permed hair

There is nothing that you can do, to remove a relaxer.  What I would suggest is that you keep her hair moisturized, especially the line where the processed and relaxed hair meet.  This is called the demarcation line.  Kids Organics has some wonderful products for children hair.  A good moisturizer while she is going through this phase is S-Curl.  Use only a couple squirts in your hand, and run it through her har from the new growth to the ends.  This product will make her hair manageable, and keep it moisturized.

Edited by Claudie - October 15 2006 at 8:03pm

Thank you for your reply,I also use both a flat iron and curling iron too.What type of curl activator do you mean ?Is this a shampoo or something?I dont know much about the type of products african americans use its so much there on the shelves its confusing to me.lol but I am sure what ever it is that I need to use is over here in the Bahamas as well.

Please do not use a hot comb on your daughter's new growth, you can accidentally press the already processed hair.  That is a big no no, when it comes to proper hair care, you will find the same answers about this on any hair forum.  Your daughter relaxed portion hair is permanent, there is absolutely no possibility of it going back to it's natural state.  The relaxer break the bonds of the hair, and that is the process that makes relaxed hair straight. 

I would suggest that you gradually cut her hair.  It could be a shock to your little one, if you cut too much off at once.  If you want the two textures to blend, you could braid her hair in two big plaits, and that will look cute on her.  Make sure that you use a light oil on her hair, after you use the moisturizer, use only a small amount, about a dime's worth.  That will seal the moisture in her hair.  Be gentle with her hair during this phase, you will be dealing with two textures of hair.  I doubt that you will have any problems, her new growth will be refined.  All the things that I have told you, I have done to my Daughter's hair, and she is also mixed.  Keep up with using conditioners on her hair also.  With you in the Bahamas, I do not know what products you are able to get there.  If you can get Cream Of Nature Moisturizing Conditioner, and also At One Reconstructor.  You can mix the two conditioners, and use this mixture as her conditioner when you shampoo her hair.  The Cream Of Nature conditioner has a purple cap, and purple writing.  The At one is so light, she will not go into a protein overload.  This is a very good mixture, and it will keep her hair balanced.  I got this tip from two ladies who know about hair on the board, I have the utmost of respect for them.  SisSlick came up with this mixture.  It works everytime, you will not be wondering, does she need a moisture treatment, or a protein treatment.  Try to use the flatiron and curling iron on her hair infrequently, if at all.  Her hair will be in a delicate state with both textures, so very low manipulation.  If you must do so make sure that you use a heat protectant.  Good luck, you can do it .

Edited by Claudie - October 16 2006 at 12:57am

I have two daughters. Ages 8 & 3.  One has hair like mine: very coarse.   The other has hair like my husband's, looser curls similar to children of mixed heritage.  I pretty much treat both of their hair identically.

-Part in 4 parts w/soft scrunchies.
-Pre-condition 1x/week w/LeKlair Cholesterol, w/no heat, for about 20 mins.
-Wash and condition w/Mane-n-Tail about twice a week...sometimes more.
-Another great conditioner is the Generic Brand Nexxus at Sally's.
-I only shampoo when their scalp needs it...I mainly do conditioner-washes because it keeps the hair soft and manageable.
-Use S-Curl as daily moisturizer. I buy the large bottle because their hair sucks S-Curl up.  Use it twice daily - morning and night.
-Use a pomade on the ends when I style.
-I do not tug at their hair and never style with tight contraptions.
-On special occasions, such as picture day at school or holidays, I straighten the eldest daughter's hair with a hot comb and her hair is at her mid-back.
-I pay special attention to ends and side temples/nape.

Their hair is shiny, healthy, and full. 
Hope it helps.
-


Edited by LadyEsquire - October 19 2006 at 1:19am

Just use a small amout of S-curl like Claudie suggested, it is only greasy when you apply too much.  The relaxed hair will never return to the curl she previously had.  I'm sorry the lady told you that, but a chemical straightner is permenant to the hair it is applied to.  One style you may try is a braid out to give the appearance of waves to the straight hair.  You can braid or cornrow your daughters have after conditioning and then take the braids down when the hair is dry.  This is how I styled my hair when I transitioned from permed to natural hair. 

Edited by Yolligirl - October 19 2006 at 12:21pm

Brigitte,

If you notice, I only suggested a 1) pre-condition, 2) a moisturizer, and 3) a natural pomade to merely apply at the ends.  I gave you steps on what to do.  I apologize if I overloaded you w/info, but I did mention different name brands, so that may seem like a lot of prods to you.  Essentially, all I use are those three things on my daughters' hair.

S-Curl Activator is not greasy at all.  It is safe because it does not contain any harsh alcohols or greases in it.  I usually spray 2-3 drops into my palm, twice a day, once in the morning and once before they go to bed.  I wash their hair twice a week - every 4 days or so.  I buy the big bottle because all three of use it, so the smaller bottle doesn't last very long, however, I do not use a lot of it at once.

A relaxer is a permanent chemical.  The effects are permanent.  The only thing you can do from this point on is to treat her hair in a healthy manner. 

All you need to treat relaxed hair are the following 3 things:

1) A good conditioner
2) A good moisturizer
3) A good oil (I use a tiny amount of natural pomade coconut oil to hold the last inch of their hair in place)

Let's take a further look at each step:

1) Everyone does not need to pre-condition, so you can eliminate that step if you choose to do so.  My girls are tenderheaded and this step helps a lot.  I precondition, because it softens the hair, and it leaves their hair soft and manageable.  I never use a lot of product because they are children and because I too, do not want to overload their hair w/too many products that will weigh it down. I do this only once a week, usually on Saturday mornings. I keep it in for about 15-20 mins.

2) Shampoo - use a good quality moisturizing shampoo that will not strip away any of the natural oils your daughter's hair needs to remain healthy.  I only use a capful and I only use it on their scalps, very gently.

3) Condition - use a good quality conditioner - let it sit for about 5 mins or more, in order to have well-conditioned hair. You do not have to use a lot.  However, concentrate on her ends, the most vulnerable part of her hair.

4) Moisturize - I do this twice daily (S-curl) - only 2-3 sprays into my palm.

5) Oil - I use a tiny amount of oil on the last inch or two of her ends, to keep their ends from snapping off. I barely dip my fingertip into the jar, and that is the amount I use on their ends.

Their hair turns out lightweight, bouncy, full, and healthy.  Because I only use a small amount of product, it does not weigh it down, it simply protects their hair from the harsh particles in the air, weather, etc... Hopefully, that should ease your anxiety of using too many products...

Keep in mind, her hair now has this irrervisible chemical on it. Therefore a good conditioner, moisturizer, and light natural oil are not a lot of products to keep it healthy, after applying such a permanent chemical.  Conditioning is a MUST for relaxed hair and moisturizers hydrate the hair and avoid it from becoming brittle and dry.
 
All you need are those three things. I have pics of my oldest daughter's hair for you to see: www.fotki.com/ladyesquire

Keep in mind,  my oldest daughter's hair is not like your daughter's, her's is coarse and natural (no relaxer). But it gives you an idea of how healthy it is.

At this point, the health of your daughter's  hair is all you can focus on.

Also, you need to understand what a relaxer is. Go to this link, which gives a great breakdown of the chemical process that occurs to the hair strand: http://www.skinbiology.com/truthabouthairrelaxers.html
This site also emphasizes on the importance of conditioning and other useful maintenance tips for relaxed hair.

Lastly, if your goal is to have your daughter's naturally curly hair return, you need to research "transitioning" methods.  A great site for relaxed women who are "transitioning" back to their natural hair is www.motowngirl.com
Motowngirl gives great tips on maintenance and products.  She also explains the special needs that Afro hair requires (and yes, biracial hair, falls under Afro hair).  Another great site is: http://www.blendedbeauty.net/
Blendedbeauty caters to biracial hair needs, so hopefully you can find some useful tips there as well.

I hope I helped a little bit.   Good luck...

Afro hair is not the type of hair that we learned about in the mainstream.  Even I grew up with misconceptions and myths, and my mother was a beautician who owned two salons.  So, I could imagine that its doubly hard for a Caucasian w/a  biracial child to learn about it, and even harder now that it is relaxed.

Once its relaxed, it needs that extra TLC.  But once you get the hang of it, it'll be a breeze.  It will become part of your (and hers) routine and you'll look back at this learning phase and laugh.  Also, if you decide to go thru the "transitioning" phase, be prepared to deal with demarcation issues.  Arm yourself with the right info and you'll be fine.

Remember:
1) Condition it regularly. 
2) Hydrate it daily.  The hair needs MOISTURE - twice a day (at least).
3) Pay special attention to the ends, w/light natural oils.   

Be gentle. Wash Gently. Comb gently. Only use wide-tooth combs.
Good luck again.

Thank you,I am just now going out shopping and s-curl is at the top of the list.lol.also I went to the websites and found alot of input and will continue to do so.I will let you know how her hair is coming along.If I would have known before and its my fault for not reading up on the positives and negatives of relaxers I wouldnt have done it but its overwith now and all I can do is take care the best I can til its long enough to cut so her she will have her curls back.(cutting the relaxer off I mean)I am sure this will take quite awhile.

I don't have anything to add but I just want to say that all of these ladies have given you some wonderful advise!  I was just reading all the posts and I was like wow, they got it covered.  Best of luck w/ your daughter's hair!