Why I Decided to Update CurlsBot

You may have noticed that CurlsBot recently got a major update—its first real overhaul since 2019. This update was a complete rebuild from the ground up, but it also preserved the core functionality users relied on. I know it’s been a long time coming, and I’m sorry for the delay. The journey back to working on CurlsBot has been a winding one, and I’d like to share it with you.

The Beginnings of CurlsBot

When I started CurlsBot in 2017, I was at a crossroads in my career. For the first time in my adult life, I found myself without a job. A promising job transfer had fallen through, leaving me feeling disillusioned. As a developer, I’d experienced a lot of gatekeeping, and I was burned out and deeply insecure about my programming abilities (this blog post captures how I felt then). I thought building an application might help me regain confidence and improve my job prospects.

Around the same time, I discovered Lorraine Massey’s Curly Girl Handbook and started using her advice to care for my wavy/curly hair. I was active in Facebook groups where people dissected product ingredients, and I thought, What if I could use code to analyze ingredient lists? It was a daunting challenge. Ingredient lists are inconsistent, and the rules are complex. For instance, I had to account for “sulfate” and “sulphate,” as well as terms like “behentrimonium methosulfate,” which isn’t even a sulfate.

Initially, CurlsBot was a Facebook chatbot. But I didn’t want to depend on Facebook, so I turned it into a web application. At the time, I was primarily a front-end developer, meaning my work involved turning designs into functional websites. Backend work—databases and APIs—wasn’t my strength, so CurlsBot’s functionality was limited. Still, it was enough to land me my “dream” job.

The Setbacks

That dream job turned into a nightmare. The startup I joined had a toxic environment—not because of my coworkers, who were fantastic, but because of the management. The stress was immense, and it took a toll on my health. I lost so much hair that I eventually shaved my head because it was too heartbreaking to deal with. The idea of working on CurlsBot or anything hair-related became unbearable, and I quit Facebook entirely.

Then, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was laid off. Over the next few years, I bounced between startups, each time being laid off again. Startups are inherently unstable, and the roles I took weren’t critical ones. By then, I wasn’t even writing production code. As a developer advocate and solutions engineer, my work focused on demos and consulting.

A Fresh Start

Earlier this month, I was laid off yet again. I found myself back where I was in 2017: unemployed, unsure of my skills, but with a head full of long hair. This time, I returned to CurlsBot — not to prove myself to tech bosses who’d dismissed me as “non-technical,” but for my own satisfaction. My skills have grown since those early days, and what was once seen as a weakness—being a “jack of all trades, master of none” — has become a strength. I’ve picked up new abilities quickly, aided by the advances in software development tools since 2017.

This time, my motivation is different. I’d love to stop working for bosses altogether and gain full independence. Developing CurlsBot and other applications feels like a step toward that goal. I have other hustles, too (like the headbands in my Etsy shop, which are perfect for curly/wavy hair). It’s a risk, but I’m ready to take it.

What’s Next for CurlsBot

I also wanted to make CurlsBot more flexible and helpful. As someone with wavy, low-porosity hair, I’ve found that much of the advice out there doesn’t work for me. I’ve seen others struggle, too—like people prescribed sulfate-containing shampoos by their dermatologists who are afraid to use them because they’ve been told sulfates are “bad.” My goal is to make CurlsBot a tool for information, not judgment.

Here’s what I’m planning:

• Customization: Let users set their own product standards, from the guidelines in the Curly Girl Handbook to routines tailored for wavy hair or low-poo preferences
• Improved Ingredient Insights: Add a “good” rating for ingredients that benefit specific hair types, in addition to the existing “OK,” “caution,” and “warning” ratings
• Localization: Expand CurlsBot to support multiple languages
• Enhanced Information: Provide more detailed and practical explanations for ingredients

Thank you for being part of this journey. I’m excited to see how CurlsBot evolves and hope it continues to be a valuable tool for the curly and wavy hair community.