Curly girl method not for this curly girl

[abritta3]

Hello. I want to say I have been a follower of Lorraine Massey's curly girl method since 2009, but I am thinking of modifying it quite a bit.
I've found that silicones are actually quite nice on my curls and I love the added shine and softness. CG method has been "ok" for me, I loved rehabilitating my hair to a higher degree of health but I find that me and gel just don't "gel" ;)
Are there any other coney curlies out there or gel haters? Any modified curlies?
I actually get the best results on my curls from curl cremes and air drying. I am a big fan of coconut and jojoba oils too. I will say, though, that through my journey with CG I have found lots of ways to pamper my curls and through CG and LHC I have learned so much!! Happy growing, maintaining or whatever it is you do with your hair :D

Xoxo

[PinkyCat]

Ya know, I've been going without gel lately too.

Do whatever makes your hair happy - you know it best!

[DuckyDot]

Hello! I tried the CG theory for about a year (?) after I joined NaturallyCurly.com in Feb 2010. It worked okay, but I must say I need my sulfates! My scalp needs them to be cleansed, but silicones are still a no-go area.

I generally put in my hair (My hairtype is really 2b/2c/3a/3c, it's ridiculous!) Nightblooming's Panacea hairbalm and a day or two after washing jojoba oil. Sometimes I oil my hair before washing with coconut oil and when I go to a military youth organization 2x per week I have to use Cone-free serum to keep my 3c frizzies controlled and slicked back.

So yeah, CG isn't for everyone! But I must say it really did introduce me to actually looking after my hair and keeping it at optimal health :) Modification is good, because our hair isn't Lorraine Massey's and each head of hair has it's own needs!

[GRU]

I've been modified CG from the beginning -- I never do gel, and I like to mix up my own leave-ins with oils in them too. I also only do one conditioner on most days, instead of washing and then rinsing and then conditioning and then rinsing again.

[SpinDance]

I don't qualify as curly, just barely wavy, but I'm very interested in learning what others have found works for them. The whole idea of enhancing what waves/curls one has appeals to me. Gels just seem like more than I really want to deal with and since I don't really have curls, seem like they just make my hair look stringy. Alternatives would be nice to know.

[lapushka]

I'd say the alternative to Lorraine Massey's way (no poo, gel) is to leave in conditioner (or maybe oil even) and do it the tightlycurly (http://www.tightlycurly.com) way.

[CurlyCap]

I'm definitely a curly girl, and my hair hates gel. Oil is it's friend, and if I need better control than oils, silicone.

Never had a problem growing or maintaining, so there must not be a problem. :D

The only thing I like about the CG method is that it emphasizes the importance of moisture. So much more necessary than it is for my friends with straight hair.

[Inching Along]

I am glad I found the Curly Girl book and am looking over the newer edition from the library. It has taught me ways to look after my curls...I discovered they were coming back to life about five years ago after many years of hiding. But I am not enamored of washing with conditioner, and my hair hasn't really needed gel. I found Live Curly Live Free (http://livecurlylivefree.com/) (Tiffany Anderson) a month or so ago and am tweaking my routine with some of her suggestions. I have much more to read on her site and am wondering if I should get the second version of the e-book (I don't have the original) when it comes out in a week or so. I'm also looking at Grow Hair Fast (http://www.amazon.com/Grow-Hair-Fast-Steps-Head/dp/1402202571/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1320293412&sr=8-2) by Riquette Hofstein and have been using her shampoos and rinses (based on castille soap and herbs). I've had a lot of hair loss over the last five years or so due to health issues and stress, but I have seen a couple months' worth of new growth, so I'm encouraged.

I think we all have to find what makes our hair happy. It's likely an ongoing journey. Sometimes curly hair likes protein, sometimes it likes moisture (mine seems to!), and sometimes it doesn't like anything. :)

[julliams]

I've got the book too and it all makes really good sense to me - until I try it. Every time I have tried it, I find my hair starting to look lank. I think it's because I'm using products that are for "dry hair" which I always use normally. Perhaps I need to try a much lighter conditioner that would be for oily hair???

In any case my hair gets very lacklustre and I find my scalp getting irritated by having conditioner on it because normally I wouldn't put conditioner anywhere near my scalp. I would shampoo and then use conditioner on my length but not on the scalp directly.

But I totally buy into the fact that it works brilliantly for some curlies.

I also find gel a bit hit and miss and I hate crunchiness. A tiny bit too much gel, and I go crunchy. Very hard to find a happy medium. Also I'm not into washing my hair every day because starting work at 8am would have me up before the crack of dawn in order to get it dry in time. And putting it up in a bun would defeat the purpose and take all my curl out anyway.

I might give it another go in the next Christmas holidays because I'll have nowhere to be in the early morning and the weather will be warmer so drying time will be significantly reduced. I really would love it to work for me but so far it just hasn't.