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 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 shout 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. ( )

Wavy hair here! Funny thing is that it keeps getting more curly as it grows! I have already switched to a no-sulfate shampoo due to reading this book. I love my curls and everyone else's! Don't fight it, love it! ( )

I really liked the comprehensiveness of topics covered for curly hair, including washing, styling, cutting, coloring, dealing with chemo, etc.

You have to wade through an exhausting number of hair-related puns and "confession" sections from different people bemoaning their hair before they tried the curly girl method. I ended up skipping them. The book does outline effective methods that are very different from mainstream advice and products, but the year 2020 makes it very difficult for me to relate to a story about hair ruining a date when it went poofy in the rain as "traumatizing." That said, if you are struggling with your hair and looking for a self-help type of boost, those sections would be great.

I had started using Massey's curly girl method based on information from the Reddit community, but the book definitely includes additional, easy-to-understand information, methods, and recipes broken down by specific curly hair type that I plan to use. ( )

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. ( )

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 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. ( )