A TikTok video of a woman using a bowl to bring back curls has gone viral, garnering over 8.9 million views. What she’s doing in the video seems a little odd, but since this is a new video for EVOKE, we decided to take a closer look at what’s going on.
Essentially, TikTok user Patrizia O’Shaughnessy, @curlyzia.xo, is a curly hair influencer, but she shares a lot of videos on creating, repairing, and treating her natural hair.
If you look at the number of views of her posts, you can see that there are many problems with this curly hair: wavy, curly, coily, etc. But this one video is going viral. Let’s start by watching the video, analyzing what’s going on, and asking curly women what they think about this hairstyle.
Bowl method for curly hair
Translator
Reply to @comegetyacurl and let me know how you do the bowl method from start to finish ☺️ This has helped many people with curly hair, so I hope it helps you too! ##bowlmethod ##curly
♬ Ikoiko (My Bestie) (feat. Small Jam) – Justin Wellington
Patrizia uses the bowl method to boost hair’s hydration while blocking frizz-causing humidity — both of which result in prettier, smoother curls.
In this same video, you’ll see people using either a leave-in treatment, a conditioner, or a curl gel. The choice is up to you, but if all you have is a conditioner, it doesn’t hurt to try that first and see how it goes.
Use the bowl method on the days you wash your hair, or every 5-6 days if you have curly hair. After washing your hair, place a bowl of warm water in the sink and work the treatment into your hair, squeezing out the water with your hands and submerging your hair in the bowl. You may need to do this process up to four times for the bowl method to work.
Patrizia’s Bowl Method Curls
Why this works so well is that every time you soak your hair, the conditioner or treatment gets diluted from your hair, into the water, and then back into your hair.
Applying the treatment directly to your hair will cause it to cake, but soaking it multiple times will allow the treatment to penetrate your hair better. Distributing it evenly throughout your hair will seal the cuticle and keep out moisture as your hair dries.
Since I don’t have curly hair myself, I asked Jessica O’Sullivan, super curly hair editor at our sister site One Fab Day, if she’d ever heard of or tried the bowl method.
Curly Hair Expert – Jessica O’Sullivan
Jess O’Sullivan uses BouCrème Curl Defining Gel. Photo: Instagram/@sullsays
“It’s actually a great way to set your curls – I usually just work the product in, wet my hair again and set the curls,” she says. Jess uses Boucreme Curl Defining Gel, which is water-based and available from Boots or any pharmacy.
What we know from Patrizia’s curly hair journey is that the bowl method won’t give you dramatic results overnight, but with a little effort and time (avoid heat styling), we think you’ll see results in no time.
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