The Curl Institute

Are your struggling with the whole "embracing your curls" thing?

The guide below is what we give every one of our 5,000+ curly clients every year to follow. Trust me.

The 10 Easy Steps to Beautiful Healthy Curls
*This simple roadmap was created by the founder of both The Curl Institute and the Raw Curls product line, Melanie Nickels. She is a 2c/3a, and 28-year behind-the-chair Master Curly Hair Stylist, ABCH Certified Master Haircolorist, and Curly Hair Salon Owner. The salon services about 5,000 curly & wavy clients a year. She uses this exact same system & product lineup every single day on every single client – because it WORKS.
STEP 1: Clarify. This step is a MUST. We use Raw Curls Clarifying Shampoo, or, if you have hard water, Raw Curls Hard Water Clarifying Shampoo. Start with a clean slate – start from the beginning. Do NOT skip this step. If you have been using drugstore-type products on your hair, chances are you will need to clarify more than once. It is extremely important that you get this step right. You have to start your Curl Journey with a solid foundation. If you don’t, nothing else will go well long-term.
STEP 2: After clarifying, you MUST do a deep conditioning treatment. We use Raw Curls Deep Conditioning Masque with Biotin, leaving it on 15-20 minutes. Clarifying (removing product buildup) will also remove “good” things like moisture and hydration. You must replace them. That’s what the Deep Conditioning treatment does.
STEP 3: STOP using a towel on your curls. Instead, use a large flour sack towel - it will help reduce frizz. STOP using heat tools such as curling irons, flat irons, and other high-heat items that can damage the hair and the curl pattern (this does not include blow drying / diffusing on low heat settings, etc.)
STEP 4: Only use a comb or brush to detangle your curls when WET and have conditioner in them. However, lots of curly girls can't use either a brush or comb at all. Most people only use their fingers to detangle in the shower. Do not try and detangle dry.
STEP 5: Use ONLY water soluble products on your curls. Pick the highest quality line that fits your budget. That will be different for everyone. Get a cleanser / shampoo, conditioner, an Anti Frizz product (if they have one), and one styling such as a medium hold or firm hold gel, or maybe a mousse. This is a great starting point. Don't get any more than 4 products to start with until you've got a good handle on what you are doing with your curls and are getting at least somewhat consistent results every day ( that's in addition to the Clarifying Shampoo and Deep Conditioner). Don’t overspend on a ton of products, but don’t penny-pinch and buy low quality products either...because you’ll just end up starting over again. Trust our decades of experience – it will save you time, money, and frustration. Gain a little product knowledge before you spend any money – it’s worth the effort.
STEP 6: Don’t try to copy Social media / YouTubers / Tik Tok “influencers” that are not professional licensed hairstylists with professional curly hair-specific training by credible curly hair organizations, or are not active behind-the-chair working stylists. It's a huge mistake I see lots of people new to embracing their curls make. Most social media influencers get financially compensated for using and recommending products & tools. They switch a lot and will use and recommend questionable ones that you shouldn’t be using on your Curl Journey - and they probably don't believe in a lot of what they tell you to use (because it's about the $$$$). If they aren't trained licensed professionals, try to stay away from using them as your source of Curl Knowledge. It can be a HUGE mistake if you do, because you have no idea who does and who doesn't know what the heck they are talking about. It’s the old adage, “You don’t know what you don’t know”, and if you are new to embracing your curls, you don’t know right from wrong – but licensed professional curly hair stylists DO. Follow their advice.
STEP 7: Don't get caught up in the "Curl type", "porosity/ protein/ moisture balance" discussion. You'll only confuse yourself starting out. Start with the basics and master them.
STEP 8: Ask questions in the FB groups. There are many people who have gone down this road you are on that are willing to help. But BE CAREFUL regarding product recommendations from people who aren’t licensed trained professional curly hair-specific behind-the-chair stylists. The second most common reason I see that “curly girls” don’t have the big, bouncy, healthy curls they dream of is because they are using the wrong products. Trust the experts. They will tell you who they are in the groups when these discussions come up.
STEP 9: THAT ALL BEING SAID...the best products in the world and the best techniques cannot overcome the need for a real Curly Cut by a real, trained behind-the-chair Curly Hair Specialist (that’s #1 if you were wondering). The cut IS the foundation of great curls. Keep that in mind. If you cannot find a stylist in your area that’s a real Curl Specialist, I have a video I can give you that will help you immensely.
STEP 10: Lastly, in closing, BE PATIENT. This process doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time for your hair to heal and get healthy. It could take a week, it could take 3 months - maybe more. You curls could get worse before they get better. THAT IS NORMAL. You can’t follow these 10 steps for two days and say, “I quit. This curly hair thing is B.S. – it doesn’t work for me.” You have to be patient AND consistent and TRUST THE PROCESS – because we prove that it works every single day if you are patient, trust the process, and continued to do the right things day after day. Trust the 10 step process. The information above will save you LOTS of money and LOTS of time and frustration searching for where to start, what to do, and more importantly, what not to do. Good luck, and make sure and take “Before” pictures.

If you want to know who someone REALLY is, don't watch how they treat their clients and customers.
That won't tell you anything, other than that they want YOUR MONEY.
Watch how they treat and talk to servers, service providers, assistants, janitors, volunteers, their spouses, and animals.
THAT is what reveals their true character.
THAT is what really matters.

Show #249 - Rehabbing Bleached Curls, Preventing Matts, Silk or Statin Pillow Cases - Do they actually do anything? AND MUCH MUCH MORE!