Safer Than Relaxers: Next-Gen Straightener and Curly Perm ‘GinaCurl’ Is Breaking the Status Quo

The link between hair relaxers and uterine cancer suggested by a recent study and lawsuit is potentially devastating news. But it highlights another problem: the scarcity of safer chemical alternatives for afro-textured hair.

Veteran hairstylist and textured hair educator, Gina Rivera, is setting a new standard with the GinaCurl—a safer, gentler, next-generation alternative to traditional relaxers, curly perms, and texturizers.

Relaxers in particular have been notorious for creating a vicious cycle of excessive touchups, hair loss, and scalp damage. “People with medium and highly textured natural hair who want a chemical service are looking for better options,” says Gina.

Inadequate textured hair training, expertise, and diversity in the industry have translated into limited choices and perpetuated the use of damaging products and techniques. Breaking the industry’s decades-old status quo was a driver for developing the GinaCurl.

Making healthy the new normal

Gina, who owns the multi-ethnic Hair’s Talent Salon, aimed to create a healthier chemical curl reformer and straightener that would eliminate chemical burns and overprocessing—hallmarks of traditional treatments—and work on multiple hair textures, including wavy, curly, kinky, and coily hair. The innovative method behind the GinaCurl (and its Straight Variation for those seeking a relaxed look) allows clients to retain moisture balance, length, and manageability with only one or two retouches per year while also giving them the freedom to discontinue without fear of hair breakage or doing the “big chop.” It’s a welcomed departure from what has become an unfortunate norm. The GinaCurl is making healthy hair the new normal for chemically treated textured hair.

A best-kept secret

Undoubtedly, however, it is the GinaCurl’s soft, smooth, shiny, and trademark natural-looking curls that have made the treatment a “best-kept secret” among some models and actors, like Loren Lott. “I love when I get a fresh GinaCurl,” says Loren. “My life is literally a wash and go without even having to touch my hair much for 2 whole months before I have to really style it. My hair is healthy and has grown tremendously. I made the best choice for my hair!”

In addition to giving clients an alternative path to hair health, length retention, and manageability, the GinaCurl has been a business-building secret weapon for stylists and salon owners, including those whose businesses were devastated by the pandemic. Certified GinaCurl Stylists benefit in part from an international waiting list of clients but also from the competitive edge they gain by offering clients more options and a unique treatment that finally delivers the results that have eluded them. A key reason the GinaGurl can so reliably produce consistent and optimal results is its customizability. In applying the GinaCurl or Straight Variation, stylists can accommodate clients who have multiple hair textures and porosity levels, allowing them to deliver uniform results. Certified GinaCurl stylists can be found on the Hair’s Talent website.