“Curly Girl: The Handbook” by Lorraine Massey with Deborah Chiel

I found my new hair stylist the best way–by asking a woman whose hair I admired who her stylist was. The new stylist told me another of her curly-haired clients recommended Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey, and had come in after reading it with her hair looking fabulous.

If you are even vaguely curly, there’s a lot to like about this book. It’s put together in a chatty, informational way. Testimonials from women who’ve learned to love their curls, after a lifetime of trying to tame them. Massey is a curly girl herself, who’s done the research to find the best way of caring for it, and there are some surprising recommendations. Most curly girls can skip shampoo, cleansing their hair through scalp massage with conditioner. Brushes are out, too. Massey’s tips and techniques are going to take some practice, and getting used to, but I’m already loving the increased curl and definition in my hair, as well as the ideas on putting it up and tying it back. I was a little too zealous, though, when I purged our house of shampoo. I kept some for the kids, but gave away one of mine that G. Grod used too. He was not amused.

When I tried to find this book at the library, it was not yet back on the shelves. I asked one of the librarians for help. I was a little abashed when I told her the title and that it was a teen beauty book. She found it, and smiled when she handed it to me. “I own this. It’s good,” she said, as I noted her salt and pepper curls pulled back prettily from her face. While the book may be shelved in the teen section, curly girls know no age boundaries.

One Response to ““Curly Girl: The Handbook” by Lorraine Massey with Deborah Chiel”

  1. SuziQoregon Says:

    Ooh - I’m a curly girl and my HairStylist is too. She turned me onto this book several years ago. She has visited with Lorraine Massey and attended her training too. I stopped using shampoo a couple of years ago and only use conditioner now when I rinse my hair and clean my scalp. It’s made a dramatic difference in my hair. Don’t be afraid to try different gels and combinations to find what works best for your hair. I currently use a mixture of two different gels to get the right amount of control without being too crunchy. Another tip - I stopped using cotton towels to scrunch the water out of my hair - I use an old pillowcase from a set of jersey sheets (you can also use an old t-shirt). It’s less likely to break your wet hair than a cotton towel.