It has been a year since I have washed or combed my hair. For anyone with “normal” hair (aka straight hair) this would be unimaginable. I bet that you think my hair would look a lot like the image below. However, my hair now is the best it has ever been, with soft curls and minimal frizz. Even after a year my hair is still recovering after decades of being stripped of moisture from shampoo and harsh styling products that would leave my curls crispy. But I existed under the illusion that my hair was under control. I was in a cycle of an addiction to styling products that the beauty industry likely would have preferred I never questioned. And under the control of hair stylists that would cut my hair just like it was “normal” hair.  In fact, quite a few years ago when I switched most of my other products to be lower impact on me and the environment (check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep page that is a data base of personal care products and the impacts that they have on your health) my hair was the one area that didn’t change because it had taken so long to find a routine that sort-of, kind-of worked. The thought of starting the struggle again was terrifying. That was until one year ago, while killing time between the end of work and an evening meeting, I stumbled upon the Curly Girl Handbook at a bookstore and on a whim went ahead and bought it.

The book opens with the author’s story of struggles with own curly hair and peppered throughout the book are “curl confessions” that I instantly could relate to. The core idea in the book is that curly hair is different and that as a person with curly hair reading this book you are not alone. In fact there are at least 6 types of different curly hair that all have different style and maintenance requirements. I easily identified my hair as corkscrew curls. Curls that contract as tightly as a French Poodles if cut too short – Check. A high frizz factor – Check. Hair that appears thickly textured when you look at it all together, but is baby fine and delicate when looked at in a single strand – Check. Hair that soaks up as much conditioner as you feed it – Check. A spring factor of 9-12 inches – Check. It was an amazing feeling to finally have someone, even if it was a far away author, understand my hair after feeling alone when it came to hair for so long. And it jived with my wish to choose products that were lower impact, non-scented and just cheaper. And through this book, now in its second run, and the connective powers of the internet (such as http://www.naturallycurly.com/) there is a curly community emerging.

Now, back to the no washing and no combing part because that is where people get hung up when I start talking about what I’ve done and perhaps it is the reason you still are (or perhaps aren’t) reading this.  By no washing, I actually mean no shampooing (referred to by the author as no-poo). But in turn I have started cleansing my scalp and all my hair actually needs is lots of conditioner (as much as it can absorb, which turns out to be quite a bit) rather than being stripped of moisture and natural oils by detergents in the shampoo. And while conditioning, I detangle my hair with my hands, so no combing or brushing is need later when it would disturb the natural formation of the curl and create a halo of frizz. It is all part of the “curly girl method” (there is a chapter each on kids and guys at the back of the book, but overall the book is pretty focused on the experience of women).

So if you are a curly girl (or curly guy that is OK reading a book with “girl” in the title), I would recommend taking a look at this book and the online communities that have come around since perhaps that last time you looked.

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Masthead photo courtesy of Monkey Mash Button