The Ultimate Curly Girl Method Glossary – Curly Hair Terms Explained
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This post is your curly girl method glossary to help you understand all the ridiculous terms we have for different styling methods and techniques unique to the curly girl method.
When I first started the CG method I was so confused by the words I would read like SOTC, LOC, and plopping. I had no idea what these meant and felt frustrated at times.
So here I have rounded up all the curly hair terms with explanations and pictures so you don’t have to feel the way I did. And if I left anything out, let me know in the comments and I can add it in.
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ACV rinse – An ACV rinse is a mildly clarifying rinse using apple cider vinegar. It’s beneficial for those with hard water and helps soften and give shine. To do this mix 1-2 tsp into 8 ounces of water and pour over your hair after conditioning then rinse out. You can watch my ACV rinse in this video.
Air dry – This one is pretty simple. It just means you let your hair dry naturally without any heat/dryer.
Big chop – the big haircut curlies do to chop off the damaged hair and speed up the transition process
Bonnet – a cap used to protect curls overnight
Bowl method – a way of applying styling products using a bowl that is very hydrating. You can see how to do it here
Breakage – when hair snaps and breaks because it is too dry, damaged, or has too much protein
Brush styling – a method of styling curls that involves running a special brush through the hair with product to create smooth curl clumps
Buff – a tubular piece of fabric (traditionally used around the neck in winter sports) used to protect curls while sleeping
Build-up – when products, natural oils, and minerals from water build up on hair over time causing dull, heavy, or frizzy hair
Cast – the hard, stiff feeling curls have from drying with gel and other styling products
Canopy – the top layer of hair
Clarify – the removal of buildup using a strong shampoo with olefin sulfonate or a sulfate
Clipping (root clipping) – using clips to lift the roots for more volume
Clump – big sections of curls that stick together
Cowash – using a cleansing conditioner instead of shampoo and doing a lot of scalp scrubbing
Cocktail – mixing styling products together to apply at once
COTC – stands for “clap out the crunch”, a method of clapping your hands over your hair when the cast has dried to soften the crunch and release the cast
Crown – the top, back part of your head
Crunch – another word for cast, the hard feeling your hair has when it has dried with styling products
Density – how much hair you have, from low to high
Detangling – removing knots and tangles
Diffusing – drying hair with a diffuser, which is a bowl-like attachment for hair dryers
Dry plop – plopping wet hair in a towel or t shirt as part of the drying process
Drying alcohols – alcohol ingredients in hair products that speed up drying time but should be avoided
Emollients – hydrophobic oils that act as anti-humectants and seal the hair
Essential oils – plant oils used to add scent and therapeutic properties
Fatty alcohols – moisturizing alcohols used in hair products
Finger coiling – a method of styling where you coil curl clumps using your fingers
Fluff – using your fingers or a comb to massage the roots and create volume
Gelatin treatment – a protein treatment using gelatin to make a hair mask
Glycerin – a common humectant used to attract moisture to the hair
Holy grail – a term used for products that always give you great results
Hair type – the classification of your hair, from wavy to curly and coily
Halo frizz – frizz on the outer layer of the hair
Heat damage – damage caused by heat styling
High porosity – hair that has a more open cuticle and absorbs products and moisture easily
Humectant – an ingredient that attracts moisture from the environment
Hydrate – to moisturize with water
Hygral fatigue – when your hair cuticle is damaged due to excessive moisture entering and exiting the hair cuticle
Glazing – a method of applying styling product by gently gliding it over hair
Keratin – a type of protein used in hair products and also the protein our hair is made of
LOC – a styling method where you layer leave-in, curl cream, and oil in that order
Low poo – a sulfate free shampoo
Low porosity – hair that has a tight cuticle and has difficulty accepting moisture and products
Manipulation – forming the curls into shape with your fingers or a brush
Medium porosity – hair with a cuticle that is moderately open and is fairly easy to manage
Medusa clipping – a way of clipping hair to protect it overnight. You can see it here
Micro plop – a modified method of plopping where you use the towel to push the hair up towards the scalp and press for a few seconds
No poo – not using shampoo, co-wash
Pineapple – a hairstyle where you pull your hair up into a ponytail at the top of your head as shown below. This is typically done to preserve curls while sleeping or working out
Pixie diffusing – a method of diffusing by putting sections of hair into the diffuser and pushing it up towards your scalp
Plopping – using a t-shirt or towel to collect your hair on top of your head and let dry
Porosity – how porous hair is, from low to high
Praying hands – a method of applying styling products by gliding your hands across the hair on both sides in prayer manner
Pre-poo – using an oil or treatment product on the hair before cleansing
Protein – what makes up our hair. Proteins can be used as ingredients to help strengthen hair
Protein treatment – a treatment or mask that is heavy in protein to help repair hair
Pulse – a method of applying products by repeatedly scrunching at the top near the roots
Raking – finger combing product into the hair
Rake and shake – a method of applying product by raking from the roots just to the ends then stopping with the ends still in your hand and shaking it to help it clump
Refresh – to restyle hair the next day or days after wash day
Rice water rinse – a protein treatment where you heat rice in some water, strain it, and use the milky water to rinse your hair. See more about rice water rinses here
Roping – squeezing product into the hair as if you were squeezing a rope repeatedly in a downward motion
Scrunch – squeezing the hair upwards
Shrinkage – the difference in length once hair has dried
Silicone – a hydrophobic ingredient that coats the hair, builds up, and can only be removed by using sulfates
Slip – how slippery a product makes the hair feel
Smasters – a method of applying product where some product is applied during the drying process
SOTC (scrunch out the crunch) – scrunching hair once it has dried into a crunchy cast to release the cast and soften hair
STC (squish to condish) – squishing water and conditioner into the hair in place of simply rinsing out conditioner
Sulfate – a cleansing ingredient common in shampoos that is drying and should be avoided in curly hair
Squish – squeezing the hair upwards when it is full of product
Texture – the thickness of each strand of hair, from fine to coarse
Transition – the period between starting the curly girl method until your hair has returned to its natural curls
Wet plop – plopping in a shower cap to help retain moisture
I hope this was helpful and as I mentioned above, let me know if I left any terms off the list.
If you want help with embracing your naturally wavy or curly hair, you can join my FREE email course and download my FREE pdf guide, THE QUICK START GUIDE TO MASTERING YOUR CURLS, full of everything you need to know to get started and bring out your beautiful waves and curls.
You can also read my other popular posts on curly hair:
- A Basic Guide to the Curly Girl Method for Wavy & Curly Hair
- What Products You Really Need To Start The Curly Girl Method
- Curly Girl Method Routine for 2B 2C 3A Hair
- 50+ Curly Girl Method Approved Products
- Curly Girl Night Routine To Protect Your Curls At Night
- How To Refresh Curly Hair
- Tips For Fine & Low Density Curly Hair
- How To Clarify Curly Hair
- Rice Water Rinse Guide
- 14 Hacks For Curly and Wavy Hair
- How To Repair Damaged Curly Hair
- Curly Girl Method Before and After – 1 Year Progress Update
- Ultimate Guide to Hair Porosity for Curly Hair
- My Favorite Products for Fine Curly Hair
- 11 Surprising Reasons You Have Frizz + Tips to Beat Frizz
- Common Causes of Limp Curls & Their Fixes
- Guide to Humidity & Weather Styling
- EVOLVh Review
What should I use to clip my roots for volume and how is it done?
Hi Chandra. Check out this post with detailed instructions https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curly-hair-type-3a/how-to-clip-at-the-roots-for-curly-hair-bi