“”

Women's Health, Your Way

May 18, 2026

Ask & Search With Clara

Welcome to a new standard for women’s health answers.

GIRLHOOD / The Abbey Yung Method, for Those of Us Who Never Quite Fi...

The Abbey Yung Method, for Those of Us Who Never Quite Figured Out Haircare

The Abbey Yung Method, for Those of Us Who Never Quite Figured Out Haircare

I am not, and never have been, a haircare girly.

I didn’t grow up knowing the difference between a mask and a conditioner. I’ve never instinctively understood which shampoo was “obviously” right for my hair type. I’ve always kind of assumed that haircare was one of those skills you either picked up early — or quietly accepted you’d never fully grasp. 

For most of my adult life, my hair routine looked like this: wash when it felt gross, condition (because you’re supposed to), heat style if I was feeling virtuous, air dry if I wasn’t. If my scalp flaked, I panicked. If my hair felt dry, I bought something heavier. If it felt greasy, I solved the problem with… a lot of dry shampoo.

Then I started watching Abbey Yung on TikTok, and for the first time ever, haircare started feeling less like a chore and more like a system.

What people on social media refer to as “the Abbey Yung Method” isn’t an official program or a rigid routine. It’s more of a framework: a way of understanding hair that cuts through a lot of the noise, marketing, and frankly, nonsense that dominates haircare advice online.

If you’re starting a haircare journey and don’t identify as someone who’s “good at this stuff,” here’s everything you need to know. You're welcome.

More from GIRLHOOD

I have never once, in my 37 years of life, cried after sex. Not after good sex, not after bad sex, not after the kind that genuinely moves you. It... Read more
Is the period flu real? Asking for a friend who just took two Motrin and set an alarm so she could nap between meetings. As I've mentioned on numerous occasions,... Read more
May is Women's Health Month, which sounds celebratory... until you look at the numbers underneath it. Seven to ten years. That's the average time it takes to get an endometriosis... Read more
Don't judge me, but my favorite trend on the internet right now is the whole notion that "cigarettes are back." Women aligning their chakras with a smoke and a cocktail, girls... Read more
"Everyone wants a village, but no one wants to be a villager." I keep seeing that on social media, and every time it stops me, probably because it's true in... Read more
In February, I was lying on the exam table at my annual, underwear tucked under my jeans on the chair in that way that makes absolutely no sense, catching up... Read more
I still can't get over how often women with regular cycles get their periods. I'm apparently one of them now: after years of cycles that showed up whenever they felt like it,... Read more

The Trip We Didn't Take

My husband and I were supposed to be in Portugal this week. Our friends were getting married, we had the tickets booked, and then his new job made it impossible... Read more
When I had my twins, my company gave me four and a half months of paid maternity leave, and I was so grateful I could have cried — which, given... Read more
This week, mid-facial, my esthetician asked if she could pluck my chin hairs. I said yes, obviously, and then we started talking about all of the things we have to... Read more