Curly Girl Rebirth

Tips and tweaks on how to unlock your hair's best version of itself

While some may reminisce about childhood days spent playing freely in the garden, my nostalgia extends to the curly, blonde locks I had when I was a little girl. Then came puberty, sparing no mercy for my fondness toward my beloved curls. My appearance changed radically: the blonde faded, and the curls vanished, replaced by a head full of straight, brown hair. I reluctantly settled into my new identity, one I assumed as permanent. That was until the Curly Girl Method on TikTok shed light on a way I could reconnect with my childhood curly hair…

From years of tying up my hair and scraping it back into a bun, to now experiencing the joy of having it down and playing with it full Carrie Bradshaw fashion, my newfound routine set me on a curly journey. Working with four simple tweaks to my routine, my childhood head of ringlets has been restored, so I’m happy to share them here in the hope they may inspire those of you who want to pump up that curl volume!

Tweak 1: Restore your hair´s health

Dyeing your hair comes with great responsibility, as curls won't thrive when dry and over-exposed to chemicals obviously, so the first step is to repair any damage your hair has been through. A nourishing routine rooted in patience must be employed, to restore your hair back to its healthy baseline after what is usually a damaging process. To ease yourself into it, I recommend getting a curl-enhancing haircut, it can be of enormous help to set recovery in motion and initiate curl revival.

Tweak 2: Switch to curl-friendly products

In the past, due to my capitalistic reflexivity, I naively placed trust in high-priced products promising optimum results. However, I’ve luckily learnt an important truth while doomscrolling on TikTok: No matter the quality (and price!) of the product, if it's not formulated for your hair type, it can actually work against your hair. Straight-hair products weigh down curls, creating uneven shapes, extra frizz, and a crisp, dry texture. So, give away all of your straightening hair products and switch to everything curly (shampoo, conditioner, creams and oils.)

Tweak 3: Lock in moisture the right way

One of the most common mistakes people make is rinsing out conditioner too quickly, preventing the hair from absorbing the hydration it needs. One old school, yet effective hack is to detangle your hair while having conditioner on, it's really important to let it absorb while you rinse your body (save water, multitask, just make sure you leave it a couple of minutes in.)

Tweak 4: Dry your hair the curly friendly way

Drying your hair properly is essential for curls to thrive. Swap regular towels for a microfiber towel, and dry your hair by flipping your head upside down and scrunching upward from tips to roots - this will encourage the hair to curl. After drying, scrunch in a small amount of hair oil or curl cream to lock in moisture, but be careful not to overload your hair with too much product ( If you want extra volume, finish by drying with a diffuser on low heat.)

Those four tweaks completely changed my hair, and I believe they’ll help you start creating your own Curly Girl routine. Here’s hoping you reconnect with your childhood curls too.