Mixed-race Hair: 5 Hair Care Tips For Your Child
July 7th, 2008 by XinaLooking after your mixed-race child’s hair can be quit intimidating, particularly if their hair type is very different to your own and you’ve never dealt with that texture before. The type varies from very frizzy/afro to straight and every variant in between.
There’s always the issue of what products to use and some people consider relaxing the child’s hair using harsh chemicals to remove the kinks/curls. If you follow these five tips, you’ll find that managing your child’s hair need not be so difficult and can actually be a time of bonding for you both.
1. Use products specifically for your mixed-race child’s hair
Afro products tend to be too oily and European products tend to be far too drying. Use products specifically for mixed race hair. Curls has a children’s line called Curly Qs and Blended Beauty has a children’s line called Blended Cutie – they are a fantastic organic range of products specifically for your mixed range child’s hair.
2. The curlier/frizzier the hair, the less often you should wash it.
Afro hair tends to be very dry and shouldn’t be washed as frequently as straight hair. The wash hair once or twice a fortnight depending on how curly the hair is.
3. Comb the hair whilst conditioner is in it.
Always condition your child’s hair after shampooing as it needs to be more moist than straighter hair types. Conditioner makes the hair very slick, so this is a good time to use a wide toothed comb to comb knots out of your child’s hair. Gently rinse all of the conditioner out of the hair, taking great care not to create more knots
4. Use a moisturising cream/spray after towel drying
Ensure that your child’s hair is maintained in a (very slightly) damp state using a moisturising cream/spray. The hair must not be allowed to get to a dry/brittle state as this encourages breakage
5. Practice looking after your little one’s hair
Practice, practice, practice looking after your little one’s hair. After watching and learning how to look after your own hair, you had to practice until you got it just the way you wanted it. The same is true for looking after your mixed-race child’s hair. You may not get to the stage you’d like to be at with it straight away, but don’t give up! Be proud of your child’s curls and instil a sense of pride in your child too. If you want to learn advanced hair techniques like cornrowing/canerowing then find the resources and practice either on your own child or on a or hairdressers manikin or Girl’s World doll – that’s how most people who use these techniques learn at first.
If you have any more tips (or would like some more!), we’d love to hear from you. Please post your comments below.
Yours naturally
Xina
Tags: bi-racial, biracial, child, children, curly, Hair Care, Mixed Race
These are great tips Xina! Have you ever tried the Mixed Chicks haircare line? Their conditioner is the best! I am coming over to visit you more often. Best, Jen
Hey there Jen, it’s great to hear from you!
Yes, I’ve heard of Mixed Chicks but here in the Parlour we showcase natural & organic products only, and when I was checking potential products Mixed Chicks didn’t fall into either category.
I know you know about beauty products though, Jen
I’ve subscribed to your blog and will be looking into the Baby Quasar too!
I’ll also be checking to see how you ladies get on at Cosmoprof
All the best, Xina
Some very good tips there Xina. I’m sure the natural product range will prove a real hit!
As the mother of three mixed-race children – each having more Afro type hair than European and until I come across the more natural hair products, I used to use a combination of Vitapoint (leave-in cream conditioner) and L’Oreal For Kids Detangle Spray (both widely available in Boots stores) in my childrens hair. However, since becoming more conscious about the ingredients in hair care and beauty products and really not wanting to unnecessarily use such things on my children, I have found the Curly Q’s products to be wonderful and they smell good too.
My son (aged 5) has his hair cut at the barbers every 3-4 weeks and I wash his perhaps once a week or sometimes more if he has been particularly active around sand at school.
With my elder daughter (aged 7); I wash, condition & cane-row her hair into fairly intricate styles (only because she hates having her hair combed daily) on a fortnightly basis. I use the Curly Q’s Custard and the Princess Glaze combined to add both moisture and hold to her braids. I make sure I cover her hair securely each night with a scarf (the netted sort that they put on you in hairdressers before putting you under a hood hairdryer), so that her hair stays neater for longer.
My youngest daughter (also aged 5) hates sitting around for hours to have her hair braided, so I brush and comb through Curly Q’s Custard together with a little Curly Q’s Moist Curls or failing that L’Oreal for Kids Detangle Spray, so that I can put her hair into pigtails each morning before school. Doing her hair this way means that she can end up with an awful lot of product (and sand) in her hair, so I find that I have to wash and thoroughly condition her hair slightly more often than I do with my elder daughter – so maybe 2-3 times each fortnight.
Hope was able to help someone on this subject.
Great blog by the way – keep up the good work.
Gay
Hi – I’d just like to say that my daughter is of mixed black African and white British (me, her mother). I have bought a cream called Baby Love but think it may be a bit too greasy. I feel like I am failing my daughter as I do not know what shampoo or hair products to use. She is 18 months and hair is growing FAST! Her hair is not so afro but very curly and soft. I manage to put her hair up in little nodules/ringlets or bunches (I can plait but only plain ones). Where can I learn to corn row or French plait??? We are based in London. Any advice would be gratefully received!!
Rebecca
Hello Rebecca
Baby Love will be too greasy as it’s not made for your daughter’s hair type, it’s made for afro hair without the European influence.
You are not failing your daughter – you are finding out the best way to look after her which is what caring parents do
I would recommend Blended Cutie and Curly Qs products for your daughter. The products are superb and are made from her hair type. Have a read of the comments here by the parents who use the products to see how well received they are.
There is a lady in Hackney called Ade (pronounced Aday) and she has said that she will teach people how to canerow their children’s hair. She is based in Hackney at a salon called Eftal. The address is 232 Graham Road, Hackney, London E8 1BP. The telephone number is 020 8533 6611.
Tell her you heard about her through Nature’s Parlour and let me know how you get on.
Good luck!
Xina
Thanks Gay! That was very helpful, especially as you have 3 mixed race children with different hair styling routines. Many thanks.
I am having a great time trying some of the Curls and Curly Q line. So far I really have enjoyed the milkshake leave in!
hi there,i have a 7 month old mixed race (african & polish) baby boy and close to his scalp the curls are lovely tight glossy curls . but at the top he has a big frizzy mass so his hair just looks fluffy. His hair is also stright at the back of his head so the effect i mullet like lol! However his hair isnt afro its def more european but tight glossy curlsJust wanted to know how often to wash it- and what to use on his hair as he is a baby i dont want to use any chemicls styling products etc….?Any advice would be greAT!many thanks
hello i have a 3 year old who is of mixed race. and i use mixed chicks in her hair. it works great to define her curls but it has no shine to it.her hair always looks dull.i also think the product has to much build up to it, and i dont like the fact that i have to wet here hair before putting the product in. i have never tried curls because theres another product called blended beauty that sounds like curls so i didnt know which to pick.please help if you have tried both products i would like to know whitch is better. also if anyone haves tried carols daughter or miss jessies or even ojon let me know how they worked for you.
Hi Eva, welcome to the Parlour!
Believe it or not, your baby has hair that’s very typical to both mixed race and black babies. When they are very young, black babies have loose curls, very similar to mixed race hair. Sometimes it is straight, sometimes very tight curls, sometimes loose curls and often a combination of all of the above! Your baby would be fine with a shampoo once or twice a fortnight (more if he gets food/milk, etc in it). Curlie Q’s would be fabulous for your little one as the range is organic and gentle. You won’t need to put much of the moisturiser in his hair after washing it – a little goes a long way. I hope this helps!
Hi Cashe, welcome to the Parlour!
In the Parlour we only use natural/organic personal care products. For the mixed race children in my family we use Curly Qs and it’s great. Why don’t you try both Blended Beauty and Curly Qs and see which one you prefer? Our little darlings have very individual hair and mixed race hair is so diverse in type and form. What works for one mother and her child may not work for you and yours. Good luck and be sure to drop by and let us know how you get on.
well i think most of the products i named are natural.and i would try both if they were cheaper. thats why i asked if anyone has used both products so i dont have to buy both.also i understand that everyones hair is different, but i think i explained my concerns in my post. i like her curls defined but not dull looking, so if anyone out there has the same concern as me please let me know.
Hi Cashe
I might be able to assist with the dull hair issue. It could be due to product build up – to see if this is the case, use a good clarifying/deep cleansing shampoo on her hair. Also, if your daughter’s hair is closer to the afro side of her mix, then her hair may not shine very much; the more frizzy the hair, the less it shines as there’s less smooth surface for the light to reflect off of.
There is a chance that the products you’re using are making your daughter’s hair a little dull but I’m sure if anyone who visits the parlour has tried the products you’ve mentioned they’ll drop a line to advise you.
my babys hair is about a 3a at the root but a 3c from mid to tip. she has straw type curls. i dont think that its that afo but i dont know. dylynne’s hair is very soft and silky but it looks dry. see why i need help.my mom said its her hair color that makes it look dry, but i just dont know.most of my friends say that her hair is mostly european. again can u see why im confused. but thank you for your help i will try a clarifying/deep shampoo. thank god for web sites like yours. much love cashe.
hi my son is 15 moths and i dont now what i should be doing to his hair,his dad was black with afro hair.i have been told to shave it all off to let the afro hair in and what should i use on his hairplease help me
Hello Rhona, welcome to the Parlour. How long is your son’s hair? If it’s quite short, I’d recommend just leaving it “out” ie unplaited. If it’s long enough, I’d recommend plaiting it. However, this is very much personal choice as some people do chose to cut their child’s hair instead. I suppose it very much depends on your cultural leanings as well as what’s practical for you in terms of daily maintenance.
The products you use are very important too. It’s best that they’re natural/organic and are made specially for your child’s hair type. At Nature’s Parlour we use Curly Qs products for the mixed race children in our family and they just love them.
If you cut your son’s hair, it is still important to keep it moisturised, but you won’t need nearly as much product.
with the curls line, will it promote hair growth for your kids? thats also a concern with my child.
nobody get mad at me but i just ordered the blended beauty sample pack for kids. there 98% natural so i thought i would give them a try. let you know how it works out.
Hi Cashe.
Any moisturising, clean product (ie not laden with petrochemicals, etc) that reduces dryness/brittleness will promote hair growth for mixed race/afro hair. Hair growth depends on many factors including the health of the scalp, diet and genetics. Brittle hair is one of the number one reasons that mixed race/black hair doesn’t achieve it’s optimum length. A good moisturiser such as those made by Curly Qs would assist with this. It’s important not to ignore the aforementioned factors though.
Oh, and no-one here will be mad at you for trying out different natural products for your child’s hair – good luck!
Hi Rhona
Can I suggest that if your son has more afro type hair; you don’t have to shave his hair all off (leave that until he’s a little older and is less likely to be traumatised by a barber)> Unless you are able to plait it yourself or can get someone to do it regularly for you and your son is able to sit comfortably for any length of time, then I would recommend that you just keep it fairly short or at least make sure the ends are neat and are trimmed regularly. Comb or brush moisturised hair daily. Please do not wash everyday, it should preferably be done once or twice a fortnight and of course when he gets chlorine, sand or food in it. The most important thing is that you keep it moisturised (with a product specifically for mixed race/children and is preferably made from natural ingredients) especially after contact with water.
Hope this helps.
Gay
i got my samples of the blended beauty, and let me say great product! only problem my babys got a red rash on her scalp so i had to stop using it. major bummer, so my next order will be to curls and i hope i have better luck.
Hi Cashe, thanks for your feedback! It’s good to hear that you’ve tried them out for yourself, it really is the way to go, isn’t it? I’m sorry to hear that your little one developed a rash on her scalp. I’ve only ever heard great things about Blended Beauty and gave the director of Blended Beauty some feedback on your behalf. I was advised that a small amount of people didn’t get on well with the old scent so they’ve discontinued using it – they’ve switched to a new one instead which has been even better received than the old one. You must have had one product in your sample pack which hadn’t been switched over yet.
Not to worry. you can always get your Curly Qs products here in the Parlour and (thanks to you!) we’ll also be supplying Blended Beauty products here from next month so you’ll have the option to try it again should you choose to. Blended beauty also has plans for an infant range in the near future.