Curly Girl: The Handbook

This is without doubt the most unintentionally humorous book I read in 2006; it's about care for curly hair (the author calls it Curly Girl because apparently guys never have curly hair, or if they do it just magically takes care of itself or something). And it is written, no joke, in the language of every coming out of the closet manual on earth.

Seriously. The back of the book says, "our curls, ourselves." The author talks about her history - how she started out being "in denial" of her curly girl status, and how she came to accept her curliness and then, eventually, demand her curly girl rights and respect for her curls from others. And then she campaigned on behalf of curly girls like you and me!

Then she encourages you, the curly show more reader, to make the same change in your life. "It's your head, not your hair, that needs straightening." AWESOME. I think I read that in a telling-your-parents manual in 1997. "Chances are...you belong to the sisterhood of curly girls, women who've been fighting their curly hair for most of their lives." Replace "curly" with "gay" and "hair" with "desires," and you've got a lesbian coming out call to arms!

The thing is, the advice she gives in this book (stop straightening your hair, stop using drying shampoos, see what happens) isn't that bad. But the evangelical we're-all-curly-here tone, it's just - it's really funny. It's hard to take recipes for lavender hair rinse seriously when they're accompanied by exhortations to stop repressing your inner gay - sorry, I meant curl - and learn to love who you are.

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys unintentional humor, anyone who has read too many coming out manuals, and, I guess, to people with curly hair. Although, really, that last category probably shouldn't bother. Unless you really have been hiding in the "curly closet" and you need help coming out. show less

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 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 show more 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 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 show more 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?

If you are even vaguely curly, there’s a lot to like about this book. It’s put together in a chatty, informational way, with testimonials from women who’ve learned to love their curls, after a lifetime of trying to tame them. Massey is a curly girl herself, who’s done the research to find the best way of caring for it, and there are some surprising recommendations. Most curly girls can skip shampoo, cleansing their hair through scalp massage with conditioner. Brushes are out, too. Massey’s tips and techniques are going to take some practice, and getting used to, but I’m already loving the increased curl and definition in my hair, as well as the ideas on putting it up and tying it back.

This handbook for women with naturally curly hair is written by Lorraine Massey, founder and co-owner of Devachan salon in New York. I can think of no better person to write it than a fellow 'sufferer'. She holds nothing back, even publishing pictures of herself during 'bad hair' days.
Massey gives advice for three types of curly hair; how to care for it, cut it and style it. But the book is so much more than that. The subtitle is: A Celebration of Curls and it is just that. This book is full of pictures of women-next-door and their reformed manes. By the end of the book I was inspired and proud of my hair. How could I ever think of lobbing it all off? This book really was a mood-lifter for me. I will definitely try some of her show more techniques. I wish this book had been available to me 25 years ago. I recommend it to all Curly Girls. show less

I fight my curls on a daily basis, so I'm hopeful that this book will help me to embrace them fully instead! I appreciate the clear, concise directions for recipes and hairdos.