My Beautiful #RedCarpetCurlsRoyalty,
This article is arguably one of the most important for you to master when considering the Curly Girl Method. In order to start the method, you need to understand what naturally textured hair is and why it needs a separate regime as opposed to the conventional relaxed/straight hair look imposed by our society.
So, today you are going to learn:
- What is naturally textured hair?
- Why does naturally textured hair need a separate regime?
- What is the Curly Girl Method?
- Why the Curly Girl Method is the best way to care for your hair?
So, let’s begin, shall we?
What is Naturally Textured Hair?
Naturally, textured hair is all hair types that are not straight. If you were born with or had wavy, curly, or coily hair that means your hair grows with a specific pattern, which leads to a textured appearance and feels as opposed to straight hair.
Textures vary by your genetic makeup, so thank your parents for your texture. Naturally, textured hair is far more dry and susceptible to damage than straight hair.
The texture is what helps you determine curl types when starting the method. Learning all the facts about your hair will be the key to making the transitional period easier. With a plan in place, you can brave out the bumps in the road (i.e. the wonky hair days), because you know the destination is beautiful hair days for the rest of your life. But that only happens when you respect the texture and learn the right tips to master it and accentuate it.
Why does Naturally Textured Hair Need a Separate Regime?
Naturally textured hair, by nature, is far drier than straight hair. The reason is the texture.
Our skin and scalp produce natural oils called Sebum. These oils are created to moisturize and protect the scalp and hair. The texture of our hair creates spirals, kinks, and twirls the sebum has to travel down to reach the ends of the hair. This slows down the speed in which the sebum can travel. Straight hair has no creases or textures to slow the movement of the sebum. Therefore, it’s able to travel down the hair strand quickly, like going down a roller coaster. When you have textured hair such as wavy or curly hair, the sebum needs much more time to travel down the strands, if it ever will. The ends of your hair are the driest part of your hair and most susceptible to breakage and split ends because the oils are unable to travel down the strands in a timely manner. This leaves the ends dry and vulnerable leading to breakage. This can be the reason why it seems like textured hair doesn’t grow. If it is not properly cared for, the breakage can make it difficult for hair to grow and prosper.
Since the hair is naturally drier and therefore more susceptible to damage, we need to supplement the moisture the sebum would have provided. This is why we need conditioners and special techniques to care for our hair. Naturally textured hair needs more moisture than straight hair. Since most of the haircare market focuses on straight hair, MOST products we see on the shelves will not help our hair. It will just damage it further.
This is why we need a specific method and products for our hair. To help quench the thirst our hair goes through because of the natural chemistry of our patterns. The curly girl method focuses on the proper hydration and hold so, your texture can be given a bit more TLC. The result? Beautiful, frizz-free, defined, bouncy and shiny hair.
What is the Curly Girl Method?
As defined in our ‘What is the Curly Girl Method’ article, The Curly Girl Method is a set of guidelines on the proper maintenance of naturally textured hair. With this method, you will learn to stop damaging habits such as using a heat styling tool and using bad ingredients like sulfates, in an effort to improve the overall health and definition of your natural texture.
The Method at its core has a few simple rules:
- Absolutely no use of direct heating tools such as a hairdryer (set on high without a diffuser), curling irons, etc
- Absolutely no harmful chemical treatments such as keratin treatments or relaxers
- Do not use products containing sulfates
- Do not use products containing silicones
- Do not use products containing parabens
One misconception of the Curly Girl Method is that it is a cult and tells you to avoid ingredients that are perfectly fine to use every once in a while. This is not true. Our article on What to Avoid When Following the Curly Girl Method, explains the possible effects these ingredients can cause to the hair over continued use. None of these ingredients are capable of severely hurting you with one use. Humans are creatures of habit, so, if we get into the habit of using sulfates, silicones, parabens, and direct heat, over time, it will cause damage. The amount of damage cannot be measured.
Why is the Curly Girl Method the Best Way to Care for Your Hair?
The Curly Girl Method is all about finding the most natural way possible to care for your naturally textured hair. By following those few rules you will prevent most of the damage the hair can sustain. Now take into account, not ALL damage can be prevented. Hair is damaged by the environment (i.e. sun, humidity, etc), and even mechanical damage from dealing with your hair (i.e. brushing, combing, finger detangling, styling, etc) is still possible.
The Curly Girl Method heals the damage from years of improper care of your hair and helps bring it back to its former glory. Just because sulfates, silicones, and parabens have been used for decades does not mean it is the optimal choice for your hair health.
Similar to how you approach your health, obviously all-natural approaches to haircare such as utilizing aloe vera, honey, amino acids, oil, and other ingredients will be better for your hair than supplemental products filled with fillers, silicones, and other ingredients that can clog hair follicles and hinder healthy hair growth.
With the right knowledge and tips, you can care for your waves/curls/coils/kinks for maximum definition and shine. Embrace who you really are by embracing the natural texture God gave you! You are a unique queen, you were never meant to blend in, you were meant to shine as bright as your crown. The CG Method gets you one step closer to shedding who the world wants you to be and becoming the queen you were always meant to be.
