If you've been looking for a one stop shop for all your CGM products and education, Emerson has just want your curls need.

CGM also known as the Curly Girl Method. This method took the curly community by storm following the release of Lorraine Massey’s book in 2001. A method centered around the use of more gentle and natural ingredients for naturally curly hair, with some key principles that if adhered to will bring out the best in your natural curls. For example, the method recommends frequent co washing also known as conditioner washing over traditional shampoos as a co wash is considered one of the most gentle ways to cleanse your curls whilst imparting moisture. 

A gentler more considered approach to curl care is something we at Emerson completely agree with. Curl care shouldn’t be rush but practiced with intentionality for real results. If you’re a CGM beginner you may have experienced this already, so our only question is do you want the good news or the good news first? 

We say good news in both cases as what we are going to describe is ultimately positive for your curly hair journey.

Hair loss is one of top 3 hair concerns we, Emerson, have come across in our experience, evidenced by the ever growing size of the global hair loss and growth treatment market which is forecasted to grow to $6.335bn by 2032, according to business research insights.

Hair loss can be truly frustrating and demotivating on your hair journey. In some case it maybe necessary in order to birth healthier, strong hair strands. 

Remember with curly hair in particular, strength is required right from the roots in order for effective distribution and delivery of moisture and nutrients through the natural bends, twists and kinks that make curly hair what it is.

There are several reasons you could be experiencing hair loss after adopting CGM, let’s explore this further.

The typical root cause of hair loss includes:

• Hair damage through use of or incorrect application of products and treatments containing harsh ingredients

• Nutrient or vitamin deficiencies

• Hormonal changes - related to pregnancy, any major surgery and aging

• Stress related factors - major lifestyle changes, Work related stress, key life events

Hypothetically, let’s assume the last 3 root causes can be eliminated and let’s view hair loss through the lens of your change in approach to haircare - the adoption of CGM.

Has the true condition of your hair been masked?

CGM focuses on natural and more gentle haircare as such you would have moved away from using products loaded with sulfates, parabens and silicones. 

Did you know silicones are designed to mask the true condition of you hair and create an illusion of smooth, more aligned cuticles by coating the hair shaft and thus creating a barrier to protect from the elements?

In doing so, what silicones actually do is fill in the gaps of your hair artificially. Now, let’s dig into what silicones are actually made up of.

Silicones are synthetic compounds, emanating from silicon, a compound easily found in nature also known as silica, the primary component of sand. Crazy isn’t it? Silicone a common cosmetic enhancer is made of sand!

Digging deeper into understanding what makes up a product really does reveal the good, bad and UGLY!  However it’s essential for us to really provide you with products that are backed by science and have been extensively research otherwise, how can we guarantee our clients real long lasting results on their curly hair journey?

Understanding the impact of the ugly truth

While silicones smooth the cuticle and fill in the gaps found in porous hair types, as it's a synthetic compound it naturally builds up quite heavily on the hair shaft.

Yes, the benefit is a natural barrier but is this at the expense of the hair receiving natural and proper moisture and hydration. Without proper hydration and moisture, curly hair cannot thrive. This is a natural craving for curly hair types without it our curls become more prone to dryness and thus breakage.

Let’s think about this from another angle, if we do not consume enough water and fluids, our body becomes dehydrated, if not addressed it can lead to flaky and dry skin (including the scalp), illness, joint pain, the list is endless, now imagine what happens to our hair strands.

The benefit of following CGM is that your hair becomes more exposed to natural ingredients that will contribute to your overall hair health - you'll notice your hair absorbs moisture better and can now receive the required protein building blocks to fill the gaps in your hair shaft the right way - with what the hair was naturally designed to have.

Is hard water really a thing?

Unfortunately, it is. Hard water occurs when there is a concentration of mineral build up in water. Minerals such as calcium, copper and magnesium. So essentially the more dissolved minerals the hard the water. The UAE and the Middle East region more generally is known to have hard water.

Hard water is a concern as it can have adverse effects on both the hair and skin. The heightened concentration of these minerals in your water can result in dry, moisture stripped hair despite what appears to be hydration with the add on effect of clogged pores from the excess mineral deposits left. The ultimate result is breakage prone hair.

To combat this, we highly recommend the use of water filter which will remove bacteria and impurities before the water is dispensed through the shower head. Obtaining a water filter is fairly easy with popular brands such as Swiss Blu, H2O PureBlue readily available. To enjoy the long term benefits of a water filter, its imperative the filter is changed at least quarterly – semi-annually.

In addition to this a chelating or clarifying shampoo such as Kinky Curly Come Clean pictured below, should be incorporated into your regimen once every 4 weeks, to give your curls a clean slate in order for your products to work correctly – increased moisture absorption and improved styling results. 

Be rest assured, Emerson has you covered on your CGM journey, with a well researched portfolio of CG products in the UAE. Shop CG Approved products here.

A final truth behind CGM related hair loss

As we've noted throughout this blog post, CGM in itself is not the driver of hair loss, however the process of undoing, unlearning and relearning can be a driver of initial hair loss seen. This can be a natural byproduct as an artificial layer is removed from your hair and you progress on a journey to improve the overall condition of your natural curls.

We will leave you with this last point, ensure you are using the right moisturising techniques, as we've echoed throughout this post dry curls are more breakage prone. Not applying the right moisturising conditioner or leave in based on your hair porosity can set you back as your products simply do not penetrate the hair shaft as required. Please refer to the " Focus Areas based on Hair Porosity" section in our earlier blog post here.