How to Care For Black Children's Hair

Have you ever seen infants with baldness on the back of their heads? Or, perhaps you've noticed very short hair in certain areas. Simple preventive steps can reduce these problems that children have in their early years.



Beautiful Black African American hair is a result of good hair maintenance. When parents use a regimen that keeps moisture in the hair, the result is healthy hair.

The experience I have gained as an older sister and mother will shed light on the care of hair of biracial (with African heritage) and African American children. One doesn't have to be a cosmetologist if there has been a tradition passed down from mother-to-daughter for successful hair care.

Read on how to start off right (or get back on track if you've made mistakes with your child's hair care).

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A child who needs hair maintenance
• Good combs with smooth teeth, no rough edges
• Good Detangling Spray
• Natural Hair Oils (such as jasmine, shea butter oil, almond oil, grape seed oil, etc.)
• Silk or Satin Pillowcases
• Satin net (if you do not have a satin pillowcase)
• Soft-bristled brush
• Ball-tipped brush (for looser curl patterns and bi-racial hair)

1. 
   Top of Baby's Head With Hair Needing A Good Regimen With Moisturizing

   Let's start with infants...
   
   Protect the hair of all newborn infants.
   
   When my children were born, I made satin rectangle cloths to tuck securely over their crib sheets. I ensured that the cloth would not come loose to pose a SIDS problem. (See warnings below).
   
   The satin rectangle protects the hair and prevents rubbing the head against the sometimes rough sheets used for infants. When a baby cries, or moves about to see his/her environment, the head usually turns from side-to-side. This causes friction. I have witnessed the growth of hair of babies with hair breakage when mothers have followed my advice to use satin to cover the head area of their babies' sheets.

2. As the child grows older, switch to a satin pillowcase.
   
   It may be difficult to keep a hair net on toddlers heads. And, some fathers may not welcome seeing hair nets on their sons' heads. The easiest solution is to find a satin pillow case in a color for a child that both mom and dad will agree on.

3. Teach girls to use satin hair coverings/nets when at sleepovers (such as at Granny's house). It would be wise to alternate using hair nets and satin pillowcases at home so that daughters are used to being flexible to protect their hair. (Some boys have braids, from infancy to adulthood. These tips will work for them, too.)

4. Watch out for petroleum-based products. Note, there is a health/safety risk. My niece died from consuming a hair product that contained petroleum. I cannot stress enough that Black African American and Bi-racial Hair do not "need" petroleum-based products. A web-search will determine the effects of the products on the pores of the head.

5. 
   Hair Braided for Child - Picture Taken First Week of Camp

   Use natural oils (such as jasmine, almond, and shea butter) and comb-out conditioning sprays to comb the hair. These natural oils will provide sufficient moisture for hair maintenance. Loreal Kids Comb-Out Conditioner is an excellent detangling and comb-out spray. We also use Johnson's Comb-Out Conditioning sprays.

6. Comb the hair gently, starting at the end of the hair. Place your hand above where you are combing out any tangles. Because "Black" hair is often referred to as "kinky," there is sometimes a misconception that the hair is stronger. Patiently work your way up the hair to the scalp as you comb. Starting at the top rips the hair out and causes pain unnecessarily to the child.

7. Limit the number of beads (and the duration the beads are used) in hair. The beads can be heavy, especially on over-traumatized hair. Some people will put 5 or more beads on every braid. They leave the beads in for sometimes two weeks or more.

8. 
   Halloween Love Child's Hair that Needs Moisture

   Aluminum is a metal. If you wrap the ends of the hair with foil to put on beads, there is more stress placed on the hair. Use a piece of satin in the foil to protect the hair (when adding beads at home to braids).

9. Use appropriate hair accessories. Rubber bands, metal barrettes, and beads stress the hair. Sponge rollers are a no-no for the ends of the hair.

10. 
    Four Weeks at Camp - Braids Still Look Good (After Falling and Getting a Broken Arm!)

    Have you ever seen a receding hair line in children two (2) years old? When I have observed this in a child's head, it's been easy to see how tight braids and rubber bands have been put in the child's head. I braided the hair of the model in this picture because she was going away to camp for five (5) weeks. Without the roots pulling the scalp, the braids were still beautiful four weeks later (as noted in the picture). Yes, braids have to be done more often if they are braided more loosely. But, the result is more hair growth and a healthy scalp.

11. After the hair has been combed out, gently brush the hair with a soft-bristled brush. Ensure the tips do not scratch your arm. If they do not, then it will be gentle on your child's head.

12. 
    Protect Hair From the Sun

    For hair with looser curl patterns, a smooth ball-tipped brush greatly reduces tangles during comb-outs with natural oils and comb-out spray. Bi-racial hair may only need a spritz of water if the natural oil makes the hair too oily.

13. Be very careful about taking bi-racial children to salons for hair care. A permanent and relaxer are two different chemicals. Ensure the cosmetologist has the "experience" to care for bi-racial hair. Too often, I have assisted Caucasian mothers who took their bi-racial child to a salon for a "perm."

14. 
    Be Careful Not to Overdo with Your Child's Hair!

    Consider your child's self-esteem when desiring to put in extensions, beads, hair coloring, and relaxers in the hair. Are you sending a message the hair is not beautiful? Will using a relaxer achieve the look desired for the child? Are you considering a relaxer because it is difficult to care for the hair? A child should feel proud of his/her hair. A child who has lost hair due to chemo treatments would benefit from hair enhancement. Or, a child who has suffered hair loss due to eczema or ringworm may also benefit from hair extensions. Natural Black-African American hair is beautiful when it is properly maintained.

Tips & Warnings

• Following the above tips will get you on the right track (Steps 2 through 14).
• Be vigilant in keeping moisture in the hair.
• Use a conditioner that meets the needs of your child's hair
• Swimming is hard on hair. Wash and condition immediately after swimming
• Move part sections of the hair randomly.
• Only let people comb your child's hair if you know they have the proper experience. If a person has a child with short hair (due to signs of damage), then avoid letting that person take care of your child's hair.
• Teach your child not to let others touch or comb his/her hair. This prevents the transfer of bacteria and hair damage. Again, healthy Black hair comes from knowing how to care for it properly.
• My sister did my two year old child's head one time. She vowed never to do it again. She related to me that the hair seemed to expand exponentially after it was washed. It's been over a decade and she has kept her word. Hair that is braided up can be deceiving and sometimes people bite off more than they can chew when offering to do a child's hair.
• Assign each child, even in your own family, his/her own comb. Why? While lice is not prevalent among African Americans, ringworm can be in day care settings. Save yourself the headache of spreading disease and germs to all the heads in one family by keeping separate hair care maintenance items.
• Ensure any bedding used in cribs cannot bunch up to cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). When making the satin rectangle, use elastic ties on each corner and tuck them over each end of the crib mattress to secure the material.
• Never yank a comb through Black African American hair.
• Never tell a Black African American child someone else (such as a sibling or of another race) has "good" hair. This sends the message that they have "bad" hair. The problem is not the curl pattern, the challenge is knowing how to care for each curl pattern.
• Never comb dry hair (i.e., un-moisturized). Always moisturize the hair before combing.
• Do not share combs, brushes, pillow cases, or hair nets! Never. I have always used the personal comb of the person's head I am braiding.

[carmensjones]

on 7/17/2009 great ideas for how to care for hair of black children.

[mswisdom]

on 7/10/2009 Really good article on hair care. I agree and can say that these tips are true!

[poetryman69]

on 6/22/2009 interesting article. well done.

[2besure]

on 6/8/2009 In did not know it took so much work. Great insight.

[edieness]

on 6/7/2009 Great article. Thanks for posting.5*