Tag Archives: children’s hair care

Dec20

Mini-Hairscapader: Savannah’s HairStory

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Yeah!!!!!  We’re back with the hairstory of another cutie patootie!! Check out the details at the end of the post for how you can submit the hairstory of YOUR very own mini-Hairscapader!!

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image-2as told by Enjoli (mom)

What’s your child’s name and age? Tell us a little about her.
My daughter’s name is Savannah and she just turned two September 13th. She is a fun-loving, energetic baby and absolutely loves to sing and dance. Her favorite fruit is a banana. Probably because I call her Savannah Banana :-). She’s in love with Elmo and thinks ABC’s and numbers ROCK!!!

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How do you care for her hair? What products do you use, how often do you wash/condition, what techniques do you use (i.e., how do you detangle), etc.?
I wash Savannah’s hair every week, usually on Saturdays. She just finished swim classes and they were on Saturday, so that is our usual washing day. I generally wash it while she is in the bathtub at the end of a bath. I use the Shea Moisture Curl Defining Shampoo on her hair and the Restorative Conditioner as a leave in. I detangle it on days that I wash it especially. Once the washing is done, I go through and moisturize her scalp with pure coconut oil. I also put some of the oil on her hair. I usually braid it up and allow it to air dry. She generally wears braids or plaits to bed, so that her hair not all over the place in the am. I detangle her hair with the conditioner on it.

Products that we currently use (even though I am always looking):
Shea Moisture Curl Defining Shampoo
Shea Moisture Curling Souffle
Shea Moisture Curling Milk
Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner
The Shea Moisture Deep Penetrating Shampoo (If hair is really dirty)
Cantu Shea Butter Leave in conditioning cream

This past weekend, I used a bootleg version of Miss Jessie’s called Curl La La at my BFF’s and loved it. Her hair was soft, smelled great, and the curls lasted all day. So I am looking for that where I live now.

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Do the same products that work for you work for Savannah’s hair?
For the most part. We both have curly hair, although her hair is softer than mine. Her dad has curly hair and his dad before him as well.

What is a typical style? Do you employ protective styles? If so, how often?
It depends on time and her cooperation. LOL! I am learning to cornrow. I can get something in her head and it will be cute, but with her having the texture of hair that she does, it doesn’t usually last too long. If I’m in a rush, we generally settle for the high curly ponytail on top. Its a bit of a cop-out, but when we are pressed for time, it always comes through. LOL! Most recently I did a style that involved beads and she was ecstatic. Had been nervous because I felt like she was too young. If her hair has been twisted up, braided up, or in ponytails for a few days, then I will let her wear it loose in a little curly fro thingy for a few days as well to balance out the tension from the other style.

What challenges do you face with Savannah’s hair?
I just have no idea if I am doing it right! Her hair is so soft, in order to get it to do any styles, it usually involves some type of anchor or holder/rubber band. I try not to use them often. Her hair around her temple is a little thin and, at first, I thought it was falling out. Then I realized as a baby and younger infant, she had no hair there. So, I’ve since calmed down and realized that it is just her hair growing in. It’s different lengths in different areas and I’m not sure what to do about that.

I also get frustrated because, due to the softness of her hair, styles don’t last. If she does get braids, I may get 2 days out of them tops. Twists have to be done daily, banding doesn’t work, and the Bantu knot out didn’t work. I did include pics for you to see what I tried.

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Have you ever relaxed/texlaxed Savannah’s hair? Why or why not and, if you relaxed her hair, what prompted the decision to return to natural?
I will NEVER relax my daughter’s hair. If she gets a relaxer, it will be her decision and her choice and her job to keep it up. LOL!

How does Savannah feel about her natural hair?
She’s only 2. So who knows. I know that she likes it when I do something fancy with it. She stands in the mirror and says, “Ooooh Mommy. Nice!” She enjoys playing in it and pulling on her ponytails. Her hair has quite a bit of length on it, so I think that is more important than texture right now. Just being able to reach it to play with it. She enjoys playing in mine, which is nowhere near the same texture as hers. So I’m guessing she likes it.

Anything else that you’d like to add?
While I will never relax Savannah’s hair, I would never be one to judge anyone who does. We all make the decisions we think are best for our kids at the time. I just hope that no matter what our babies’ hair looks like, we are encouraging them and telling them how beautiful they are. My mother relaxed my hair when I was 6 and I didn’t really need it. It was just easier for her since my hair was so thick. I’ve gone back and forth my entire adult life and am currently sans the creamy crack. I have no problem with relaxers, but have just chosen not to dabble in them anymore for myself. It has not been easy; it has been hard with my own hair. But, in choosing to embrace my hair … embrace me … it is making it easier for me to do hers and it makes her feel good about her hair as it is.

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Can’t. Take. All. the. CUTENESS!!!! LOL!! Just adorable!!

Okay, okay. *Wooosah* My ovaries have calmed down.  Soooooo, do you have a mini-Hairscapader in your house? Wanna share his/her story?! Well then, get on it!! Answer the Mini-Hairscapader HairStory Questions here and e-mail your responses, along with 5-6 (or, you know, 10) pics, to me at hairscapades@gmail.com!! Hope to get your sweetie pie’s story soon!!

(p.s. To see more of these mini hairstories, check out the Mini-Hairscapader category under the HairStory tab!) 

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Aug30

Back to School: De-Summerize Your Child’s Hair

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(Chloe)

by Tameeka aka Jaded Tresses

After such a hot and humid season, it’s a good idea to “de-summerize” your child’s hair in preparation for the fall and upcoming school year. The sun, although fun for our little ones, can wreak havoc on their tresses. It’s important that we nurture them in preparation for the drier weather approaching. As adults, we may have catered to our own tresses a little more than we have done to our future manes, which may have been in and out of water/chlorine and salt/sun continuously  without care ;).

So now moms and pops, it’s a must for us to “de-summerize” their treasured locks. What that means is Clarify, Recondition and Re-hydrate  their precious tresses. Because a child’s hair is virgin, vellus and naturally porous, it can sustain the most damage during the hot summer months, leaving the hair parched and dehydrated craving moisture.

Here are few things that I suggest that you do in preparation that  can help aid you through the rough cold weather we are about to embark on during the school year.

Tools and Products

  • Hard hat or bonnet dryer: Great for deep treatments, as well as drying tresses once styled.
  • Plastic cap
  • Duck bill or butterfly clips to help section off tresses
  • A wide-tooth comb, double wide-tooth comb or Denman brush to help with detangling
  • Shampoo, conditioner and deep conditioner

I will list a few shampoos, conditioners and deep conditioners that may be of some use:

  • Non-sulfate: The Organix line has various shampoos, conditioners and masks (find in local beauty supply stores and Target).
  • Curlisto Natural Coils line has a cleanser, conditioner, leave-in and mask (find online at Curlisto.com and at the Fifth Ave salon).
  • Shea Moisture (Target)
  • Carol’s Daughter Monoi line (find at Carol’s Daughter locations and online).
  • Ouidad Curl Quencher shampoo, conditioner, moisture lock leave-in and signature deep treatment (find at Sephora, the flagship salon on 57th st or online at Ouidad.com).
  • Clarifying: Pantene Nature Fusion has a great shampoo and conditioner (find in local beauty supply stores and Target)
  • Deep conditioner: KeraCare Intensive Restorative Masque is a great deep conditioner (find in local beauty supply stores).

Step 1: Clarifying Shampoo
Clarifying shampoos help to  remove product build-up, salt, chlorine and mineral build up from the hair. So, if you have been consistently using a non-sulfate shampoo and/or conditioner on your child’s hair, as well as applying oils because they have been swimming and had a generous amount of sun exposure, then this is definitely your first step.

Directions:

  1. Wet the child’s hair thoroughly, rinsing out all of the old product until the water runs as clear as possible.
  2. Apply about a quarter-size amount or more of clarifying shampoo to the palms and massage it into your child’s scalp using the ball of your fingertips.
  3. Once a lather has been formed, finger through and DOWN the hair in a piano stroking motion. Never ball your child’s tresses on top of their head. That will only create knots and make detangling even more complicated.
  4. Rinse slightly and repeat if necessary. If you achieved a rich lather the first time, no need to repeat. Just rinse out thoroughly, allowing the water to run over the hair while you finger through the tresses to remove the soapy suds.
  5. Squeeze excess water out of the hair.

Step 2: Reconditioning
It’s wise to do this next part in sections and once each section has been conditioned and detangled, twist or braid it loosely so as to prevent it from tangling up again.

Directions:

  1. When applying conditioner, apply to the ends of your child’s tresses first, saturating the ends, smoothing and working your way up towards the scalp. It is not necessary to start at the scalp.
  2. Once saturated, using a wide-tooth comb, Denman brush or double tooth comb, hold the section upon which you are working in a ponytail and start detangling from the ends first, working upwards (the tighter you grasp the hair into a ponytail, the less pain the child will feel). Twist or braid each section prior to moving to the next section.
  3. Whiling leaving the hair in twists or braids, rinse the conditioner out, leaving a good 10% of the conditioner in the hair. (If you are deep conditioning right after this step, it is also okay to leave the conditioner in and apply the deep treatment directly on top of it.)

Step 3: Re-hydrating/Deep Conditioning
A deep penetrating, hydrating moisturizing mask should be done at least once a month.

Directions:

  1. This type of conditioner can be done with or without heat. However, when heat and a plastic cap are applied, it is more intensive. The heat opens the cuticle layers of the hairs shaft allowing the necessary moisture, protein and oils to penetrate deeper and bond to the inner molecular layers of the strands, which helps repair and strengthen the hair.
  2. When deep conditioning, be sure to rinse with a slightly cooler water temperature to seal and lock in all the good stuff for our little ones ;).

Hope that I was of some help to the guardians of our future manes ;)!

Please feel free to inquire about anything. I would love to hear from you and help guide you through you and your child’s natural hair journey!

Many blessings,

Tameeka McNeil-Johnson
#thecurlwhisperer

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Twitter: @JadedTresses
Website: www.jadedtresses.com (under construction)
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