Lorraine Massey

This book had such polarizing reviews I had to read it myself. It reads like a terrible coming out manual. Aside from that there are sections of good advice and atrocious advice within. Rule number one is keep hair hydration in balance. This is good. The suggestion of finding a botanical conditioner and saturating your hair with it is not. This will result in 2 things: thinning from blocked follicles, and rotting (when combined with the gel/mousse on wet hair tip).

If you want to invigorate show more curls all you need is 1 part natural healthy conditioner that works for your hair to 3 parts water in a spray bottle (this is leave-in conditioner the custom way). For me, I do a coconut oil and cornstarch or baking soda deep conditioner monthly in the summertime. The part about avoiding silicones and waxes is good. The part about using a microfiber towel/t-shirt/pillowcase to dry hair doesn't make any sense.

My hair takes four hours to air dry if, and only if, I scrunch it in a cotton absorptive towel first. if I used one of the books options here my hair would take more like two days to dry. I usually just gently squeeze it out before leaving the shower then blot it with the towel. The tip about brushes is not quite right. Some hair textures can't be brushed. Others can. I can only brush my hair after it's dry. If I do it wet I lose more hair and have more pain. Also on no planet should styling product be put on wet hair, it will rot over time. Ultimately, you know your hair better than a stranger does.

PS. If you deal with dandruff like I do (my hair is hella thick), wash your hair more often concentrating on the scalp. massage as long as you can stand it. Do a massaging water wash first, followed by a cleansing wash with your non clarifying shampoo. show less

This book was not helpful, to say the least. I picked it up thinking it might offer some good tips on how to handle my curly hair, but it was more like an “As Seen On TV” ad about curly hair, and it was full of contradictions and non-sequiturs.

For example, it said in one chapter to NEVER use elastic bands in curly hair - only use scrunchies. Then in the style chapter it tells you to use an elastic band to achieve a particular hair style. Another example is how the author pushes so hard show more to be rid of almost all hair products (including shampoo), but then says to use a variety of products (including a “hair cleanser” aka shampoo) during and after washing, throughout the day, and before bed. That’s way to much junk sitting in my hair, and way too much work to maintain.

The book also gives straight up bad advice. For example, using conditioner on your scalp has been condemned by all my hair dressers because it can irritate the scalp and cause dandruff. The “hair cleansers” recipes contain ingredients like lemon juice and baking soda, which make hair dry and brittle. And judging a stylist on whether or not they have curly hair is just nonsense.

It was also quite disturbing how cult-like the tone is about curly hair, and how it seems like life should revolve around naturally curly hair. Several of the “confessions” inferred that fighting naturally curly hair practically ruined several people’s lives. However, the “confessions” weren’t without their share of contradictions either. One of the folks said she preferred straight hair, and another was happier just shaving her head.

I do not recommend. show less

Stop torturing your curly hair! I did after I read this book. Unfortunately my hair had endured 40 years of torture by the time I figured out what it was trying to tell me. In two words: I'M THIRSTY. So I stopped brushing, combing, shampooing, conditioning with anything drying, and frying it with hot appliances. If I leave it alone (as in, condition it well, squeeze it in a towel, drop it and let it try without touching it with anything) it is gorgeous. Who knew?

3.5 stars

Lorraine Massey’s Silver Hair: Say Goodbye to the Dye—and Let Your Natural Light Shine! A Handbook is empowering and inspiring. (And how about that long title!) Massey is famous for her previous book, Curly Girl, which is also designed to empower women to choose their hair’s own natural style. Considering I’m a silver-haired woman with natural curls, reviewing this book is an obvious choice for me.

When I was deciding to let my silver shine through and stop dying, I found show more another book to inspire me. I used to stop and peruse the pages, wondering what my hair would look like once the dye was gone. I found Massey’s book similarly fun to review, and can imagine how it might answer that “what if?” question for someone not quite decided.

Massey gives copious lighthearted instructions about how to make the transition to your natural color. She uses pictures and stories from real-life women who’ve decided to dramatically change their hair. Hair colorists weigh in, as does style maven Stacey London.

Sometimes Massey verges on insistence rather than encouragement, which might be off putting for some women. “You must go natural to be your true self!” or some such sentence. Truly, you can be yourself with hair dye or without, just as much as you can be less authentic with or without hair dye. For me, the insistence wasn’t an issue, since I’ve already gone all in. Here’s fair warning if you aren’t quite sure yet.

I’m anxious to try some of Massey’s tips for keeping silver hair in tip-top condition. But I have to admit the idea of using a drop of blue food coloring in my conditioner is slightly terrifying. Other concoctions have unfamiliar herbs, but most have ingredients readily accessed in your kitchen or garden. I can’t wait to tell my Asian husband that I have a use for the water he rinses the rice in!

About once a week, a woman asks me if my hair color is natural. Then she says, “Oh I want to do it, but I’m so nervous!” Often we have a long chat. I suspect that in the future I’ll be referring people to this book for more information and ideas.

Thanks to NetGalley and Workman Publishing for an advance reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

More reviews and a picture of my own progression to silver hair at TheBibliophage.com. show less