The Curly Girl Method
Before having cancer treatment, I had slightly
wavy dark brown hair. I lost my hair during chemotherapy and when it grew back,
it was curly and much greyer.
After researching “chemo curls”, I found out that
they might grow out again after a few years. Since I quite like them, I decided
to do what I could to preserve them. That was when I came across the Curly Girl
Method.
For a complete understanding Lorraine Massey’s
Curly Girl: The Handbook needs to be read but some of the key terms are:
Co-Wash
This is a conditioning wash or using a conditioner
in place of shampoo to wash your hair. To be CG approved, they should be sulphate
and silicone free.
SOTC
This means Scrunch Out the Crunch. Almost every
curly girl has experienced crunchy, or crispy hair. Mousse and gels create a
“cast” on the hair. You need to break that cast, to reveal your soft, bouncy
curls underneath.
Pineapple
Think of those cute little toddlers walking around
with a tiny ponytail on the top of their heads. It looks just like a pineapple.
Putting your curly hair in a pineapple is one of the ways to protect it at
night while you sleep.
Plopping
Make sure you use a cotton t-shirt or microfibre
towel to “plop.” Lay the towel/t-shirt on the bed. Flip your hair over,
grabbing it in the same way you would start your pineapple. “Plop” your hair
onto the middle of the towel, with your forehead nearest the edge. Fold over
the remaining towel or t-shirt over the back of your head, and tie with the
sides to secure.
Rake & Shake
Raking is a technique to de-tangle curly hair in
the shower and distribute products through your hair. Use your fingers to rake
through you hair during the shower when you apply conditioner and any deep
conditioning products. Some people like to use the same raking method to
distribute their styling products too. And then “shake” their hair to encourage
curl pattern and formation. This is done by holding the ends of your hair in
sections and shaking it up to the root.
Praying Hands
Using praying hands to distribute hair products is
a great alternative to brushing, combing or raking. Which can pull your hair,
disrupting your curl pattern and formation. Do one gentle sweep of praying
hands from root to tip to distribute the product. Then scrunch like crazy to
encourage curl formation and clumping.
Squish to Condish
If you want to get great results from the curly
girl method, you need to learn the “squish to condish” technique. It’s means
squishing your hair to condition it, also called “scrunching.” This is the art
of scrunching your hair, primarily to encourage curl pattern and. It’s also
used to distribute conditioner, which is concentrated at the ends and middle of
the hair.
Clumps
Clumps are curly girls’ best friends. All of the
techniques (apart from Rake & Shake) will help and encourage clumps to
form. One of the reasons that brushes and combs aren’t recommended for the
curly girl method, is because they separate the strands of the curls. This can
result in stringy, bitty curls, the opposite of clumps. One of the reasons
praying hands, squishing and scrunching is so good, is because it encourages
the hair to cling and bind to itself. This creates big, bouncy curls.
The most important thing to remember is that the
Curly Girl Method takes time and patience. And that doesn’t mean weeks. It can
take months and sometimes years to get your hair looking its best. In my case,
I don’t know if my chemo curls will last. Only time will tell!
JANE GODMAN is a 2019 Romantic Novelists’ Award winner and 2018 Daphne du Maurier Award finalist. She writes thrillers for Harlequin Romantic Suspense/Mills and Boon Heroes and paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne/Mills and Boon Supernatural and St. Martin’s Press Romance. She also self publishes her historical and gothic stories.
Jane was born in Scotland and has lived in Germany, Wales, Malta, South Africa, and England. She still gets the urge to travel, although these days she tends to head for a Spanish beach, or a European city that is steeped in history.
When she isn’t reading or writing romance, Jane enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, and enjoying the antics of her dogs, Gravy and Vera.
Connect with Jane Godman on the web:
Colton 911: Family Under Fire
An unexpected family
A once-in-a-lifetime reunion in danger…
After a bitter breakup, FBI agent Everett Colton never expected to see his ex-girlfriend, Alyssa Bartholomew, again. Suddenly, tragedy reunites them—and makes them guardians of an orphaned baby girl. Everett suspects that her parents’ deaths were anything but innocent. When his instinct for danger proves correct, it’s his job to protect the child he’s grown to love…and the woman he never forgot.
Buy on:
When my mom had cancer she had radiation treatments. Her hair got really thin and straight. I think she would have liked the curls because she used to get her hair permed all the time when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure the curs will last but I'm trying to make the most of them :)
DeleteHow interesting. When I had a mild dose of chemo my grey hair fell out (from my head). I lost the hair on my legs and arms. The grey grew back, the hair on my limbs didn't.
ReplyDeleteI am a raker, both in the shower and instead of a brush or comb.
Congratulations on your book and your awards.
Thank you :)
Deletei used curly girl method:) but it took so many time...
ReplyDeleteIt is time consuming. But I think it's worth it.
DeleteKisses!!
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteLooks good:)
ReplyDeleteI love reading romantic novels. Recently I got a few new books to read this month... so excited!
ReplyDeleteInteresting, thanks for visiting
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine the challenge of styling your hair while going through chemo treatments. It doesn't sound like fun!
ReplyDeleteMy aunt had a similar thing. Unfortunately, the curls did not survive. But the most important thing is that she is healthy. What's curls ...
ReplyDeleteOh thanks for share darling I didn´t know nothing about these remedies
ReplyDeletexx
So great post
ReplyDeleteKisses
www.pimentadeacucar.com