How to Make Your Baby's Hair Grow Healthy If She Is African-American

Proper hair care for African-American babies is a step toward vibrant, healthy hair later.

If you want your African-American child to develop a healthy, vibrant head of hair, it is important to take steps when she is an infant to ensure her hair grows and develops properly. The most important part of ensuring healthy hair growth is to clean and groom your baby's hair properly and regularly. While ensuring that your African-American baby's hair grows healthily can seem intimidating, it is actually quite simple if you add a few easy techniques to your child's grooming routine.

Things You'll Need

• Child's shower cap
• Gentle shampoo
• Conditioner
• Leave-in conditioning treatment for African-American hair
• Comb
• Blow-dryer (optional)

Instructions

Caring for Your African-American Child's Hair

1. 

   Shampoo an African-American baby's hair once every seven to 10 days.

   Shampooing your child's hair is an important part of her bath regimen. However, African-American hair should be washed only every seven to 10 days. When giving your child a bath on the days between shampoos, use a child's shower cap to ensure that her hair doesn't get wet.

2. 

   Be careful not to use too much shampoo on African-American babies' hair.

   When shampooing your child's hair, use a gentle, tear-free baby shampoo. Shampoo using the pads of your fingers and only apply shampoo directly to the scalp. The runoff shampoo is enough to cleanse the hair; too much shampoo can dry out hair follicles. The main goal of shampooing is to cleanse the scalp, where oil and product can accumulate.

3. 

   Follow up a good baby shampoo with a rinse-out conditioner.

   Whenever you shampoo your child's hair, follow up with a rinse-out conditioner. Gently apply conditioner to wet hair in sections, gently massaging in the product in to ensure that the product is evenly distributed. Ideally, you should allow the conditioner to sit for a minute or so before rinsing it out.

4. 

   Find a leave-in conditioner formulated for African-American hair.

   After your baby is out of the bath, apply a leave-in conditioner or moisture treatment to her damp hair. Find a product that is specially designed for African-American hair --- these products are specially formulated with ingredients that are suited to your child's hair type, including olive oil and avocado oil.

5. 

   Comb an African-American baby's hair while it is still wet.

   After you have applied the leave-in treatment, it is time to comb your child's hair. The best way to do this is to divide your child's hair into small sections and comb through each individual section as gently as possible. Since African-American hair tends to be coarse, you may find a few tangles. While your child may protest, it is crucial to comb out these tangles before the hair dries.

6. 

   A few easy techniques help ensure healthy hair for African-American children.

   Style your child's hair after you have combed it. If your baby has very short hair, you can stop the hair-care process after you have combed her hair and simply let it air-dry. However, if your child has an inch or more of hair growth, you will want to style her hair. Blow-drying is optional; should you choose to blow-dry, hold the dryer at least six inches from your child's hair and be sure to set the dryer to the lowest setting. Otherwise, allow your child's hair to air-dry, then proceed to style in rolls or braids, depending on your preference.

Tips & Warnings

• White mothers with African-American children may be unsure of how to care for their child's hair properly. Don't be afraid to reach out to African-American mothers for advice at the playground or your child's school.

References

• Hair and Skin Care for African American and Biracial Children
• Melissa's Suggestions
• African American babies: Hair care