A review by alanzalot
Curly Girl: The Handbook by Lorraine Massey

3.0

2.5 stars rounded up. First and foremost, this book is directed at women who have not embraced their natural curls but want to learn to love them. It is full of eyeroll-worthy testimonials from people whose lives were miraculously transformed once they stopped fighting it and accepted their curly fate. I already love my curls so skipped over most of that nonsense. It also reads like a teen magazine with an absurd amount of hair puns. I can only read “blow-frying” and “mane-tenance” one time each before becoming irrationally angry. I was angry for a lot of this book.

What I found helpful were descriptions of different types of curls and detailed daily routine instructions for each, and techniques for cutting your own hair. There’s also a chapter of homemade recipes (for hair masks to scalp scrubs and beyond) which I look forward to trying.

I recommend this book if you’re at the beginning of your curly hair journey and are looking for tips in starting out. I also recommend finding a free copy from your library or maybe from a nice neighbor like I did.