I love the Curly Girl Method. I recommend the Curly Girl Method to anyone with curly or wavy hair. But I also think it’s important to acknowledge the pros and cons.
Because like almost anything in life there are trade-offs to following this technique, and I think it’s important to look at both sides if you’re thinking of starting it.
So here are my top pros and cons of the Curly Girl Method. This list is ideal if you’re considering starting the Curly Girl Method or if you’re considering giving up on it.
Pros
Results
Once you figure out the products and routine that works for you, the results of following the Curly Girl Method are pretty fantastic.
I’m able to get frizz-free, well-defined curls with less effort than ever before.
I can also pull my hair up, sleep in my curls, work out, and get caught in some weather. In most cases, I’m able to bring my curls back with minimal effort.
Before the Curly Girl Method, if any of these things happened, my curls would be done until I wet them the next morning.
The Curly Girl Method has absolutely revolutionized how my curly hair looks, feels, and behaves.
Simplicity
Once you figure out what works for you, the Curly Girl Method is really easy to maintain. It often cuts styling time in the long run. It also cuts down on drying time and how frequently you need to wet your hair.
I’ve never been one to have the patience for a blow dryer, but I also needed to wet my hair every day for it to come out looking decent. It would then take most of the morning to dry. This meant if I had to be somewhere early, I often went places with wet hair.
Now that I’ve found both a wash-day routine and refresh routine that works for me, I only spend 1-2 mornings per week with wet hair, and I get ready faster than ever on the days in between.
Consistency
Before the Curly Girl Method, having curly hair meant a portion of my appearance was always going to be a wild card. I could hope that my curls would look good, but it was never a guarantee.
While I’d found the right products to combat frizz, there was still the chance that it would be rainy or humid, or that my hair would simply not dry right.
Any of these factors would undermine any product I’d used.
Since I started the Curly Girl Method, I can pretty much always count on my hair to look great on a day-to-day basis.
Of course, no system is completely perfect, and I still have some bad hair days. But those days are few and far between.
Price tag
I started the Curly Girl Method because I wanted to get away from spending $30 a bottle on my holy grail hair product at the time.
I was sure had to be an effective, inexpensive way to manage my hair. It turned out I was right.
Currently, all of my products are $13 or less and last for months. In fact, I’ve never spent less on hair products and my results have never been better.
You can spend a lot of money on products and follow the Curly Girl Method if you want to. But you definitely don’t have to.
Here are my affordable Curly Girl Method Products.
Cons
Learning Curve
It can take a while to figure out how to navigate the Curly Girl Method.
There are many layers, including products to use, how to sleep with your hair, how much protein and how much moisture to add, how often to wash, and so much more.
As a result, it can take a while to really sift through all the information and layers. From there, you’ll also have to implement all of the information and find a routine that works for you and your hair.
It can really simplify in your life in the long run, but in the beginning, it takes a fair amount of time and patience. This is something that may not be for everyone.
Transition period
In the beginning, your hair will likely look worse before it looks better. It may look oily or dirty, or have a hard time curling on its own.
This is because your scalp is used to overproducing oils, and your hair isn’t as healthy as it can be. Over time, your hair and scalp will adjust. But the first month or so is often seen as a less-than-fun time.
This is another area that requires some patience. You may find yourself resorting to loose buns, and updos more often at this stage than you will at any other point in the Method.
However, it’s worth noting that I personally, didn’t have much of a transition. I have a drier scalp, so while there were days where my hair looked a little darker, it never really looked dirty or felt oily.
I also didn’t blow dry or heat style, so my curls came back pretty quickly.
So while everyone is likely to have some kind of transition, the extent can vary.
Product search
Finding the right Curly Girl Approved product for your hair can take some time. Once again, some patience and trial and error is required.
During your search, you may be running to the drugstore or Target more often than you’d like, and your hair may frizz or struggle.
Once you find your products, your process will be pretty simplified, and as inexpensive as you’d like it to be. But getting there can (once again) take a fair amount of time and patience.
(Pro tip: A lot of drug and beauty stores will take products back if they’ve only been used a few times. Look into return policies ahead of time and buy from places with these policies. This will keep you from shelling out a lot of money and ending up with a shelf full of products that don’t work for you.)
Restrictions
The Curly Girl Method is based on avoiding sulfates, silicones, drying alcohols, heat, and any other ingredients that you find builds up in your hair.
This means buying products isn’t as easy as browsing the aisles of your drugstore. You’ve also got to check the ingredients and make sure there isn’t anything that’s “bad” for your hair.
I haven’t found this to be a major inconvenience, and given the results, I think it’s worth it. However, I definitely spend more time looking up product ingredients than I did before.
It also means giving up heat styling and leaning into your hair’s natural shape. So if you’re someone who enjoys using heat to play with different hairstyles and textures, this may not be the right thing for you.
Looking for more guidance on your curly hair journey?
For beginners
If you’re new to curly hair care and looking for some help, you should check out the No-Stress Guide to Curly Hair Care!
After spending two years learning and caring for my curly hair, I wanted to create my own, in-depth guide to help fellow curlies create incredible curls in the easiest way possible.
It took me a while, but I eventually found an approach that helped me create a curly hair routine that fits into my life in the simplest way possible. And now I want to help you do the same!
For more intermediate/advanced guidance
If you’ve been on your curly hair journey for a while but still have some struggles, check out Curly Hair Problems!
After spending hours scouring the internet looking for solutions to my own curly hair problems, I found myself wishing for an easier, more comprehensive guide to the most common problems.
So that’s what I created!
Curly Hair Problems offers you 78 total solutions to the five most common curly hair care problems, including frizz, curl clumps, limp curls, product issues, and scalp issues.
Sound off: If you’ve tried to Curly Girl Method, what are your pros and cons? Tell us about it in the comments! Be sure to tell us a little about your hair type too!