How do I start caring for my child's hair?

By DiscoveringNatural

When it comes to caring for your child's natural hair, the most common question I get from parents is: How do I start caring for my child's hair?

Before I answer that question, let me give you a little background to how I started. When I had my first daughter, nearly 9 years ago, I was clueless about how to care for her hair. She was not born with a full head of hair, but instead a little on top and nothing at the back. Most of the time, I would keep her hair in little "puff-puff". Her hair was washed with Johnson Baby Wash, which of course left it dry, and then I moisturized with baby oil. Within a couple of hours, her hair was left dry.

As she got older and her hair grew, I would use a mineral oil based products on her hair, daily. Although her hair grew, it did not thrive, it was not healthy.  Fast forward to when I got feed up. I did not have the knowledge of how to deal with her hair. I was relaxed at this time, and had little or no knowledge on how to care for natural hair. Along the way, I got bad information and relaxed her hair. Two years past, and I was introduced to the natural hair community. Now, fully comfortable on how to care for her hair and that of her sister, I can answer questions of other mothers, fathers, and care givers.

Every Hair is Different
The first thing you should realize is every Natural Hair is different. What works for one child may not necessary work for another. However, you can use the technique given and through trial and error of product usage, learn if a product works for your child.

Create a Regimen
By creating a regimen, this gives you a plan on how to tackle your child's hair on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. The most important thing is to Keep It Simple. Here is a regimen I use for my girls.

Patience is Key
Even with proper products, regimen, and know-how, you do need patience. Having patience will minimize those days of frustrations that can create pain and discomfort for your child. Many people want overnight growth. This is not possible. With lots of patience, focusing on the health of your child's hair more than the growth, is the sure guarantee of growth.

MORE TIPS:

How do you care for your child's hair?