I am the oldest of four children and out of the four children there are three girls’. My mom had the job of taking care of three little girl’s hair every week. And as you may already know, this is not always a fun thing to do. However, no matter how much work it was and how time consuming it can be, there was one thing my mom did to ensure that her daughters had the healthiest hair: she never gave us a relaxer. In her opinion, she understood a relaxer would not be good to our hair. But a relaxer is just one solution to childrens’ hair care.

Children’s hair is very delicate. It is important that we care for it appropriately and not do what is convenient for us, the parent. A lot of times, parents decide to styles to their child’s hair in ways that is not the healthiest. Besides adding relaxers in children’s’ hair, parents have added extensions for braids or weaving. These styles are usually pulled into tight parts which cause the child pain and/or loss of hair.

There are no quick and fast steps in caring for your child’s hair. Their hair needs just as much love and attention as you would give your own. So by remembering to take these steps listed below, you will help ensure your child has good looking healthy hair.

1. Let’s be honest, most really young children don’t care that much about how their hair looks because they are so active and interested in the new world around them. So by styling their hair in its natural tresses is the way to go it will stay healthy, full and long.

2. In my opinion, I think it is absolutely adorable for little children to have afros, afro puffs, braids and twists. Teaching our children the significance and beauty of natural kinky, curly, wavy hair will set a wonderful foundation for self-assured and powerful adults.

3. Children go to school and get into a lot of things through out the day. In play, a lot of dirt, sand and sweat gets into their hair. Try to shampoo and condition their hair every week. Teaching proper hygiene for their hair is equally important for their body too.

4. Make certain to keep their hair moisturized. Maintaining a proper moisture balance is vital because it keeps it soft, pliable and eliminates stressors that can cause breakage such as rubber bands, balls and barrettes. Proper moisture will keep their hair growing strong.

5. When styling, listen to your child if they say the style is too tight. Be extra careful not to apply too much pressure and tension on the hair. If you decide to give your children braid styles that require extensions, try to wait until they are 9 years old or older. Having extensions on the hair can be too heavy for hanging or corn rowed hair. The extra weight can pull the hair and cause thinness and sometimes permanent breakage. Extensions should be used to hold and support their natural hair for cornrows and single braids. It should not exceed the amount of natural hair.

For additional information on children’s hair care, check out No Lye by Tulani Kinard. She has great information on children’s hair care and hair styles.