Curly Girl [Paperback]

Lorraine Massey (Author), Deborah Chiel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 20, 2001

Curly girls of the world unite! Sixty-five percent of women have naturally curly hair, but for too long too many of these women have either been at a loss on how to care for their hair properly or, worse, have gone through life pretending they have straight hair. No more. Lorraine Massey, a professional hairstylist and passionate proponent of curly hair, celebrates the curly girl way of life, from hair care to carefree attitude.

Beginning with The Curly Girl's Twelve-Step Program (Step Three: I will accept that the scalp and hair are two different entities with completely different needs, and I will treat them accordingly), Curly Girl is an illustrated how-to, support group, and tongue-in-cheek manifesto all in one.

There are tips on shampoo (never daily), conditioners (use lots), drying, combing (only when wet and well-conditioned), styling, getting the right cut, and how to Heal Thy Hair after years of strong detergents and damaging blow-dryers. There are before-and-after photographs, Curly Cues, self-help tests, confessions from curly girls, advice to take to your stylist. And for girls seeking their inner curl, compassion and encouragement to let their hair break free-and to put the fear of frizz behind them forever.

Because from now on there's no such thing as a bad hair day.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Ironing your hair. Wrapping it. Setting it on juice cans (or, worse, soup cans). Plastering it with Dippity-Do. Since the Sixties, women with curly or wavy hair have been denying the obvious and trying to get that stick-straight look. Curls are finally in again, but a lot of curly types have no idea how to drop the blow dryer and let nature take its course. Along comes Massey, founder and co-owner of Devachan, a New York salon catering to these women. Part inspiration (you, too, can shed your inhibitions and discover your inner curl) and part instruction, this book gives excellent advice for cutting, styling, and caring for curly hair. Massey begins by explaining how curly hair differs from straight hair. She then distinguishes among three types of curly hair (corkscrew, Botticelli, and wavy), explains how to decide your type, and provides a detailed program for each. Helpful illustrations and entertaining "Curly Girl Confessions" abound. Massey's enthusiasm is infectious, her advice is clear and cogent, and her book is unique; there is as yet nothing else out there to help curly girls manage their hair. The 71/2" by 61/2" format and a few worksheet pages may seem problematic for libraries, but ignore all that. Some 65 percent of your women patrons have curly or wavy hair, and they need this book. Highly recommended for public libraries. [Coming in August from Three Rivers Press is hairstylist Ouidad's Curl Talk. Ed.] Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal.
- Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"There's a curly wave sweeping the nation and Lorraine Massey is leading the charge." -- Dallas Morning News

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (December 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761123008
• ISBN-13: 978-0761123002
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (258 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

219 of 225 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Valuable for curly, kinky afro hair. Just add comb & oil, March 23, 2003

By 

"afrodeliah" (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curly Girl (Paperback)

On André Walker's scale, my chemical-free long fro is a 4a: kinky, tight ringlets. As a graduate student, I have very little money, but am looking for techniques to protect my hair's health as I grow it long again. Massey and Chiel have done beautifully. The short chapter on African American hair does what most "experts" are too vain to do--it relies on the judgement of others who specialize in the field. How many times have I had a hair disaster at the hands of a stylist who only knew rumors about nappy hair? Even most Black stylists are truly experts with *straightened* hair. Massey courted some impressive professionals whose opinions did not always bend to hers. As a former researcher, I respect that!
And the no-shampoo method works! For those handling nappy hair, I would recommend the following adaptations to Massey's techniques:

1) During the conditioner wash, cover all the hair w/conditioner, then gently comb out. I comb my hair in the direction I plan to style it. Combing is necessary for kinky hair, unless you are cultivating dreadlocs.

2) Shake your hair a little once you've conditioned for step 3 (kinky ringlets sometimes need a bit of room to shape up.)

3) Massey says silicones weigh hair down. Silicones can't weigh down virgin kinky hair, but they will eventually turn your hair into a shiny, dead mess. They also resist removal by even super-stripping shampoos, so use a non-silicone conditioner with as few ingredients as possible.

4) I have dandruff, but it is under control even after many weeks on Massey's technique. I use the brown sugar scalp scrub every week. Dandruff scalps benefit from more exfoliation. Also, you can substitute cider vinegar for the lemon juice in her Lemon-Aid potion. I have a small spray bottle of vinegar in the shower and i spray some right onto my oily scalp prior to step 2. Oily scalps just need to do the scalp cleansing step more often than Massey indicates. It is not drying.

5) I use inexpensive conditioners by VO5 and CureCare (a beauty supply store brand with 5 ingredients) and have not suffered from a dull look on my hair. Learn to read labels. Try a conditioner which says it's designed for use as body moisturizer.

6) Feel free to add some olive or sesame oil to a dab of conditioner if your hair seems to crave extra. I never use gel, but i gently put this mix through my hair, when needed.

7) She describes a straw set. You can get other-sized curls by setting hair on perm rods. Just use curl papers.

Black curly girls may find it funny that the British Massey has re-invented a product familiar to many of us: oil sheen spray! She suggests putting olive oil in a culinary oil mister for use on the hair! I had to smile.
Massey's book is written with *intelligence,* *respect,* and enthusiasm for all people with textured hair. Not only does she paraphrase Marcus Garvey's thoughts on hair hatred, she actually points out the prejudiced attitudes behind the modern insistence on straight hair as "professional," "well-bred", or "intelligent." Hair is political, and this woman knows it, although her book in straight-up fun. It is valuable for women who want to look like their curly, kinky, nappy, happy selves, not like some deep-fried blow-out queen. I like that the book is inexpensive and that the models are real women with truly lovely "real-world" hair. Bravo!

67 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works for Black girls, too!, December 31, 2005

By 

Kharabella "Kharabella" (Somewhere in the midwest . . .) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curly Girl (Paperback)

This is the most helpful hair book that I have ever purchased. As a black girl, I never thought of my kinky hair as curly. But after wearing it naturally for five years, I realize that's exactly what it is -- curly. Very, very small curls, but curls nevertheless. Anyway, most black hair salons do not cater to women who choose to wear their hair naturally -- they would rather press it straight, or do straw sets or other things that limit my activities and would have me in a beautician's chair every week. I work out five times a week, so I need something that I can do at home most of the time.


So I turned to books dedicated to curly hair. This one is amazing! So many of the tips are useful and practical, things that you can easily do at home. After using some of the tips in this book, the only bad hair days that I have had have been when I use a flat-iron to straighten my hair! I spend less time styling my hair when it is curly, I take better care of it now that I know what it wants (moisture, not detergents or pomades). And my black and white coworkers, and even my other black friends with natural hair, are constantly complimenting me.

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frizz Free & Sexy: Curly Girl Shows YOU How!!!, October 1, 2003

By 

Lola Pantone (Plymouth, MI, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curly Girl (Paperback)

I've had to deal with my curls all my life, and I was hoping that Ouidad's book would help (Curl Talk). It didn't. I later purchased Massey's book, Curly Girl, which has totally helped. As a professional model, the way my hair looks is an integral part of my career. I saw Ouidad on Glow (the TV show on the Style Network) and thought that although she merely COATED Linda Lopez's hair with product, maybe the book would have more to it. Not true. The book -as another reviewer said- was pure, shameless self promotion and did LITTLE to provide actual assistance in the matter of caring for you hair. On the other hand, Massey's book, Curly Girl, gave you TOOLS to care for your hair, and even developed a fool-proof system. What I liked most about MASSEY'S system is that she wrote about all types of curl textures, regardless of your ethnicity. Furthermore, I even visited Massey's salon in NYC, which is called Devachan, and I must admit that they actually walked the walk & talked the talk. The knowledge behind Curly Girl is apparent in the salon, & I only wish that *all* women had a salon like that near them! (I traveled from Michigan...I was in NYC for a fashion show.) Bottom line: If you want to be taught to buy products, get Ouidad's book. If you want to be taught about your hair, how to care for it, how to love it, and what works for it & get it to look good, buy Massey's. Massey's language is simple, easy to understand, and the underlying view of the book is about self-acceptance and self-love. From a scientific to a cultural standpoint, Massey has shown great care, concern and research into her CurlyBible. The choice is clear, Curlies. Pony up to Curly Girl & get ready to rock your world. I love it, I continue to recommend it, and I am an avid believer in this book. Further, you can even go to www.naturallycurly.com and the ladies there can also help you.