Curly Girl

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 160 pages
• Published by: Workman Publishing Company December 20, 2001
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0761123008
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0761123002
• Book Dimensions: 7.9 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Weighs: 10.4 ounces

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 great 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.

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

Reader Reviews
If you have curly hair like me, then you've likely had more than your share of bad hair cuts, bad hair days, and frizz. "Curly Girl" (CG) gives lots of good advice (and a bit of questionable advice) for getting good hair cuts, good hair days, minimum frizz, and maximum shine. Beyond all the advice, CG is a celebration of curly hair, complete with a time line, celebrity pictures, and "confessions" of women who used to hate their curly hair, but then learned how to take proper care of it and love their hair. I wish this book were around when I hated my hair in the "long and silky" days of the 70s. I blew it dry, and it fanned out just like Roseanne Roseannadanna! On page 37, there's a picture of Roseanne Roseannadanna, with the admonition that curly girls who blow-dry their hair often end up looking like this! I know that much of this advice is good, because I learned it the hard way! The one piece of advice I with which I take the most issue is Massey's recommendation not to wash curly hair, but to use conditioner instead. While it's true curly hair is often quite dry (mine is), conditioner lacks the necessary surfactants to clean hair. Conditioners, depending on the formulation, are designed to do jobs such as moisturize, reconstruct, and detangle, but not clean. Despite my very dry hair, when I've had to go a week or more without shampooing, my hair got greasy. Also, when I use hair gel, which the author recommends as a frizz-buster, I absolutely need to shampoo it the next day. For dry curly hair, I recommend finding a good shampoo and separate conditioner for dry hair, and shampooing and conditioning once or twice a week. Also, Massey says the only way to receive a good hair cut for curly hair is to cut it dry. A good hairdresser like mine can give a good cut for curly hair with the hair wet. Part of my reason for deducting a star is the homemade hair care product recipes. One of them contains glycerine, which draws moisture from inside of the hair strands to the outside, paradoxically drying out the hair. Another recipe is baking soda and water, which Massey claims will remove heavy product build-up and leave hair shiny and clean. A baking soda and water mixture is basic (pH higher than 7). It is the slightly acidic products that remove product build-up and leave hair shiny. Even worse, basic solutions can spilt disulfide bonds in hair, which weaken hair and reduce curl. Others of the recipes are harmless to your hair, but will leave it a sticky mess. Despite my qualms about the recipes and the no-shampoo advice, I like the book for its fun positive attitude, curly hair education, photos showing many of the author's points, and curly girl confessions. As part of my Curly Girl education, I learned there are 3 types of curls: corkscrew, botticelli, and wavy. Wavy curls. (Which my hairdresser says is a bit of an over-simplification.) Massey goes into a lot of detail about how to tell which types of curls you have and how to care for them. Even if you just have a small amount of wave to your hair, but don't really think it's curly, you can benefit from the book. As for the Curly Girl confessions, I had many aha moments as women talked about hating their hair, making horrific mistakes with it, straightening it, and finally learning to love it. CG is a definite self-esteem booster. :-) I give this book 5 stars for fun, visual appeal and attitude; and 3 stars for advice and recipe quality.