What are things that you don't fine necessary or things that don't work for your curls? Let me know below! ⤵ I summarized all the things I mentioned on my blog here: genamarie.co/2023/03/deinfluencing-curly-hair-things-you-dont-need/

EVERY PERSON ON THEIR CURLY JOURNEY NEEDS TO SEE THIS VIDEO! I hate to see all these routines where normal people are using like 6 products after they get out of the shower because influencers tell you you NEED all of them. As someone who had been sucked into this curly hair internet rabbit hole for years, it's STRESSFUL. You can be stressed about how much time you spend on it, stressed about how much money you spend on it, stressed about it not looking perfect like the videos. While my hair looked great, all the stress probably aged my face lol. Also, what a lot of other influencers don't tell you is that there are A LOT of multi-purpose products i.e. products that are moisturising as well as give definition and some hold all in one, and I have one that I love to use during the week when I'm not holding myself to AMAZING hair standards. I am grateful to influencer videos for giving me the base knowledge I needed to go on and do my own research though. That said, you definitely influenced me to get the Curlsmith Thickening Lotion!

*Case Studies* . I would love to see content designed around hypothetical types. For instance, Cindy is 56, does not color her hair, has 2B wavy, low density collar bone length high porosity hair. Recommended products and styling routines for each case.

For a hair towel, I went to a thrift store, bought a men's XXL 100% cotton t-shirt, cut off the arms, and sewed it together (with a sewing machine, using a zigzag stitch) on one side. Then I just turned any raw edges under and sewed those. Took me about 30 mins total. Makes a huge "towel" for all of $5, and I repurposed something!

Thank you, Gina. May I make a video suggestion? How about one dedicated to super-fine curly hair? It would be helpful if you could take us through a wash day from wash to style, and also, a refresh day style. Those of us with baby-fine hair have unique challenges and needs. Thank you!

Brilliant video thank you. I despise dyson, it is so nice to hear an influencer with a sensible, honest opinion on it!

Gina I just wanted to thank you. I have fine hair, my hairdresser told me to style my hair sopping wet, it didn’t work for me at all. Finding your videos and getting some of the water out before I styled my hair was a game changer ❤

Your comments are right on point! Where someone lives can also be a variable that impacts curl product needs and outcomes. Someone who lives in the humidity of Miami will not experience their curly hair the same way that that same person will experience their hair outcomes while the are vacationing in the desert at Palm Springs.

I love what you said about the Dyson hair drier. There have been many people who have done pretty decent scientific comparisons to the shark hair drier and that one comes out superior every time.

That plopping advise us gold omg I hate plopping because product runs. I do Micro version.

Hooray for this! The only thing I believe is “necessary” is awareness and knowledge of what works for you and to remember that learning to care for waves and curls is like any new skill and it takes time to learn and improve.

I love all your videos, and how authentic you are. You're one of the only curly hair influencers I can turn to for advice that actually works for me. I also have very fine hair that gets weighed down easily by most of the popular curly hair products and methods. Keep up the great work!

I like your no-nonsense approach! I did find a use for co-washes. I wash my hair once a week; it’s naturally very dry, and it needs to be detangled before I shampoo. I’ve found that by using a co-wash for my first shampoo, I get a cleansing and detangling in one, and then I use whatever shampoo I want to use. It has made wash day so much easier! Thanks for all your insights!

I really love your expertise on curly hair. You are my favorite influencer because your content is informative and not just about buying products. Since watching your videos, my curls look better today than ever before. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and styling tips. You are beautiful on the inside and out.

I just recently found your channel so am a new subscriber. This is one of the most helpful curly videos I've seen. Thank you! I have fine, low density, high porosity hair, and it it so hard to find products and routines that work for me. You have given me so many good ideas, and this video is right up there at the top. Thank you so much!

I found that finding a person to follow with hair closest to yours-curl pattern, general density, individual hair thickness and porosity-really helps with product recommendations, but even then it’s a personal thing. I am off gel and off using clumping and ringlets, they cause too much breakage to my fine hair. In the winter, a LIC is mandatory even with a curl crème.

Great video per usual! I remember when I first started CGM 4 yrs ago, every topic was about basically not washing your hair & using as much condition as possible 😩 People were going months using Suave pink conditioner only & then using globs of it for leave it as well. Idk how their hair ever even dried 😂 I’ve always opted for a curl cream oppose to leave in & clarifying is so crucial. I think that should be the 1st step taught!

I bought a dyson and I love mine, but before my dyson I had a blowdryer for 20eu which also worked fine. My drying time is just way shorter now. In my opinion you are right. You don't need the dyson, but I do really enjoy mine also for blowdrying my hair with the comb attachment!

Tried the Dyson and the Shark. Sent both back. The Curlsmith dryer is a game changer. It was the dream dryer I was looking for.

After reading the CG Handbook, the author has a very tight curl herself. Though it’s an excellent place to start, I didn’t feel like I found very much information that was helpful for someone like me with 2 A-C fine, low porosity hair. As I go along this hair journey, my curl pattern may improve as the health of my hair improves, but I’m not setting my heart on those incredible Botticelli curls in the old renaissance paintings. It’s so helpful having some guidance on the practical side of the journey. It’s exciting to see new products and techniques demonstrated, and it’s easy to want to buy everything, but it’s definitely a lot smarter to learn from others, look for people with very similar hair types, and keep it simple. Healthy hair is the primary goal, and learning which techniques work for me is the most important.

Thank you Gena for this brilliant video! Your honest opinions and advice are invaluable! I have wasted so much money on products (mostly recommended by stylists pushing their salon's inventory) and not knowing what my hair type really needs or how to use it. Your are an angel. :)

I love watching you. The information and care are amazing. Thank you

This is a great video! I agree that I use the best products for my coily hair. The one thing that I do is rotate my shampoos and conditioners on a weekly basis. I use a scrub that is more gentle than clarifying shampoo that can be harsh on my coily hair. As for my coily hair a leave-in is a must for helping with hydration and moisture. My wash day includes shampoo, conditioner,detangle spray, leave-in, styling cream, a gel and oil. My whole routine takes 90 minutes. This is the process that works for me.

I wish I knew more about my hair before buying a lot of my curly hair products, especially the Not Your Mother's curl line. I couldn't understand at first why everyone else I was seeing on KZfaq was getting great results and love the products. For me, it looked great after styling, but by the next morning, I would see build-up my hair was weighed down. Now, I have learned of my hair and learned more to look for in the products instead just by the word curly in products.

This is GREAT information!!!!🙌🏼 I've bought SO many products that just didn't work for me. Less is more and it takes time.❤

Love your comments and chats. I have 3C hair and totally understand how important it is to embrace and understand your texture. I have learned that sometimes less is more. And I keep my routine under three products and I love it. Thank you🥰

So glad to have come across your videos. I'm new at CG hair stuff & was almost going to give up on it cos I was overwhelmed by how much effort goes into it. Your videos & explanations have helped me alot. Beginning to enjoy being a curly girl. Thanks & keep up your good work.

I bought a man’s 3X Hanes T-shirt for a really good price from Amazon’s outlet. I love it!

Thanks for another great video. I'm tired of the "one-size-fits-all" methods touted by so many curly hair enthusiasts. The once a week wash thing is not something I can do. I sweat pretty regularly along my hairline, and just the idea of leaving that sitting grosses me out. I'm also one of those people whose roots are oily after skipping one day of washing, after two days of no washing, it looks like someone dumped olive oil on my head. I've tried wet vs. damp styling, and I don't see a ton of difference personally, but I find plopping annoying. It's just refreshing to see someone say right out that no one thing works for everyone. Now I'm off to watch your shampoo and diffuser videos.

I think it really depends on how tight your curls and coils are. I think 3c to 4c is a little different. My hair is 3c with 4 a as well.

Thank you so much for all the work you do for us people with fine hair! I don’t have your curl type, I’m a 2b/2c wavy, but have low density and you helped me to style my hair so my roots don’t show up as much and good techniques for volume! I would be very interested if you do a video on how to style with semi damp hair ❤

Would you talk more about products for fine curly hair and the method to style with bangs?

I love how genuine and honest you are. Thank you so such great and helpful videos! ❤❤

Loved this video, Gena! I appreciate the "deinfluencing" idea.

Excellent content video, Gena, lots of yes nodding. Thank you

Excellent video! I really appreciate the honesty and education! I feel a lot of influencers get sucked into to a few brands, and "lose their way"....thanks for the transparency....very refreshing ❤. Maybe you could do a video on the up forward method. I have very similar hair to you, and it's been working pretty good for me 😊

I agree with everything you said besides the dyson. I been using it for years plus coloring and still don’t have fried hair. My hair is still very soft even after skipping deep treatments or a leave in. Whereas when I was using I think a revlon hair dryer then a Chi with no hair coloring my hair felt fried on the ends. Your hair maybe just not the right texture for it

This video is best for waves. The details you use to back up why to get rid of products and techniques is exactly how to care for waves. Your hair is actually wavy so it was confusing as to why in the video you speak about waves as if its another group when you’re in the same group. By using the logic that this video is for “curls”, there’s plenty of contradictions. The things you say to get rid of are actually best suited for those with type 3 curly hair as well as type 4 coils. I know I’m not the only one that feels this way as others in the comments wrote this is contradictory as well, one even said its confusing. Im all about deinfluencing its just that people in the type 3 curl category are watching this video thinking they need to get rid of things like cowash and leave-in products and instead do things like use just gel and plop. Overall, I like the details you give, its on the right track. Its the same advice I say to those with waves. A future video idea would be making a part 2 to this video after learning more about the differences between curls, waves and coils. You could even address the comments that are asking basic questions like stating they too have “curly” or “type 3” and asking why moisture is making their hair limp when waves need more protein than moisture. Curls and coils don’t go limp.

Yeah, I can only go about 4 days before needing to wash my hair again. I've given up on refreshing since it always makes my hair super frizzy & now I just wash it & restyle it. I also can't use hard hold gels or oils since they are too heavy. As a more wavy haired person with fine but dense hair, I have better luck with liquidy leave-ins, mousse & hairspray (alcohol & fragrance free) I live in a climate with dry summers & more humid winters so that's when I have to change the moisture to protein balance of my products. Finding products that hold but aren't too heavy was the biggest challenge for me as well as finding good products that weren't too fragranced. I agree about not needing a $500 hair drier. Any good drier with multiple heat settings & an appropriately shaped diffuser attachment should be fine.

THANK YOU for this video! I have been trying to “vigorously” adhere to the CGM like buying a specific popular diffusor or certain routine process and winding up frustrated or disappointed that I didn’t get the same results. Thank you for saying that it’s ok to relax on the rules and do what works for your hair instead of strictly sticking to the curly girl routines of youtube curly creators which can be long, time consuming and exhausting!

Great video 🙋‍♀️ yes, you are wright about our hairstyles and cuts..👩‍🦱👩‍🦰👱‍♀️ I learn something every time I watch your beautiful face and hair🥰 thank you for all your hard work; because it is so hard to find what works for our individual hairstyles 💕😇🙏

you're right about the Dyson getting really hot. I loooove mine because I only hover diffuse and my hair dries faster with it, but I can only ever use it on the lowest heat setting because anything over that is way too hot

I love the conair hairdryer for texture hair. The diffuser is a great size!

It never crossed my mind that me plopping ny hair could be causing dandruff and flat roots! Im gonna try just tshirt scrunching and see how it goes. Thanks!

I definitely would like to recover the money i have spent on curly related products. My shark hair dryer was expensive and gets pretty hot, never gets a true cold shot. Wet hair styling was a great personal discovery, makes a huge difference in how my hair turns out. Downside is dry time. Finally found a refresh product I can use with damp hair.

I have silver hair between a 3A and 3b type. Medium density. I love going simple even though since I am fairly new to leaving my hair curly ( been straightening for years) I’ve bought everything under the sun 😞 would love to just use a couple of products instead. I currently use curlsmith which I love btw. I would love if you would do a video on silver hair.

One of my favorite videos!!!!!!!! LOVED IT!!!! Thank you for sharing ❣️😊 P.S. You do you! You always seem to know "best" Thanks 👍

Would love a video on the wet vs damp styling. I have more wavy hair which sounds like it would benefit from wet styling yet I think my hair might be best damp styled.

The damp hair styling routine you mentioned is a yes for me. My hair seems to be more like your sister. I struggle watching curly hair videos bc they are always fairly curly and always higher up to scalp. My wave pattern is lower like your sister’s hair. Possible to find some other models with examples of curly hair patterns that are more on the wavy side?? Your videos and info have been super helpful! I used CurlSmith co-wash today for first time. It recommended when I took hair curl quiz. I’m not a fan so far. I think hair feels tacky. 🙁 Thanks again for all your curly hair help for this newbie!!

Great video! I have been struggling with my hair because as I'm getting older my hormones are variable and my hair has changed. I used to have coarser hair with a tighter curl pattern and now my curls are looser. I'm having to relearn how to style my hair 😂

Yes, please DO do a reel or something about the amount of water for damp styling. My hair is sooo goldilocks and the three bears about how much water it needs for products...

washing your hair every day is actually totally fine if your scalp needs it and your hair can tolerate it - ask any dermatologist and they'll tell you some people actually should be washing their hair every day to avoid scalp issues such as dandruff and itchiness etc.

I have spent way too much money on hair tools and products, and I still can't get a good style. Glad I saw this.

Thank you, this is one of the most helpful videos I have seen. I appreciate you. I’m at the beginning of my curly reclamation journey. I find you have a lot of valuable information to share.

Thanks for this! Great advice/insight :)

I have much tighter curls than you but I love your content because it’s so informative and science based!

Positive product: if I want to straighten my hair on occassion, the Revlon One Step Straighten and Shine. I have the smaller brush head, but still really love it!!!! No longer have to dry and flat iron. Or try to blow out my massive mane. I rarely use it, but it's a great tool!!

Good points about plopping. I finally unfollowed the ones washing daily for the gram. It’s unattainable and a waste of time to wash/style every day. Thanks for all your hard work :)

Thank you so much for sharing your hair knowledge! I've learned so much from you in the last 3 years! You have made my curly hair journey possible!😍

During my transition, when I first had my hair cut to remove the worst of my damaged hair, the stylist used the Dyson on a low setting, but wow, was it hot! I'm glad to hear you confirm this about that hair dryer because I was so shocked at how much heat it was putting out. I usually diffuse part way, let it air dry for a while if I have time, and then finish with diffusing, but I like a low heat/warm setting. My hair is a lot like your sister's. When it's time to get a new hair dryer I am hoping to get a Shark.

If I had a dollar for every time someone asks me, “which products do you use?”…. Amazing video as always!!! Love your authenticity! 👏🏻

A tip from a new subscriber with hair very similar to yours 😅 Your videos are informative but contradictory at times. I understand that routines evolve as our bodies and our needs change. I also understand the pressure to switch things up to keep content from getting stale. If you're going to recommend one of your old videos in connection to what you're currently doing, I would just suggest reminding your viewers that different techniques work for different people and you hope they find the information helpful, even if your current routine looks a little different. That's all ❤

Excellent video. Thank you. I believe we all needed to hear this. I personally just use a curl cream that has a soft cast and air dry, then a light oil. Very simple.

What a fantastic video-- thank you!!

Your experience and detailed explanations are greatly appreciated. I learn so much from you and I appreciate your videos very much. You have a gift for explaining and demonstrating. Thank you 😊

Thank you for this honest video! I am guilty of thinking that I need to try allllllll the latest products to find the one that will give me perfect curls! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I find that a leave in mousse and then gel works best for my 3b hair. I do use an oil to scrunch my crunch

I have always wondered if I needed to use a leave in and a curl cream together. Thank you for the education on that.

Great tutorial Gena! You’ve gave me lot of points in how to understand my silver curls. Thanks to you everyday I received compliments of my hair. I’ve seen others great tutorial but your is always spot on. I have fine hair due to genetics. So I am able and learn to manage . Here in Vegas no humidity so I use a humidifier,however, visiting family in Puerto Rico I use a stronger gel. I don’t use plopping or very wet hair cause it create a mess. Lol. Dry detangeling with some oil I have great results.

Thank you for this excellent video. SO helpful!

One thing I learned about my hair and I regretted getting the CS Bond Curl Rehab Salve, because my hair doesn't do well with a lot of protein. Thank you Gena for the reaffirmation, that it's not necessary to use both leave-in & cream, and I've been learning that, too with my hair. I prefer to use the cream, but I am using up the leave-in, since I don't like throwing stuff out, unless it's really bad. I'm just using very little of it so I can have a little bit of slip. As far as the Dyson goes, thank you for not making us think that we have to get it because it's so good & worth the cost of it. For one thing, I always thought the diffuser is small for those of us who have a lot of hair. But the CS hair dryer is tempting because of the size of the diffuser & that it's about 1/2 the cost of the Dyson.

Some videos I watch the girl puts on so many products, and lots of it, mousse, gel, curl cream, and even more. My poor little thin hair would just be stuck to my head. It makes me itchy just watching the amount of products!

My hair looks a lot like your sisters except mine is very long. I’ve had so many stylists argue with me when I tell them my curl doesn’t start until a few inches away from my scalp. Also a lot of curly hair routines make my hair look stringy/or droop my curl /or make too dry & crispy from gels

Please do a damp hair styling video. As my hair grows I notice it looses its curl pattern and then I only get good results with damp hair.

I’ve recently been using the Nou line and my curls are so happy

Agreed to so many things on this vid I got caught up in the hair hype. I used to have untouched hair and I used to not fuss much aside from a styling product and some oils. And I would usually forgo the oil. Developing a routine has helped me extend my washday so for that I’m so grateful to Manes by Mell for showing me techniques. But yeah. She pushes the products. However, I disagree about the products not making a difference, I have colour treated curly and boy did Olaplex revive my limp wavy curls I had after colouring.

Hair is dead it can't repair So agree the CGM needs updating a lot because of the products we have now. :) Also refresh doesn't work for everyone. Love your vids

Believe it or not, for some reason, kinky curly knot today (KCKT) doesn't really work wonders on my hair. I mean, it's okay/good but I find that Cantu curl activator cream is much, much better at giving me the slip for styling. I can't believe people rave about KCKT everywhere lol.

I love everything you said in this video, I tried doing the curly girl method in 2018, i have waves well stated wavy now i get ringlets, but i also stopped coloring, bleaching, chopped my hair a couple times, I also have a fragrance Allergy so i had to stop using all those products, there is a few things i can handle i have Balsam of Peru Allergy, but i still live watching these videos, i know they will help people , thank you

I stopped deep moisturizing. Always too heavy for my hair. Gels are still styling must do. Curl creams I use in much smaller amounts now since I realized it is too much weight for my hair type. I found 3 different ones I can use in small qty. AG Recoil, (refresh days) AG Curl Cream and AG Vita C conditioner seem to make my hair happy...not all in same day. Also Tre Luxe shampoo, hi def gel and Reflex Serum also work for me. Ouidad gel for heavy humidity climate is a must. Quick brush thru with some tension, followed byvwide tooth comb, then lots of scrunching and micro plopping gives me best results especially when I have the right amount and type of products.

Awesome video❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 ty! And yes to NEXT DAY HAIR,!

Thank you for this video! Love it!

Try the Laifen hairdryer…half the price of a Dyson, and doesn’t get hot….I loooove mine!

thank you for this video! it was very helpful :)

I have very healthy hair (no heat styling, never dyed etc) but my hair LOVES protein. I get moisture overload very easily if I don't use products that contain protein

also you don't need a whole set of salon quality products to achieve your hair goals. I had a big chop in 2021 and since then the majority of the hair products that I use are from drugstore. My hair has been growing nicely since then and it has been very soft, it's all about what your hair needs and getting products that match with those needs.

Excellent info!

It's interesting that the Spiralicious gel dries you out. I tend to have super dry hair, but I've made it as far as day 11 using that gel without losing moisture.

Many great tips!! thank you.

Seriously love this video

Thank you so much for this!!

The problem is that first people put wavy hair in curly type... wavy is wavy and just doesn't hold like a curly hair. My hair is wavy and loses al the definition.very easily, so if someone wants definition a gel is so important. I just use normal shampoo, hair mask, a cream with thermoprotection and a gel... 4 products total. The technique is the most important in my opinion

Thanks for this, I wet plop at the moment and don't have any root volume. Going to try microplopping instead.

Appreciated this video!!

I use a no poo. (Deva curl). My hair doesn't get a lot of build up. I can even put coconut oil on my hair prior every time i wash, followed by no poo without any build up. I do alternate between shampoos every now and then when i feel like my hair may need it. I also need a leave in conditioner for the extra moisture. I dont find styling products moisturizing at all, if anything, it makes my hair more dry, regardless of the brand. I feel like this video definitely isn't for everyone as i couldn't get away with half of these things. Spray bottles immensely helps with restyling as well as detangling. My hair also works best with styling soaking wet. Damp doesn't work for me. My hair is 2c. This is everything my hair doesn't agree with.... 😅 Kind of a waste but maybe others will benefit from it. Im 3 yrs into it so i know what works best for me personally

I have your sisters curl type! Cool!!

Gena, this vlog is beyond helpful. ❤ Yes, I am guilty of buying a product because it seemed like the latest and greatest. I have way too many products. Can't even begin to tell you how many gels I have. 😮 Wish I knew someone to even give away some of mine. My last wish is to find the best hair dryer. Would like to try the Curlsmith to see if it would dry my hair faster. Have a Shark and the Conair, and returned a Dyson.

I cut up some old tshirt material bedsheets into hair towels. I didn't even bother sewing the edges. Problem solved!

Thank you 💕

Not sure if you are aware but the Dyson hairdryer has a low & medium heat setting. 🤦‍♀️ It’s only too hot on the highest setting. (Medium for some hair types). I keep mine on low and no damage!