Is the Curly Girl Method the Key to Perfect Hair? (Yes. Honestly, Yes)
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I’m gonna be honest here: One of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my beauty career was figure out how to correctly do the Curly Girl Method. IYKYK, and if you don’t—welp, that’s why I’m here. Because as anyone with curly hair knows, there's (annoyingly) no guidebook that's given to you in junior high to teach you how to take care of your curls. So instead, a bunch of curl experts devised their own, distilling decades of information, tutorials, products, and DIYs into an all-encompassing way of life called the Curly Girl Method, or CGM for short.
I've personally been following the Curly Girl Method off and on since high school (!), so I can honestly tell you that CGM really, truly, 100 percent can transform your curly hair…if you actually know what you’re doing. But of course, that's easier said than done. As you've probably already discovered, there are one-trillion articles and videos on the internet devoted to loving CGM and also hating CGM, which makes it hard for a beginner to figure out the absolute basics of how to start the Curly Girl Method themselves.
So, since I was once in your position myself, I went ahead and created the guide I wish existed when I was in high school. Below, you'll find everything you need to know about starting the Curly Girl Method, including the step-by-step CGM routine, a ton of curl product recommendations, and a whole bunch of reassurances. So take deep breaths, nestle in for a long read, and get ready to screenshot.
What exactly is the Curly Girl Method?
The Curly Girl Method—officially founded by hairstylist and curl expert Lorraine Massey, who wrote Curly Girl: The Handbook—is quite literally a guide to getting really excellent hair using (and avoiding!) specific products and styling techniques. (FYI, most of the info you'll find online, including here, tends to be variations of Massey's original CGM method, modified over the years to include a wider range of wavies, curlies, and coilies.)
Though the specifics can differ—i.e., someone with super-tight coils may not follow the same exact guidelines as someone with fine waves—the idea behind the Curly Girl Method in general is the same: By figuring out the best cocktail of ingredients and application methods for your exact hair type—you can find out your hair type here—you’ll be able to amp up your natural wave, curl, or coil pattern while reducing frizz, dryness, and breakage.
Does your hair get curlier with the Curly Girl Method?
It depends on your natural hair type and texture. If your hair is naturally straight or straight with some slight waves? No, your hair will not get curlier with the Curly Girl Method. The whole goal of CGM is to get healthier, fuller, more defined hair—essentially, seeing the max potential of what your hair can really do—which means you have to have a pretty distinct wave or curl pattern to start with (like, at least 2a/2b waves).
If you're not sure if the Curly Girl Method is worth trying, I will say that 2c-4a textures tend to benefit most from CGM (again, make sure you know your hair type; it’ll make the jargon you read so much easier). That doesn’t mean you can’t experiment if you have straighter or coilier hair, but just know your mileage may vary.
How do you start the Curly Girl Method?
Since there’s a literal book devoted to answering the question of "how do you do the Curly Girl Method?"—along with Facebook groups and, my favorite, Reddit communities—I'm gonna show you the basics of the step-by-step CGM routine (we'll walk through the specifics later, so don't worry), along with a few basic, yet very important, don’ts.
Seems pretty easy, right? Welp, the Curly Girl Method is a bit more...intricate...than just a few steps, which brings us to the "don't" list.
What to avoid in the Curly Girl Method
In reality, CGM is mainly about cutting out the stuff that messes with your curls (i.e., anything drying or harsh), and then adding in things that heal, hydrate, and enhance (i.e., moisturizers, proteins, and gentle cleansers). So here are some of the "don'ts" and products to avoid.
❌ AVOID ❌
Shampoo (WHAT! Don’t freak—you can’t use traditional shampoos, the kind that strip the hell out of your hair. More on this below)
Heat tools (like flat-irons, curling irons, etc., though the occasional diffuser on low heat is okay)
Sulfates (i.e., harsh detergents usually found in shampoo that strip your hair of moisture and lead to dry, straw-like hair)
Silicones (i.e., polymers found in 90 percent of conditioning and styling products that coat your hair to give it a smooth, shiny look. Most silicones don’t dissolve in water and can only be removed with sulfates…which aren’t allowed in the Curly Girl Method. Without sulfates, silicones will build up on your curls, leaving them lank, dry, flat, and greasy. Consider them the #1 enemy of CGM; you can read more about silicones here, if you want)
Waxes and mineral oils (just like silicones, most waxes and mineral oils require sulfates to remove, which means they’ll build up on your hair)
Towel-drying your hair (towels rough up your hair cuticle and lead to frizz and tangles. Most curly peeps like to plop their hair, but more on how you can dry your hair below)
Alcohols (though not all alcohols are bad, most can degrade your hair cuticle, and are almost always found in aerosol sprays, like canned hairspray and dry shampoo. Thus, welcome to the world of alcohol-free dry shampoo and alcohol-free hairspray)
What products are Curly Girl Method approved?
I know you're overwhelmed right now, but trust me when I say it's truly not as hard as it sounds, especially when you find the right products. And lucky for you/us, some very nice people have made it easier by creating a website called Is It CG? that’ll tell you if your hair products are Curly Girl Method approved and safe to use.
Just copy and paste the ingredients of a product (I copy the ingredients straight from the product’s website) and Is It CG? will tell you if it’s safe or not. Once you’ve got a list of approved products (recommendations later on), the rest is just playing around with application techniques!
Can I use shampoo in the Curly Girl Method?
The very first shower you take to begin your CGM journey will, in fact, require a “reset shampoo,” i.e., a sulfate-filled clarifying shampoo (I used Suave’s Ocean Breeze Shampoo, FYI). Why? Because you need a totally clean foundation stripped of all silicone and wax buildup before starting CGM, or you’ll never (ever) get this method to work for you. Seriously. After that? No more traditional, sulfate-filled shampoos. (Unless you accidentally use a product filled with unapproved silicones or waxes; then you’ll need to “reset” again with your clarifying shampoo, which isn’t great for your hair).
Once you’ve done your initial reset wash, you’ve got two CGM-approved cleansers to keep your hair clean on the regular: sulfate-free shampoos or cleansing conditioners.
✔️ Sulfate-free shampoos
What: Also called “low-poo,” as in low-shampoo; contain gentle detergents to break down scalp oils and buildup, without stripping hair.
Best for: Thin waves and flat curls that get greasy and oily super fast.
Note: Some sulfate-free cleansers are still a bit drying, which you can tell by the way your hair feels right after you rinse it out. If your hair feels squeaky instead of slippery, the cleanser is too harsh. If you don’t wanna waste money, try mixing a few squirts of conditioner in with the shampoo to soften it.
✔️ Cleansing conditioners
What: Also called “co-washes” or “no-poo” and are essentially lightweight conditioners used as shampoo. Most curl types (and all coil types) don’t benefit from a ton of detergent—they only need water, moisture, and a thorough scalp massage (like, you should be massaging your co-wash into your roots for at least 60 seconds straight) to get clean.
Best for: All coil types and most drier curl types.
Note: Most CGM guides will tell you to start with a cleansing conditioner—instead of a sulfate-free shampoo—regardless of your hair type, since people are often surprised by how well their hair (and scalp) adjusts to them after a month.
How often can I shampoo my hair on the Curly Girl Method?
Though many guides will tell you that you should only “shampoo” or cleanse once a week, I fully disagree—every scalp and hair texture is different, and how frequently you “shampoo” or cleanse is up to you. Plus, the whole idea that you can train your scalp to be less greasy isn’t actually accurate (I should know; I tried it), and can often exacerbate issues like dandruff or scalp inflammation.
As long as you’re using gentle, moisturizing products, how often you cleanse shouldn’t matter. Still, a good rule of thumb: If you have coilier hair, try co-washing once a week; if you have thicker, coarser curls or waves, try cleansing 1-3 times a week; and if you have fine, oil-prone waves or curls, try cleansing every other day.
What products do you need for the Curly Girl Method?
There’s no single answer here, because everyone’s hair type is different, and what works for someone’s 4a coils isn’t going to work for your 2a waves. Still, the most basic, basic of CGM products to start with are a gentle cleanser, a conditioner, and a gel (yes, gel). Since all of these products can be found in super-rich or lightweight formulas, depending on what you buy, this combo works for the vast majority of beginners starting the Curly Girl Method.
Give yourself 4-6 weeks of using this simplified routine before making adjustments—like, if your coils are feeling dry even after a month of doing strict CGM, try adding in a leave-in conditioner before your gel, and/or a smoothing on a layer of oil after your gel to seal in moisture. Gel still not working out for your waves or curls? Try switching to a mousse layered on top of a lightweight curl cream.
But see how overwhelming all of that just got? Exactly. Which is why starting with an easy lineup of products will help you ease your way in to the Curly Girl Method. Here’s a simple product combo (including a reset shampoo, which you’ll need to use at the start of your CGM journey and any time you accidentally use a product with silicones or waxes—which, ideally, is never again).
What are the steps of the Curly Girl Method?
No, I’m not going to leave you stranded there with an armload of products and a whimper. Here’s how to put all of your newfound knowledge to use:
STEP 0: Final “reset” wash
Wash your hair with a sulfate-filled clarifying shampoo to remove all silicone buildup. Repeat this step any time you accidentally use a product with silicone or wax.STEP 1: Co-wash/cleanse
Wash your hair with a CGM-approved cleansing conditioner or sulfate-free shampoo, massaging your scalp for at least 60 seconds (this matters! Count!) with your fingertips or a shampoo brush. Rinse out.STEP 2: Condition
Squish a large handful of CGM-approved conditioner (helpful visual here) through the bottom half of your hair until it feels “slimy”—i.e., fully saturated and coated—then detangle with your fingers or a large-tooth comb. Rinse out most (but not all) of the conditioner.STEP 3: Style
You can apply your styling products a dozen different ways (more on that below), but most methods involve layering and squishing them into your wet hair. For beginners, start with a CGM-approved gel; scrunch a palmful (more than feels normal) into your sopping wet hair from roots to tips.STEP 4: Dry
Either plop your hair for 5-15 minutes, or gently cup and scrunch the excess water from your hair with a cotton T-shirt or microfiber towel. Air-dry (don’t touch!) or diffuse your hair on low. Once your hair is 100 percent dry, gently scrunch your hair with your hands to get rid of the crunchy gel coating.
That’s it. That’s the very basic Curly Girl Method. Not as intimidating as it seems, right? Once you’ve got the basics down and played around with the different application methods, you can try switching up your products for different results.
How do I apply my products?
Okay, so this is arguably the most difficult part of the Curly Girl Method: applying products. There are so many methods, and you’ll need to experiment to find which works best with your curls. To keep yourself from spiraling, though, try testing one method at least *five* times before moving on to a new method. Vary up how much product you use, how wet your hair is, etc., to really see if a method does or doesn’t work for you.
Check out just a few (!) of the most popular application and styling methods:
…Okay, so the panic you just felt looking at all those options? Yeah, no. It’s okay. You’re going to explore those options on your own after a few months when everything is less overwhelming. But for now, let’s talk about the easiest, most universally beloved method:
The simplest curl application method: scrunching + upside down
Scrunching allows you to squish products and moisture into your hair at every step of the process, encouraging clumps (aka defined curls) and healthy hydration. And, if you do it upside down, you get the added benefit of volume on finer hair types.
Here’s how: After shampooing, flip your head over (bending at the waist), rake all your hair forward, then squish conditioner into the ends. Rinse your hair by squishing in palmfuls of water, then squish in palmfuls of gel. The water in your hair will help dilute and distribute the gel, while all the cupping and scrunching will encourage major curl or wave formation.
Here’s my favorite video showing the squishing mechanism in action on types 2c-3c curls (don’t get overwhelmed by what she’s saying—she’s basically on level 20, and you’re on level 1. Just focus on the squishing and scrunching method, and you’ll be fine):
If you've got tighter coils, like 4a-4c hair, check out this tutorial on squishing in conditioner upside down, then applying your stylers right-side up to help cut down on tangles and knots:
How do you dry your hair on Curly Girl Method?
Once you’ve applied your products, you can plop your hair (my preferred method), scrunch out the water with a cotton T-shirt or cotton towel, diffuse it on low heat, or let it air-dry if you're doing a wash and go.
✔️ How to plop curly hair:
✔️ How to scrunch curly hair:
✔️ How to diffuse curly hair:
How long does it take the Curly Girl Method to work?
Not gonna lie: The “transition phase” isn’t always fun. The Curly Girl Method is going to take a lot of trial-and-error and experimenting; it’s going to make you feel completely inept at the beginning; it’s probably going to make you want to quit CGM a few times (hi! I did!); and you’ll probably have a ton of bad hair days before you finally crack the code—which, for me, took about three months (though, honestly, I’m still learning new tricks years later).
This isn’t to freak you out—it’s just…life. You’re suddenly manipulating your waves and curls in a new way with new products and new drying methods, so it’s inevitable that your hair will rebel a bit in the beginning. But, as you can see by all these before-and-after photos, it works for the vast majority of people who stick with it.
What I wish someone had told me at the beginning:
❌ CGM won’t necessarily change your hair
If your natural hair is wavy, it’s going to stay wavy after the Curly Girl Method—just a healthier, fuller, more defined version of it. CGM can help you enhance your hair texture, but it won’t change it. The reason CGM gives some people such drastic results is because it forces you to cut out damaging habits (heat tools, chemical treatments, coloring, brushing, etc.) and focus on making your hair healthy. For a lot of people who have been ~abusing~ their hair for decades, CGM can bring back the natural texture they haven’t seen since their pre-teen years. Which means…
❌ Healthy hair will see the smallest transformation
I thought my flat hair would turn into corkscrew curls after a few weeks of doing CGM. Nope. Before CGM, my hair was already healthy—I never dyed it, I never heat-styled it, and I already used sulfate-free products. But CGM did teach me that my application technique of 10 years was all wrong for my curl type. I was raking products (some of which contained both wax and silicone) through semi-damp hair while standing upright. Perfectly fine styling methods for some curlies, but for me and my fine, flat curls? Not ideal.
Now, I squish my products through my sopping-wet hair, upside down in the shower, then immediately plop my hair for 10 minutes, shake it out, then let air-dry. So for me, my biggest change wasn’t in the health of my hair, but learning the right techniques to help encourage and create those tighter curls when I really want them—which was never possible before CGM.
❌ You don’t always need products
After a few months of obsessively following the Curly Girl Method, I felt tired. I didn’t want to do the whole song-and-dance every single shower—I didn’t want to constantly worry about the state of my hair while I slept, while it dried, while I worked out, etc. And I wish someone had told me that it was fine to just, like, not do your hair sometimes? That it was fine to have bad-looking hair some days?
It sounds obvious, but when you're in the throes of a good-versus-bad hair mentality, breaking the "rules" can feel...hard. But I'm here to tell you that it's FINE. Since quarantine, I rarely use more than a lightweight curl cream (<3 Seen Curly Cream) unless I’m going somewhere. As long as you're still using gentle, moisturizing, CGM-approved products, you can do whatever works best for you and your lifestyle without undoing all of the work you’ve put in.
I need more info! Where can I learn more about the Curly Girl Method?
I, personally, learned everything I currently know about CGM from both Naturally Curly and Reddit’s r/CurlyHair community, and I highly recommend reading their ultimate curly hair guide (though, you’ve been warned, it’s a bit overwhelming at first). Curlsbot.com also has a phenomenal quiz on your hair porosity (very, VERY important to your overall curly hair journey) with product recommendations, too.
If you wanna spend eternity on IG (and who doesn't?), I learned a ton from these curl accounts (though, FYI, not everyone follows strict CGM, so double-check product recommendations):
As you can see, the curl community is a literal community—it kinda takes a village to figure out hair textures, and these are just a few of the zillion resources available out there.
Wow, I feel great and not at all overwhelmed!
Omg, so glad to hear your completely unbiased, totally real response. Glad to be of service, and please DM me your magical hair results in three months (or, realistically, your frantic questions in approximately 24 hours). I shall be waiting.
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