My pandemic project: Hair - YouLookFab Forum

Category

General

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

My pandemic project: Hair

bella

(website)

Veteran

Hi all,
I haven't posted in a long while. I wanted to update you on my ongoing hair project.

TL, DR: I am growing out my gray and started following the CGM (curly girl method).

I have been growing my gray since September 2019 (15 months!). I started the journey on the wrong foot. My initial attempt to have my hair dyed gray to blend with the roots better turned out awful. I spent a lot of money and was left with irreparably damaged hair. I had to quit coloring cold turkey and spend a few months with my hair in a bun. I've been taking very good care of my hair to repair the damage but the colored part of my hair is still not at 100%, and will never be. I will have to grow it out and eventually cut it. I am not happy with how the dye washed out at the ends either. That said, my silvers make me very very happy! I am not feeling the short hair at this point in my life, so I believe I have about 6 more months left to complete the transition.

Then a few months into the pandemic, I started to get into the curly girl method. I had briefly explored it about 10 years ago. It turns out that in the last 10 years, many women have adopted the basics of this method to wavy hair. There is now a lot of information on Instagram and youtube for wavy girls. I started following the basics, adapting it to my hair, my daily routine, and products that are available to me in my part of the world. I am now 6 months into my CGM (curly girl method) journey, and quite happy with where I am. If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to provide more info about CGM for wavy hair.

I attach pictures to show how the curl pattern and the silver transition is coming along.
Thanks for reading!

This post has 2 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

General

36 replies

Latest reply was from bella

Minaminu

Veteran

Bella, your skin looks so fresh with the grey hair! Looking at the pictures, I'd have never said that your hair had any damage as they look in super conditions. I wouldn't cut them short either, your hairstyle is great and somehow it reminds me of Charles' Angels (one of my favourite tv series when growing up!).

I am at the beginning of this journey, in the sense that my greys have started to come up here and there - but I already decided not to colour them for a variety of reasons.

May I ask you how you manage to keep them so shiny and in such good conditions? Any tips would be much appreciated .

Deborah

Veteran

Bella your hair looks stunning. The silver suits you beautifully, I am also transitioning to silver which is a bit easier because my hair is light already and quite silver toned. Also having short hair does mean it all happens a bit quicker :). And wow look at your curls. I am familiar with this method and one of my colleagues uses it and her hair looks amazing!

bella

(website)

Veteran

Thank you so much.

Minaminu - I think the curly girl method is helping me get my hair healthy. You can see the difference in frizz and shine in the before and after wavy pictures.
The main principles:
- No sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols - These are really bad for curls so I switched all my products (shampoo, conditioner, styling) to curly girl approved products, which do not contain any of these.
- Deep conditioning at least once a week. I leave the conditioner in my hair for at least 20 minutes, the longer the better. I use a moisturizing hair mask for this purpose, but any thick conditioner will do.
- No heat styling. I stopped using my hair curler (which I used daily) in June, and since then I have only used it once.
- No heat drying. Most curly girls air-dry their hair. My wavy hair tends to stretch before it can dry, besides I get sinus headaches when I don't dry my hair properly. So instead, I've been diffusing on medium heat.
- No towel - t-shirt material or microfiber towels exclusively. Less frizz, more shine.
- I also use Olaplex no:3, once a week if I can manage. Can't recommend it enough. It really helps repair my hair.
- I will occasionally use a purple shampoo. I haven't yet found CGM-compatible one, so I only do this occasionally.

Minaminu

Veteran

Bella, thanks for sharing! It's very similar to my routine, the only difference is that I don't use a microfiber towel nor apply any Olaplex products. I will look for a microfiber towel, hopefully this will help with the frizzy hair!

Brooklyn

Veteran

Your hair looks stunning Bella, and you look beautiful (living up to your moniker).

I am very interested to read about CGM. I would love to have shiny wavy curls like yours. But I don’t have the discipline or ability to follow all those steps. I can’t air dry my hair. And I like the option of going straight. But I have started using Olaplex products. And I like them a lot. I’ll look for a special towel too. That I can do! Thanks for the info

bella

(website)

Veteran

Brooklyn - I was a bit overwhelmed at first, too. It seemed like there were too many steps, too many instructions, too many products. The women I was following on Instagram were always trying new products and new techniques, the next best thing. Then I realized that they did that in order to attract and keep followers and that I didn't have to do any of that. I just found a routine that works for me.
Now, it takes me about 1 to 1.5 hours on a wash day to get my hair done (i.e., a lot of time!) but I make up for it by spending no time on my hair on other days. If I had a good wash day and protected my hair with a buff at night, then the next morning I just fluff a bit upside down and then let it settle. No brushing, or styling. Literally 0 minutes.

Anonymous

Wow! Your hair looks so good!

LaPed

Veteran

Glorious!!

Style Fan

Veteran

Your hair looks gorgeous!

Irina

Veteran

Your hair (and you)look amazing!!!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Oh, you look gorgeous!

I think we have quite similar natural hair texture and color!

I’m always intrigued by the results I see of the CG method, but I don’t know if I have the patience to fully embrace it. Plus I do like having the option of simply blowing dry my hair straight since I don’t love having a wet head, especially in the winter! And that’s when low humidity makes it easier to wear my hair straight. But seeing how fabulous your hair looks makes me want to try it — frizz is the bane of my existence!

Helena

Veteran

Gosh, you look gorgeous!!

Anonymous

You and your hair are indeed beautiful ! I’m also using the pandemic to indulge and hair and skin project and transitioning to my natural hair colour is part of it .

Anonymous

Love it!

rachylou

Veteran

Gorgeous! No really, gorgeous!!

What happened with the dyeing? You had been dyeing it beforehand, yes?

Joy

Veteran

Your hair is beautiful and looks healthy. I found a purple conditioner at TJMaxx , so it is probably being phased out. I did not know that about microfiber towels. They are now hard to find in the US. Everyone is pushing cotton. I need to baby my microfiber hair towel. I was first introduced to them many years ago by a Japanese exchange student who brought his own towels. They air dry quickly and are very absorbent.

ophelia

Veteran

Your natural hair color is stunning! I'm impressed by those who took the leap before the pandemic-I feel like I've taken the easy way out. I last colored my hair in March & stopped when my hours were cut & I started working from home. I only intended to give my hair a break & go back to coloring when I returned-which showed me that I really wasn't coloring my hair "for myself."
I'm at that in between stage & the flat, dyed box-brown color (I could not afford salon color) has faded & oxidized to an unfortunate orange. I look a bit like a calico cat.
I attempted to stop coloring about a decade ago & my color was a lot like yours-dark with sparkly silver highlights. I so wish I hadn't caved & colored it. It's a good deal whiter now & a more obvious contrast.
I am stunned by how much new growth I have! New hair growth seems to be a common experience for some people when they stop coloring. At first I thought I was having odd breakage & more frizz & then realized new hair was growing in around my temples & hairline! There is also a new springy fuzz along the crown & back.
After doing a good deal of reading, I found that on some hair types, dyeing can cause hair loss & thinning.
I think the first 9 months or so are the hardest, but I'm comforted by the few times I'm out of the house, I see so many women transitioning.

kellygirl

Veteran

You are just gorgeous, Bella. I love your hair! It's inspiring!

slim cat

Veteran

Fabulous hair - love it with color ends as well ( looks like intentional/modern style of coloring )! Feeling hair envy - mine are always short.

Runcarla

Veteran

This is so timely! I’m growing my hair longer, but the off days (frizz) drive me crazy! When I wore it shorter (chin length) curl management was easier. At almost shoulder length, a little more effort is required. Thank you for detailing your routine! Your (natural) hair is beautiful!

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Wow, gorgeous! Now I have hair envy! I'm wondering if my hair would have done that when I was wearing it longer, if I had followed more of the CG method. (It turns out I did some of it--no silicones or sulfates--but I still used a towel to squeeze the water out. And no weekly extra conditioning.) My hair looked kind of like your before picture. I think I'll stick with short hair for a while, anyway.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

KILLER GORGEOUS! LOVE the grey and the curls

I see that pic #2 has a more styled top and front. Was that achieved differently?

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Looks fantastic! But just to clarify (no pun intended) not all alcohols are drying or bad for hair.
Cetearyl Alcohol and Cetyl Alcohol

are both "fatty" alcohols and are used in some hair products with good effect. I've been using one (Hairstory rich hair wash) for a couple of weeks and don't have to use conditioner -- the smell is really nice too if you like essential oil scents. That said, the ingredient list is fairly long so I can't say everything in it is "good" for you - but the results have been good for me.

bella

(website)

Veteran

Textsyle - yes, absolutely - that's why I said no drying alcohols. There is a whole science behind each and every ingredient that some curly girl method disciples are very much into, but I personally find it overwhelming. I just go by cgm-approved products, rather than checking ingredient by ingredient.

Angie - I believe that's a Day 2 picture (as opposed to wash day). On Day 2, there is more frizz, and the curl pattern is usually looser especially at the top of my hair and around my face.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Ah! Day #2 soft floppy hair makes sense

Sal

Veteran

Looks gorgeous Bella - so glossy and the curls are really lovely. I wonder if it would work on my wavy/kinky but not curly hair.

JAileen

Veteran

You look so beautiful! My mother always regretted I didn’t inherit my father’s curly hair, and now I do too.

Windchime

Veteran

You and your hair are so gorgeous!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Gorgeous wavy, curly salt and pepper hair! Well of course I am a fan. I am have been doing some version of curly girl for a long time. I only co-wash except for an occasional clarifying shampoo. Do you get the Amika line there? The purple line is approved I think. Although I don't feel purple shampoo is all it is cracked up to be, at least for me. Thanks for sharing!

12