Is the curly hair method a con, or does it just need tweaking?

An October 2025 Mumsnet 'Am I being unreasonable?' thread drew 164 replies. The poster has frizzy, fine hair that she straightened for years; straightened, it now looks flat and ageing, and left to dry naturally it turns into a huge frizzy mass. She tried the curly hair method and was unimpressed with the result, and asked: is it a con, or are some people just stuck with difficult hair?

What the replies said

• The thread split. Some said their hair became far easier to manage and healthier; others gave it six months and said it had never looked worse, or found it too much faff for hair that looked good for half a day.

• One common point: after years of straightening, new growth may respond differently, so give it time and cuts.

• Many had simplified: wash, conditioner or a leave-in, then a mousse or gel, scrunch and air-dry. One friend's advice of leave-in plus curl gel turned a frizzy mess into defined curls within a couple of weeks.

• Silicones and sulphates came up a lot: several said dropping silicones made the biggest difference to day-two hair, one used sulphate-free products without co-washing, and one person thought skipping shampoo entirely wasn't a good idea.

• Other tips: find a hairdresser who knows curls, expect different curl patterns on one head, and be ready to experiment, since the products one person swears by may not suit you.

Desk note: The most useful takeaway is that the 'method' is a set of habits you adjust, not a product list. One reply put it well: it won't change your hair type, it just helps the hair you have look as healthy as it can. Be wary of routines or kits that promise to change your curl pattern.

Curly or wavy folks: what's the one step you kept after dropping the rest?

Original thread: Mumsnet AIBU — "To think the curly hair method is a con?"

#CurlyHair #CurlyGirlMethod #HairCare #Frizz