“How Do I Manage My Child’s Natural Hair?” Simple Do’s and Don’ts

As a parent, nurturing your child’s natural hair may be challenging. Taking care of natural hair, beautiful as it is, can be demanding, particularly for kids who may not yet understand the need for daily and monthly hair rituals. Nevertheless, ensuring the health and vibrancy of your child’s natural hair is key. Here’s a guide to the do’s and don’ts of managing your little one’s precious hair:

The Do’s

1. Moisturize Daily

Moisturizing is not only an essential for the skin, but it is also crucial for the health of your child’s hair.

Begin your child’s hair care with a daily dose of moisture. Use a water-based moisturizer like our Jadeite Kids Spritz Moisturizer Hair Spray. Light and easy to use, it keeps the curls soft and supple, preventing the brittleness that can lead to breakage.

Why daily? Daily moisturizing, even with a protective style in, can prevent dryness to the hair and scalp, preventing conditions like dandruff.

Ensure to seal in the moisture with a natural sealant like our Emerald Hair Food. Apply a light layer over the hair after moisturizing.

2. Protective Styles

Protective styles are easily the biggest lifesavers in children’s haircare. Not only do these styles ease the hassle of having to daily manipulate your child’s hair to make it neat and presentable, but they also encourage healthy hair growth.

Explore styles like twists, cornrows and simple braids (preferably using their own hair or light extensions) for your little one.

Remember to be gentle when plaiting your child’s hair or ask the hairstylist to do so. Avoid exerting too much tension on the scalp in the name of neatness. This can result in pain, inflammation and even hair loss.

Additionally, painful plaiting can be traumatizing for children, a reason they may not enjoy haircare as they grow up.

3. Invest in Satin Bonnets or Silk Pillowcases

Another key practice for nurturing your child’s hair is using satin bonnets or silk pillowcases for sleep.

If satin bonnets may be a challenge to introduce to your little one, silk pillowcases can be easier to enforce. These materials create a smooth surface for the hair to glide on during the night, minimizing frizz and tangling, and protecting against hair damage or breakage.

Cotton materials can create friction against hair strands and absorb essential oils, so this simple switch can make a significant difference.

3. Regular Washing

Regular cleansing is a must, especially for children since they’re always actively engaged in activities like playing or swimming. Washing hair helps get rid of sweat, dirt and excess oil buildup which can inhibit hair growth and overall hair health.

Strike a balance with regular cleansing – every two weeks using a moisturizing shampoo. Try to stay clear of shampoos with sulfates, as these may over dry out your child’s hair.

We recommend using sulfate-free shampoos like our Jadeite Kids Baby Hair Shampoo. This organic formula therapeutically removes build up from the scalp leaving it refreshed. Perfect for kids aged 12 and below.

4. Detangle!

Natural hair can easily become tangled and knotted. To prevent these and have smooth hair, apply some detangler or conditioner to your child’s strands and use your fingers to work through any knots and tangles.

Thereafter you can use use a wide-tooth comb to glide through the strands and make them smoother. Remember, patience is key when detangling hair to avoid breakage.

Additionally, make sure to detangle your child’s hair before washing. This is essential to prevent knots, make the washing process more manageable, ensure thorough cleansing, and reduce the risk of breakage during washing and drying.

The Don’ts

1. Thin Plaits

Thin plaits may look nice and neat but they’ll give you a major headache removing them. The take-down process may also be tiresome for your little one.

Opt for thicker plaits to avoid the hassle of removal and other hair issues. Thin plaits can lead to tangling and breakage, so go for styles that balance aesthetics with practicality.

2. Over-combing

Combing is necessary for neat, detangled hair, but over combing or combing through dry hair can cause breakage and painful discomfort for your child.

Always moisturize with some water, water-based moisturizer or leave-in conditioner before you start combing and ensure you’re using a wide-tooth comb for gentle detangling.

3. Avoid Same Day Protective Style Take-Down and Plaiting

In as much as it may save time, undoing and then redoing protective styles on the same day can be stressful for your child’s hair and scalp. After taking down braids or twists, give your child’s hair at least a week to rest before installing another protective style.

This break reduces stress on the hair shaft, promoting overall hair health.

4. Harsh Ingredients

Many hair products available on the market today contain sulfates and other harsh chemicals that can strip hair of its natural oils, leading to dry, brittle strands.

For healthy, beautiful hair, opt for products made with natural ingredients like shea butter and olive oil. Let your child’s hair benefit from all these ingredients and more with our Jadeite line of kids’ hair products.

Bottomline

Taking care of your child’s natural hair is a labor of love. Through patience and understanding, and by implementing these simple do’s and don’ts, your child’s hair can flourish beautifully and healthily.