it just snakes and constricts around itself. Making detangling a process that takes over an hour. My theory (as far as detangling goes) is it helps to have a curl pattern regardless of curl size.
I love my texture but there are some things that make a bigger chore for me later that I just will not do. I like changing my hair styles too much and the detangling factor is huge for me. I love my texture I get about 70% shrinkage and that all fine to me. My big lioness sized braid/twist outs are awesome because of the density of my hair.
You work with what you have, and celebrate the differences of others. Self hate isn’t always the cause.
From far away my hair looks like a cottony puff, and even though I’m BSL, it shrinks up to neck level, but when I wash & go, my hair is more elongated. I detangle the ends of my hair in the shower with a comb, & rock it with a headband. There seems to be a LOT of misinformation about a wash & go. The purpose is CONVENIENCE, not CURLS! Why are my fellow 4B/4C sistas SO HUNG UP on curls & so anti-shrinkage? Embrace what you have or you’ll never be happy!
Well for some 4B/4C it is a major INCONVENIENCE especially for those with really fine/thin strands.
Not all 4B/4Cers are the same, while your BSL hair shrinks to neck length my APL hair shrank to 1-2 inches when I tried it this weekend (HORRIBLE tangles and SSKs)
So its not being “SO HUNG UP on curls & so anti-shrinkage”, its preferring a painless existence, also it is by “embracing my hair” that I know this is not a practical option for me.
I agree with you coily +1000
Not all 4b/cers are at BSL or find WnG convenient. The whole point is that it is often the opposite. I get tangles as a result of shrinkage. My non uniform tiny coils wrap around each other causing knots and painful detangling sessions, loose wet hair results in ssk and an inability to style. If 4b/cs who don’t do wng were hung up on curls then they’d keep trying to make this work for their hair. I don’t and know others who rely more on PS don’t do wng because it does more harm than good. It’s great that it works for you Amanda and that shrinkage doesn’t result in an over extended wash day but I’m going to keep doing PS and washing in sections. It’s not about fearing your hair, it’s about managing it and getting the best out of it. That’s not wng for me.
It is lovely to hear a 4b/c lady speak positively about her hair. I don’t know if some commenters realize it, but whenever they speak about their hair it is always with a negative slant focusing on what they cannot do or what they have to do that others don’t or what is so hard for them. It is so irritating.
You are right! When you speak negatively about anything.. not just hair.. you speak it into existence and bring that negative thought to life. So if your hair is that, this and the other, it WILL be strife for you literally.
I don’t think wng are designed for hair outside of the 3,4a hair types because you need curls to define. To me, 4b/c hair would just be loading your hair with gel and asking for trouble. While co washing is great to combat dryness for this hair type, my hair shrinks to oblivion, tangles and becomes covered in ssks. It’s like a type 1 trying to get a good twist out. For me, the key to happier hair is working with it. Also why does all 4 hair get lumped together? There are extreme differences between 4a, b and c.
I agree, I have 4a hair and a section that is 4b and its like night and day!! The 4a has curls/coils for days the 4b not curls and drier! Its almost like 4bc should be 5ab..lol
The point of CG is not curl definition, it is curl hydration and health. Definition is icing on the cake.
by the way, you can do cg without wash n’gos.
I dont CG, I do ME!
Curly girl method is about the preservation of the curl pattern for those who previously had a lot of frizz/lack of definition due to use of harsh sulphates and silicones. What do you think curl hydration leads to? More clumping and uniformity. I don’t think most curly haired people who follow this method are looking for hydration primarily, the name says it all. Also I know the C&G method can and is used by all hair types myself included when it comes to avoiding cones and co washing hence I said co washing was good for combatting dryness in 4b/c hair.
I know what it is, I dont follow someone elses rules to natural hair, I do whats best for me!
You came up with what is best for you solely by doing your own research? Or you observed or read about someone’s experiences and adopted it wholesale or tweaked to work for you?
Just curious since you don’t follow anyone else’s rules. Did you invent the idea of shampooing? conditioning? deep conditioning? protective styling? what did you do that you invented yourself? Really would love to know.
I’m 4a-c and get 5 day hair with this method. It’s better for my hair than protective styling because it’s low manipulation.
WnG are definately not for me I have tried it too many times and all I end up is a tangled mess.
Glad you mentioned cynthiarf…I began following her when she first started putting up videos and I was a HUUUUGE skeptic. (“She ain’t got no curls…this child is dreaming…”)
Turns out her method (with some tweaks) actually worked for me. It showed me that I did have a small but definable coil pattern and it allowed me to wear WNGs long past the length where I’d stopped in the past (4 inches) without a lot of tangles and SSKs. And all I had to do was simply encourage my coils to coil.
If you have coils that pop out when your hair is wet but disappear when it’s dry (or show up as scattered nubs in a carpet), try cynthiarf’s method.
(I don’t really do the Curly Girl method. Cones are my friends. 🙂 )
Lol @ trying wash n go on my 4c naps. It only took but one one time for me to realize that I don’t have that kind of hair. My hair taaaaaangled something fierce! No ma’am, never again. Protective styling all day e’yday lol.
I definitely follow the curly girl method. It’s a time saver for me and I have kinky hair (don’t like the hierarchal feel of the number typing). It works well and in my experience, the hair eventually starts to respond to the method-if you remain consistent-so that the finger detangling process just got easier and the curls, and twizzles, and coils just stand at attention and don’t frizz as easily because I’m leaving conditioner in. It’s been life changing, seriously. And In the winter I just use my diffuser for a few minutes to avoid going out in the cold with wet hair (and, I find that it minimizes the shrinkage).
I may still use twists/twistouts and braids as as a styling option in the future just for the sake of something new but they’re exhausting and time consuming and for a fine haired woman like myself, it sometimes felt like I was doing more harm than good by doing those styles.
Everything isn’t for everybody but I do think it is something worth trying and tweaking to suit your hair as needed.
RIP gosh hair seems so trivial in light of this sad news
RIP gosh hair seems so trivial in light of this post
I have more than one texture in my hair; the front half being 3cish and the back half being 4a. At first, I tried a wash-n-go, applying products to soaking wet hair. Then, just this past Saturday, I did an accidental wash-no-go that came out GREAT! I make a turban with a cotton t-shirt to help get rid of excess water while i cleaned my room a bit. i took the shirt off, planning to bantu knot-out, when i noticed that my hair was nearly dry and my curls were defined. I added some leave in and some gel and let it air dry. looks and feels amazing!
I recently tried the curly girl method and i love it! it helps tame my type 4 hair, while giving definition to my type 3 hair. I originally tried a WNG method from youtube and it didnt work for me. Everyone just has to tweak it to make it work for them.
That technique you used to dirty your hair is called plopping or plunking. I do it every day when I do my wash and gos and it definitely helps dry and define my hair. Plus, my hair is low porosity and prone to product build up . Plopping helps absorb excess product. I have 4a hair w/a sm amt 4b in the front. The 4b hair takes time to define. Those curls don’t naturally clump as well. If I had a whole head of 4b hair, it might be really time consuming to stylemyhair every day. Now it takes about 15 -20 min and most of that time is Ithe shower. I get GREAT results with Devacurl products (created by Lorraine Massey) and use her Curly Gorl method. Love it! It did take month or two to improve my definition substantially. And now it’s just getting better and better. Here’s a photo from my trip to Devachan Salon (the one with green borders)…
[img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/image-2.jpg[/img]
And one from me styling my hair at home…
[img]https://bglh-marketplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/image-3.jpg[/img]
I meant to say dry your hair, not dirty…touch screen…sorry!
I have tried them, and they work for me. I have coils that vary in size from the regular drinking straw size down to coffee-stirrer size. I can define them all. They shrink like the dickens, however, and there is frizz after a few days.
The thing about wash n goes for us with 4b/c hair is that you can’t have hangups about your texture.If you start talking that slave boat, un-kept nonsense you may as well just move on. You gotta know that it will pretty much look the same wet as it it is dry just more shrunken. WE HAVE NO CURLS TO DEFINE so the purpose and out come of our wash n gos are a diffrent. While others are highlighting their curls we are highlighting its nappiness in all its glory. Wash n gos( does any one from a few years ago remember when this was called a shake n go lol) in my opinion are a style best done in the summer when constantly wetting your head feels good. Come winter not so much. I mean you won’t get sick from having wet hair in the cold but it does suck to have wet hair in below freezing weather. Also one key thing to remember about wash n gos when you have our texture and shrinkage is to keep going. Meaning this isn’t a style you get bored with mid-week and up and decide you want corn rolls or twists all of a sudden. With this style you must maintain it for a while before switching cause the detangling will be something fierce. To aid in this I find it helpful to stretch the hair with large twists before detangling either with your fingers or in the shower with a wide tooth comb and PLENTY of conditioner( use PLENTY of oil for slip if your a dry detangler).The twist don’t have to be neat just apply plenty of oil or conditioner to your hair and grab big random chunks and twist. The goal is to stretch it enough to gently detangle without crying lol. Once you stretch it detangling and transitioning to another style is pretty simple. Also it goes without saying that pass shoulder length, and that may be pushing it, the wash n go may become a wash n no. This is a cute low key style that is more about technique than product. Gel is pointless cause again we have nothing to define.Also no gel means you get to skip a step! Yes! Best products are a really moisturizer and some oil for a nice sheen. Hope this helps somebody.
WE HAVE CURLS THEY ARE JUST TIGHTER
I agree. We do have curls, they are just tighter. I am a very kinky type 4 and my hair is actually longer and more defined when wet. When my hair is dry you have to pull at my curls in order to see it’s definition… so I wouldn’t say that type 4 women don’t have curls.
I’m feeling this response! You see, a chick like me has majority 4B hair with sprinkles of 4A at the top and in the back. When I use gels my coils do get defined but they are hidden mostly inside my massive fro/kinky hair. So it doesn’t look like I’m rocking a twist/braid out, it looks like a coily afro. Lets not forget shrinkage as we all know about, so no thanks. I like to show my length, I’ll probably do wash n go’s more when my hair gets longer. If I really do need to wash and be out of the house, Ill just throw it in a puff. When I take it down I spray it with a mixture of water and oil and my tangles melt away.
Sorry, didn’t see the other comments before I posted.
Sadly, Dawnyele passed away last month…
Just to let BGLH and everyone else know Dawnyele unexpectedly died a few weeks ago while giving birth to her baby. My heart goes out to her family. RIP Dawnyele
Dawnyele passed away in October.
If I’m not mistaken, the vlogger Dawnyele has passed away. This article needs to be revised.
I tried the curly girl method for a while. Got bored and went back to my regular routine.
I’ve also tried wash-n-gos and it was alright, but I can never get 2nd day hair. Maybe it’s the gel that i HAVE to use to hold the curls, but once I pineapple at night, my hair is smooshed and so not the business on the 2nd day so I just don’t anymore. (I’m type 4b-c) btw.) If anyone has tips on how to preserve a wash n go, i’d appreciate it, as I want to do more in the summer 🙂
To preserve just add water- and oil or glycerin if your hair likes it in a spray bottle. Spritz your head misting lightly and gently fluffing your hair into a shape you like. Or simply take a warm shower without a cap/ bag and let the steam hit it to re-plump. Don’t forget to add some more moisture and oil when your done if you take the shower route.
I agree. I have short 4a/b hair and a similar challenge. I will do the same suggestions as Jennid and I will sleep with a plastic shower cap over slightly damp hair and a scarf at night. In the morninging I shake my head and/or run my fingers lightly through my hair for the desired style.
mysrip Dawnyele <3
RIP Dawnyele..
Anyone with natural hair can wash n go the question is can you do it if you have no curls or coilys!! The point of a wng is to wear the hair in its curly/coily state!
I know most naturals do “wash and go’s” to enhance their curls/coils but isn’t a wash and go just what it says-wash it and go. I think we sometimes get to caught up in defining curls and coils..just wash your hair or co wash…add the leave in..seal and go..
Just for information Dawnyele has passed away some weeks ago….
May her soul rest in peace.
Rest in peace Dawnyele. Prayers to her fam
Thanks, Nubiahbella. The article was written before her passing. I’ll ask to have it updated.
So sad … She is dearly missed.