By Root2tip
Parents of mixed-race children are often a little alarmed when their gorgeous bouncy baby born with fine straight hair, starts to develop thicker spirals or coils between the ages of 6-12 months! This is completely normal. Babies with mixed hair and afro hair, start life with fine straight silky hair that had started in the womb. The true texture will not often be revealed until they are of toddler age, and even then, it will get thicker or develop slightly more, once they start school.
Where to start
The key thing to remember is that curls need moisture. Curls without moisture equals frizz. There is nothing wrong with the frizz fairy, but from time to time she needs to be tamed!
It is really common to have more than one texture of hair amongst mixed-race siblings. One child may have fine dark wavy hair, whilst the
other child has golden springy ringlets. The way
you maintain the textures is exactly the same. The only difference being, one texture may need a little more product than the other. Our Kinki Coili Kurli complete kids range, was developed with this in mind.
It is much easier to stick to a natural product range that will take care of the whole family. If mummy has straight European hair and daddy has afro hair, neither of their products may do the job, so find products that cater directly to your child’s unique hair care needs.
Gentle detangling
Curly hair by its very nature will tangle and knot, even more so if you are yet to find the right products! Learning the art of tear-free detangling is a must when you have mixed-race children. Seventy per cent of your haircare time will be spent detangling, so here’s what you need to do:
1. Prepare your little one for detangling by giving them a toy to play with or let them watch their favourite programme. This way they are not focused on what you’re doing to their hair!
2. Invest in an amazing detangler like our Honey Rain Juice, which is a haircare hero. You need a product that will give the hair ‘slip’ and allow you to gently untangle knots and matted areas.
3. You will avoid untold moments of stress, tears and broken hairs if you use a detangling spray and just your hands to detangle with. Going straight in with a brush or Tangle Teezer is asking for trouble. Your hands, unlike the brush or comb, can feel knots and gently pull them apart. It is much healthier for the hair.
4. Always work in sections and take your time! If you have to go out and your child has knotty hair, if possible, spray the hair with conditioner or add some oil, and put the hair into a couple of bunches to keep for later! It is better to detangle at a delayed time than ripping out knots hurriedly with a comb!
5. Always detangle before washing the hair. Never wash tangled hair- it will create matted knots and lock up!! Always take a moment to detangle first then proceed to wash.
Co-washing
Conditioner is a curl’s best friend. You will soon notice you will go through more conditioner than you do shampoo when caring for mixed curls. This is normal. I recommend you co-wash, (use the conditioner to wash the child’s hair) at least once a week. This will help to eliminate frizz and retain moisture. Curls crave moisture.
