Ask any curly-haired person if they love their hair, and you’re likely to get an answer on the lines of, “Eh, I like it better when it’s straight.” Most people with textured hair grow up with annoying nicknames. It becomes increasingly difficult for them to accept their hair as it is as they grow up. Every salon will tell them to burn their hair into socially acceptable straightness, even if it ruins their hair for good.

However, this horrid reality could change. There’s a way you can wear your hair naturally curly, and still look amazing!

There are celebrities like Kangana Ranaut, Taapsee Pannu, Zendaya and even Shakira who flaunt their natural curls proudly. If you think your curls could never look as good as theirs, read on; you’re missing out on a whole lot of awesomeness, honey.

The natural hair movement first started within the African community, but with time it has become popular among women and men of other races as well. With curly hair products emerging in the Indian market, many of which are produced by Indians themselves, people have started to wear their textured hair the way it naturally it is – in a healthy and organic way!

What is the Curly Girl Method?

Hairstylist Lorraine Massey developed the Curly Girl Method or CGM after facing discrimination at her workplace because of her textured hair. She gives a detailed list of do’s and don’ts that will come handy in your journey to achieve perfectly healthy, beautiful looking curls.

Even though this is called the Curly Girl Method, it can be followed by men with textured hair as well. The method advises you to refrain from using several things that are commonly found in most commercial hair products:

1. Sulphates: Found aplenty in commercial shampoos, sulphates are a big no-no as they are extremely drying for the already dry and frizzy curly hair. Interestingly, sulphates are harsh detergents that are also used for cleaning engines.
2. Silicones: They are what makes your hair shiny – for like a day. Found in conditioners, silicones will cause you a lot of frizz in the long run. They also cause build-up, making your scalp feel greasy.
3. Parabens and Mineral Oils: They’re preservatives, and moisturisers found in many cosmetic products, but are known to have a generally lousy effect on the human body.
4. Alcohol: Like sulphates, alcohol is also drying for hair.

CGM also advises against dry combing, as it frizzes up hair and opens up clumps of curls. CGM also encourages you to forego shampooing altogether; however, there are a few things you need to know before you decide what’s best for you.

Curl Pattern

There are multiple charts available on the internet that can help you identify your curl pattern. Ranging from straight to kinky, there’s more to hair than just ‘straight’ or ‘curly’. Knowing your curl pattern will help you determine what products you can use, as the products available in the market are very specific.

Porosity

Hair porosity means the ability of your hair to absorb moisture and water. There are three porosity types:

1. Low Porosity: The most common kind of hair porosity, it’s the way most virgin, untreated hair is, i.e., if you have never had any relaxers or colour put in your hair, your hair is likely to have low porosity. If you have low porosity hair, your hair does not absorb moisture easily and needs a little heat to open up hair cuticles. It also means products leave behind a lot of build-ups, which is why you can’t forego shampoo altogether completely. You can also get away with using a very little amount of product.
2. Normal Porosity: Your hair absorbs moisture easily, and is also able to retain it. This kind of hair needs the least amount of work, which means you have hit the curly hair jackpot. Congratulations!
3. High Porosity: If you have ever had relaxers or colours put in your hair, or you have used a lot of heat on your hair in the past. You are likely to have high porosity hair. With high porosity, your hair absorbs moisture easily but also lets go of it quickly. This kind of hair tends to be overly dry and needs a ton of products. Your hair is always thirsty for moisture, and heavy products work well on it.

There’s an array of products that are specifically made for curly hair in the international market, and recently, there even has been a fresh wave of Indian products that will help you nourish those curls the way they’re supposed to be.

Companies like Ashba Botanics and Curl Up are Indian brands that make products best suited for the people living in India, which is important because a lot of western products behave weirdly in the hot Indian climate.

There’s also loads of earlier unavailable knowledge and awareness about curly hair that can help you through the entire process. In fact, there are groups for kinky-haired people in social media where people shared their experiences and suggest DIYs and their favourite products for everyone to try. In conclusion, there’s never been a better time to flaunt your curls!