For Long, Healthy Natural Kinky and Curly Hair - Your Dry Hair Days Are Over!
  • About
  • Queens
    • QueenOfKinks
  • Hair Blog
    • Magazine
    • Headbands
    • Scarf
  • TV
  • FreeInfo
  • Courses
    • HotOilTreatments
    • HairButters
    • DIYshampoos
    • DIYconditioners
    • DIYmoisturizers
    • DIYdetanglers
    • Property
  • Contact
    • FAQs
    • Advertise
  • About
  • Queens
    • QueenOfKinks
  • Hair Blog
    • Magazine
    • Headbands
    • Scarf
  • TV
  • FreeInfo
  • Courses
    • HotOilTreatments
    • HairButters
    • DIYshampoos
    • DIYconditioners
    • DIYmoisturizers
    • DIYdetanglers
    • Property
  • Contact
    • FAQs
    • Advertise
Search

Tips on Caring for your Kids' Natural Hair

11/10/2013

 
Picture
How to care for babies and children's hair is a question I have been asked very frequently. It's a large topic but in brief, for children, less is definitely more.

If your child isn't two years old yet I wouldn't worry about poor growth. There's a lot going on in that little body and hair growth isn't a priority. Most of the rules of maintaining a child's hair are the same as those for adults as outlined in the free ebook.

When should you detangle?

Ideally before you start washing the hair, as with adults. Soften the hair with water and a detangler to make it easier.
Picture
What shampoo should you use? 

In the first 24 months shampoo is not even necessary unless your child was rolling around in mud. You can wash with water and as the hair grows out and becomes thicker you can start using a light, instant conditioner to keep the hair soft and more manageable.

Be careful about purchasing "no tears" shampoos too! They may be easy on the eyes but some will dry out your baby's hair. Many of these shampoos are no good for black or mixed hair. After 24 months you can introduce a shampoo. Look for a "no tears" shampoo that doesn't use sulfates as a surfactant. 

For a baby/toddler you should look for shampoo that is:
  • Light
  • Moisturising
  • Sulfate-free 

What's the best shampoo schedule for your child?
  • Normally, when I bath a baby/toddler I rinse the hair with water every time I give them a bath, i.e. daily. No shampoo needed.
  • As the child gets older I wouldn't be too prescriptive. Until the age of about 4 I would wash the hair when it is dirty and co-wash the rest of the time. 
  • And for older kids once a week should normally be enough with a mid-week co-wash if necessary.

Picture
What's the best type of moisturizer?
Something light and creamy usually provides the best hydration. All-natural shea butters and coconut based moisturizers tend to be the best in my experience.

How should you moisturize?

Depending on what works better on your child's hair use either:
1.  Liquid only if the hair is very fine and naturally quite soft.
Use a very light leave-in conditioner or a light buttery/creamy moisturizer.

"Liquid" includes any light water based leave-in conditioner, detangler or spray moisturizer.

2.  Liquid  then oil.
If '1' doesn't keep the hair hydrated follow with an oil to lock in the moisture. I recommend coconut oil or jojoba for this function or The Junior Edition of our Hair Growth Stimulator.

3.  For thicker hair or hair that dries out easily use either the LOC method or the LCO method. 

Some hair types respond to one better than the other.  

Picture
To protect your child's hair from damage I would avoid all the following:
  • Relaxer: my personal view is to wait until they're adults, i.e. 13+
  • Heat: perhaps after the age of 6 you can use heat for special events such as weddings
  • Colour: similar to relaxer; I would only allow it if your child demands it after the age of 13, maybe even 15+!
  • Weaves: see the advice on colour.

Which products should you use?

Based on reviews I have added a "Children's" category to the Neno Natural Amazon store. I will change the products included there as I learn more about kids' products. I would opt for the cheaper products to see if they work before trying the more pricey stuff. Dilute to make it spread further! Yes, I am cheap. Always have been, always will be, I was brought up that way :)

As with all textures some experimentation is needed before you find the "magic formula"!

Picture

Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.


Leillah link
15/1/2013 04:10:05 am

What is your advice on plaiting the hair? My daughter pulls her hair out as a calming support, so we have to plait it often, but I am never sure how good this is for her.

Heather @ Neno Natural
10/10/2013 01:48:11 am

Sorry for the delayed response! I didn't know you were a mum Leillah!

Personally, I would delay braiding for as long as possible and certainly not in the first two years. The reason being that young follicles are very tender and excessive pulling from braids could cause damage.

I would start of with plaits done loosely and then advance to braids at a later age.

One can't be too prescriptive but I would say that if combing and other manipulation results in a lot more hair than you would expect ending up on the comb, take it easy with the plaits.

When you see kids whose scalps look quite "gappy" it's probably because their hair was braided too early.

My best
Heather

leillah link
21/10/2013 05:49:56 pm

Hi Heather, yes I am a mum. We started the plaiting after she was 2. It has helped a lot with the hair pulling/ trichotillomania as she is less reluctant to pull the braids than she is her own hair which she takes out in chunks.
The only advantage of the trichotillomania is that her scalp does not hurt when her hair is being braided, she is quite soothed by the whole process.
Thanks for responding and this is a great post by the way.

crystal
12/10/2013 11:29:51 am

What is the best time to start clipping a child's hair? My daughter is 4 and i started doing what you suggested. It works but i am curious. I only have problems with my hair :-)! I try to keep it up just like i do for my children. Thanks for your help!


Comments are closed.
    I now blog about wealth creation - so if you have any money questions meet me there, you can do all sorts of cool things like leave me a voicemail.
    Follow @NenoNatural
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    By Heather Katsonga-Woodward

    I was a natural hair blogger and mixtress living between London & Chicago from 2012 to 2017. I always thought I was 4C but some say 4B; images below - you decide! Heather xx

    p.s. I now blog about wealth and personal finance on my personal website.

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    About
    Aloe Vera
    Bad Chemicals
    Bad Hair Practices!
    Baggying
    Big Chops
    Braids Weaves Wigs
    Brands
    Breakage/thinning
    Butters
    Carrier Oils
    Carrier Oils & Butters
    Children
    Color
    Conditioning Hair
    Co Washing
    Cultural Issues
    Damage
    Dandruff
    Detangling
    Detangling/combing
    Diet & Hair
    Dreadlocks
    Essential Oils
    Events
    Exercise
    Food For Hair
    Frizz Control
    Giveaways!
    Growth Phases
    Growth Stimulators
    Growth Tips
    Hair Type
    Hard Water Solutions
    Heat
    Homemade Hair Recipes
    Ingredients In Products
    Interviews
    Itchy Scalps
    Lice
    Magazines
    Makeup
    Matted Hair
    Max Hydration Method
    Microfiber
    Moisturising Dry Hair!
    Other Naturals
    Ph And Hair
    Porosity
    Pregnancy
    Press And Publicity
    Product Reviews
    Protective Styling
    Queen Of Kinks
    Random
    Regimen Building
    Salon Reviews
    Scalp Conditions
    Science
    Shampoos
    Shiny Hair
    Silicones
    Sleeping
    Stretching Hair
    Styles
    Swimming
    Texture Issues
    Thin Hair
    Tips & Challenges
    Tools & Products
    Transitioning
    Trimming
    Vitamins
    Washing
    Weather

    Picture
    Click for free eBook!
    Picture
    Check out the podcast!

    Archives

    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    October 2011

    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo from robertivanc
  • About
  • Queens
    • QueenOfKinks
  • Hair Blog
    • Magazine
    • Headbands
    • Scarf
  • TV
  • FreeInfo
  • Courses
    • HotOilTreatments
    • HairButters
    • DIYshampoos
    • DIYconditioners
    • DIYmoisturizers
    • DIYdetanglers
    • Property
  • Contact
    • FAQs
    • Advertise