The Curl Institute

The Curl Institute

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The most comprehensive professional Curly Hair Stylist Training anywhere - at an affordable price

08/27/2025

Looking for Professional Curly Hair training?
From someone with almost THREE decades of experience as a stylist and curly hair salon owner?
We can help.

Curly Hair Stylist Finder | The Curl Institute 03/13/2025

2,700 of the BEST professionally-trained and peer-vetted Curly Hair Stylists are now ON THE LIST!
If you haven't checked it out, click the link and take a look-see 🧐- It's 100% FREE.
Stylists can't "Buy" their way on - they have to EARN their way on!
This is a list of the best-of-the-best trained Curly Hair Specialists and Salons in the U.S.A. - and it continues to grow every week!
Not just some "random" list with who-knows-who on it - it's being compiled by The Curl Institute and a team of professionals working to ensure that everyone gets the quality and professional curly hair service they are looking for.
Your stylist NOT on the list? Have them contact The Curl Institute and get the training they need - and that YOU deserve.
https://thecurlinstitute.com/stylist-finder?fbclid=IwY2xjawIgqnxleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVaM6-yktCE4y0itXDTnu9wyL7VL5cK30IW3cRPfE4fENGNA98DCuCG8XQ_aem_fTkdkaHZg-vbTZzIjMy7-Q

Curly Hair Stylist Finder | The Curl Institute Connect w/ curly hair stylists and curl specialists trained by various orgs including The Curl Institute. Find a stylist near you for expert curl care.

Curly Hair Stylist Finder | The Curl Institute 02/25/2025

"How do I find a Curly Cut stylist"?

That's the #2 question on the internet from women with curly hair.
And the "trial & error" process is miserable, wastes tons of $$$, and often leaves Curly Girls in tears.

There has never been a comprehensive list of:

- Legit PROFESSIONALLY-TRAINED stylists that specialize in curly hair, have the certifications to PROVE IT

- Aren't directly related to a brand (like Devacurl, or Ouidad, etc)

- Are VETTED one-by-one by one of the TOP behind-the-chair Curly Hair Expert stylists in the country - one with 28-years behind-the-chair as a stylist and Curly Hair Salon owner - not just randomly selected from the internet and thrown on a list.

-A website / listing that stylists can't "buy" their way onto - they have to EARN their way on. They are either qualified - or they aren't. And it's FREE to them. There's no "pay to play" so to speak.

-A website / listing that "Curly Girls" don't have to pay to join. It's FREE.
-A website / listing where you can comment and rate your experiences with any stylist / salon listed, and YOUR reviews help decide if they stay on, or if they should be removed.

Wouldn't it be GREAT if there was site/list like that?

We'll here it is: A 3-year labor of love, so to speak.
https://thecurlinstitute.com/stylist-finder?fbclid=IwY2xjawIgqnxleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVaM6-yktCE4y0itXDTnu9wyL7VL5cK30IW3cRPfE4fENGNA98DCuCG8XQ_aem_fTkdkaHZg-vbTZzIjMy7-Q

Curly Hair Stylist Finder | The Curl Institute Connect w/ curly hair stylists and curl specialists trained by various orgs including The Curl Institute. Find a stylist near you for expert curl care.

01/04/2025

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.

12/11/2024

FREE hour-long online Curly Hair Stylist Course w/ Instant Access!

Learn the individual curl by curl dry cutting method - taught by one of the top female curly hair experts in the country (who is an American Board Certified Haircolorist Exam Judge too) - Melanie Nickels - Founder of The Curl Institute and The Raw Curls Academy!

This is the easiest path to becoming a "Curly Hair Specialist"

Just comment "ME" below and I'll GIVE it to you - for FREE 👇👇👇

Raw Curls Vault - Curl Styling Cream #2830 16oz 12/09/2024

FYI - Raw Curls Vault Curl Styling Cream 16oz is ONLY $10 bucks today.

Raw Curls Vault - Curl Styling Cream #2830 16oz ANOTHER great formulation makes it's way out of "The Vault"! Created several YEARS ago, this is another formulation that has been previously unreleased to the public. After much research and testing, this was the very first Curl Cream that we created that also met Melanie's high salon-quality standa...

Raw Hair Organics- Natural & Organic Haircare for Waves, Curls & Coils 08/21/2024

Looking to SAVE MONEY on curly hair products?
Check out these two:
1) Raw Curls Vault Hydrating Cream Conditioner 16oz - it's only $5 bucks a bottle!

2) Raw Curls Vault Curl Styling Cream 16oz - it's only $5 bucks a bottle as well.

You can find them here:

Raw Hair Organics- Natural & Organic Haircare for Waves, Curls & Coils Big, Beautiful, Bouncy, Healthy Curls - Our natural & organic hand-formulated products are GREAT for you, GREAT for the environment, and guaranteed to give you the results you've always dreamed of.

02/28/2024

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.

10/13/2023
06/22/2022

BIG announcement coming this Friday afternoon regarding The Curl Institute.

Big.

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Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.

Location

Address

Naples, FL
34110