You got questions? Well, chances are, we have answers!
First off: What’s CG?
CG is also known as the Curly Girl Method. Originally, it was based on the idea that curly hair tends to be drier than straighter hair, as the oil produced at the scalp find it harder to work their way further down the hair shaft around the curls to keep moisture in.
Lorraine Massey wrote a book called Curly Girl which suggested that Sodium Lauryl Sulfates (SLS), as well as other harsh sulphates are incredibly drying to Curly Hair and instead they should Co-wash.
More details here.
What’s Co-wash?
Co-wash is when people use conditioner instead of shampoo
Do I have to give up shampoo completely?!
Some people do. Some people low-poo
What’s a low poo?
A low-poo shampoo is one that doesn’t contain sulfates such as SLS or ALS (Ammonium Laureth Sulfate - vegetable derived but still quite harsh) but uses other, more gentle surfectants to clean your hair.
Here’s an article for more.
Where can I find SLS free shampoos?
Check this thread out.
What are cones?
Some people avoid silicones (sometimes abbreviated to ‘cones’) because some of them are only removable with harsher sulfates and if they only co-wash, their conditioner may not remove them, resulting in build -up. Not every one does this. More here. Cocamidopropyl betaine also removes most cones and is not as harsh as SLS.
What products should I use for my 2a/2b/2c/3a/3b/3c/4a/4b/25z hair?
Right, you’re probably going to hate me but the fact is, there is no perfect product for a single ‘hair type’. A lot of people prefer to choose products based on other hair properties.
The following statements are crass generalisations and you may be the exception!:
Fine hair - Hair has a small diameter. Prone to breakage by rough manipulation. Loves protein but can get over moisturised quickly.
Medium hair - Has a medium diameter. Can take hits of protein and moisture equally.
Coarse hair - Hair has a thick diameter. Usually hates protein - too much can cause split ends. Usually has more needs in the area of moisture.
And then there’s porosity:
Low porosity - Somebody dropped a cup of water on your head. Two days later, it’s still wet (well, maybe not two days, but hair takes a while to absorb products. At the same time, it’s also highly reluctant to let go/get rid of what it has taken up). This hair does not take colour easily. However, this usually means that your hair is quite healthy with lots of cuticles.
Medium porosity - Somewhere in the middle.
Highly porous: Takes colour up extremely quickly and brightly. Is quickly dampened in the shower, but dries almost as fast. Can be caused by heat damage, colouring hair, normal wear and tear or could just be the way your hair is.
I tend to think of it more as a sliding scale than a definite category.
The ends of your hair usually tend to be more porous, though the kicker is, you could have a variety of factors on you head - just like you have that bit that curls differently, you may also have a part of your hair that is finer than everywhere else and absorbs water like it was left in the desert.
For more on protein vs moisture, read here.
My hair looked awesome all day but then I went to bed and all my curls were gone!
Some people ‘pineapple their hair’ when they go to bed, which generally consists of piling all the curls on top of their head. This is to preserve the curl.
Then they use a satin bonnet or scarf or pillow case to protect the hair - this is prevent the cotton pillowcase wickering out the moisture from the hair.
Not every person finds pineappling works for them - some people prefer satin bonnets.
Due to the porous nature of your hair ends, some moisturise the ends, then ‘seal’ it with an oil or butter.
Okay. But someone wrote some letters in the forum (KCCC, DBCG, KCKT etc) and I have NO idea what it means.
Some of the products have rather long names, so people use abbreviations. It should be somewhere in this thread.
How can I find out what products everyone else uses?
Most people write them in their signature, along with the properties of their hair. You can even see mine below, as a(n im)perfect example.
I bought this product and I HATE it. What should I do?
Someone on the swap board may love it. If not, use it as a fragranced bathroom cleaner 
Am I allowed to brush my hair? What about de-tangling?
Some people like to finger detangle (which is running their fingers through their hair to get rid of shed hairs), some people use combs and some people love brushes. It’s your personal preference - if your hair is prone to breakage and you want to use a comb, many’d recommend using a seamless comb, which is where the comb is made out of one piece of material such as the Jilbere Shower Comb.
Some people detangle dry.
Others de-tangle damp.
There are others who only do it when their hair is wet.
Whether you do it before or after you wash is up to you.
There are others, who prefer to detangle and wash with their hair in sections (maybe twisted, braided, or just separated) to avoid re-tangling when they rinse their hair and just for general convenience as far as keeping your hair out of your way is concerned
