What began as a grassroots effort to help people embrace their natural curls quickly morphed into an obsessive, cult-like community — one that the salon industry and cosmetic companies were all too eager to exploit for profit. I watched from the sidelines as individuals and professionals alike engaged with, promoted, and capitalized on the Curly Girl Method (CGM) movement, often with unexpected, unnecessary, and sometimes harmful consequences.
Without a doubt, CGM has helped countless people feel seen and supported in their curly hair journeys, and its existence has had a net positive impact. But as someone who has lived with and worked with curly hair for over 30 years — long before CGM entered the scene — I’ve also witnessed some deeply troubling side effects of the movement.
The Obsession with Ingredients
One of the first red flags was the unhealthy obsession with ingredients. While I aim to use mostly natural-based products, CGM took this concept to an extreme. People were meticulously scrutinizing every label, convinced that a single “wrong” ingredient would destroy their curls. Nowhere was this more evident than in the widespread rejection of shampoo.
Despite working with curly hair for decades, it wasn’t until CGM exploded that clients started arriving at the salon with hair and scalps that felt, looked, and smelled like they hadn’t been washed in months. It was frustrating to see people suffer from severe buildup, irritated scalps, and hair loss — all in the name of following the “rules.”
That’s when I knew the movement had gone off the rails.
The Fear of “Damaging” Curls
The next cause for concern came when people started showing up to appointments in a state of panic, desperate to know if they were accidentally “hurting” their curls.
During what I now call peak CGM, I seriously considered stepping back from offering curly hair services altogether. People were so lost, confused, and misled by social media advice and online communities. Women of colour shared stories of discrimination across various CGM Facebook groups — one of the largest in Australia, ironically run by a self-described evangelical Christian, only compounded this exclusionary dogmatic atmosphere.
In response, I co-wrote an article called Sacred Scripture to address these issues, and I was later interviewed by The Age to shed light on the growing turmoil within the curly hair community. The response was expectedly, hate mail — including from the founder of the CGM movement.
The Salon Industry’s Role in the Chaos
As the CGM hype grew, a few hairdressers in Melbourne spotted a lucrative opportunity. They opened salons specifically catering to the CGM crowd, charging premium prices while reinforcing the idea that curl salvation comes from colourful plastic bottles.
Instead of educating clients about their unique hair needs, these salons peddled products as the sole solution, perpetuating dependency on an aesthetic shaped more by Instagram than by realistic results. The result was that individuals became obsessed with 'definition' while having little understanding of shape, volume, or density distribution.
Through it all, I raged quietly (and not so quietly) while striving to correct a narrative that was more about boosting salon profits than empowering people with curly hair.
The Aftermath and Moving Forward
Today, curly hair salons have popped up across Australian cities, suburbs, and even regional areas. Yet, every week, I meet women who were misled, lied to, and overcharged for subpar results. They come to me feeling defeated, convinced their hair is inherently difficult, when in reality, they were victims of a broken system.
These women don’t need more products or a stricter routine — they need to unlearn the fear-based messaging and rediscover the joy of their natural hair without the weight of CGM dogma.
True curly hair freedom isn’t found in a bottle, a rigid routine, or the approval of an online group. It’s found in understanding your own hair, trusting your instincts, and letting go of the rules that were never serving you to begin with.
A Realistic Approach to Curly Hair Care
Here’s the truth: true curly hair salvation comes from supportive shaping and an honest understanding of how to manage your texture’s natural tendencies.
Even with a well-executed haircut, the weather often dictates how curls behave. The key isn’t to fight frizz but to learn to work with it. Frizz is a natural and inevitable part of having curly hair — and while we can minimise it, true peace comes from accepting what we can’t change.
The most effective method to manage frizz isn’t a serum or any product promising "anti-frizz" miracles. The number one frizz-fighter is water. But water evaporates. So, much like skincare, the solution is to apply a moisturiser (or leave-in conditioner) post-shower to help lock in hydration and prevent some of that water from evaporating. That’s really all it takes.
Think of it like moisturising your face or body — a simple, sustainable routine. After that, you can optionally apply a holding product for definition or support, but that step is just a bonus, not a necessity.
The foundation of true curly hair happiness is a haircut that is fundamentally flattering, independent of products and styling rituals. Without a solid shape, products become a crutch to prop up something that was never working in the first place.
There’s a better way — and it has little to do with CGM’s product and ritual obsessions. Find a hairdresser who lives with curly hair, truly understands its nuances, and will guide you with honesty and transparency. The right stylist won’t rely on upselling or social media marketing but will empower you to embrace your natural texture with confidence and simplicity.