Hi Everyone,

I am looking for advice on how to properly care for my childs hair. She is 5 years old.  Her hair is very dry and brittle.  Currently I use Nexxus Therappe and Humextress, then I use Beutiful Beggings oil moisturizer.  I fix her hair while wet and never blow dry.  I keep her hair in twists, using a terry cloth pony holder at the scalp and a rubberband + decorative pony holder at the bottom.  I also spray her twists daily with PCJ leave-in conditioner.  I never pull her pony holders out I always cut them off.  Despite all this she still tends to have a lot of breakage.  I want to know how to keep her hair as healthy and natural as possible.   TIA -Birdie

....adding to my own post

Now that she is 5 is it OK to use adult product on her hair or ahould I still stick to childrens products?

Hello,

   Well breakage could be from the rubberbands...have you tried twisting her hair up where there are not so many rubber bands or not so tight. Also, barretts and big balls on the hair (most lil girls wear) can weight down the hair and pull on the hair as well...causing breakage. 

Try using a different type of moisturizer. As a natural, and many that I know oil directly on the hair can cause your hair to feel brittle and dry. May try mixing a DIME SIZE amount of oil into her conditioner when you wash her hair.  Also, remember to clarify her hair regularly...it seems as though you are using alot of products. Remember...less is more. 

To your last question...I know adults who use the same products on their hair that they use for their child. Just make sure that you look at the ingredients...if it is something you would not put on yourself, then don't put it on your child.<== I should add that most products I am thinking of are natural...such as shea butter when is good for moisturizing and using on kids, as well as adults.

I'm sure other people can come and assist you as well.

I agree with cmesweet, those rubberbands are bad news for delicate hair...they can rip it right out of your head.

Also make sure she's eating her veggies (I know it's hard to make any child do that!) and drinking lots of water as well,that always make a difference.

I wouldn't use adult products on her hair, some may be too strong for her scalp.

The Lord is my light and my salvation...whom shall I fear?

Birdie -

I also agree with what cmesweet said about clarifying and adding oil to your daughter's conditioner.  This may make a difference.  It's mostly trial and error but you will know when you find the right products for your daughter because her hair will respond well. 

Also check out naturallycurly.com community of friends boards (their version of message boards).  There is a section devoted to parents of curlies and they talk about what products they like, there is a thread specifically detailing routines.  Great info.  Lots AA curlies or mixed AA. They share info on product ingredients, problems w/ dryness and ways they correct, etc...

Also, on naturallycurly.com is a colum called CurlyQ's (it's in Curl 411).  It's an advice column answering letters from parents mostly who are concerned w/ caring for their children's hair. The woman who writes the column is mixed and has her own hair care line.   She gives good advice whether or not you use her products. (Her advice is more of what these ladies have given you.   They know their stuff.)

QueenLinda83 wrote: Is her hair relaxed?

No it is not.  From checking out the site I would say her hair type is 4a.

ThAbAdDeStBaBy wrote: I too agree with what the others suggested...also you can try using good old baby oil and/or vasaline in her hair (thats what my mom use to do to me/old folks remedy LOL) and try to hold out on relaxing her hair until shes in highschool or longer because that can damage a childs hair as well.  HTH

Thanks  I'll try that.  I really don't want to ever relax her hair.  I don't want to ruin it.  If she wants to as a teenager then that's up to her.  Thanks Again... Birdie

Honestly, if your daughters hair is dry, then it is lacking moisture.  The only thing that will help is to add moisture back into her hair using a moisturizing conditioner or do a deep conditioning treatment w/ heat (under a dryer or cover with a thin plastic cap and then cover that with a warm towel).  Follow with a moisturizing leave in on wet or dry hair, then do a protective style like braids or twists to retain moisture.  Vaseline and baby oil will not add moisture at all.  They will only coat her hair.  Just my $.02

PS - It also sounds as if your daughters hair may need to be clarified (clarifying shampoo) or may be protein sensitive (could have protein in products you use). Either of these things can result in dryness.

The other ladies gave you great advice! I would also add that you may want to try conditioner washes for your daughter.  I only conditioner wash my son and daughters (3 and 1 years old) hair and its very soft and full of moisture.  I find that shampoos- even baby shampoos (b/c they 9 times out of 10 contain sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate) are much too drying for their hair.  Even mine!  I limit the use of these to once or twice a month for clarifying purposes only.

ThAbAdDeStBaBy wrote: ...also you can try using good old baby oil and/or vasaline in her hair

ITA with afrolatina that this would probably cause more dryness for her.  Baby oil is 100% mineral oil and vaseline is well  . . . vaseline.  They would both seal out moisture.  Thats why vaseline can be used on diaper rashes b/c it seals any moisture out of the diaper that would irritate it.  I just checked out your Beautiful beginnings moisturizer online and found that it contains both mineral oil AND petrolatum as the number 2 and number 3 ingredients!--so there's absolutely nothing too moisturizing about this product and its pretty much accomplishing what mineral oil and vaseline would do---sealing out true moisture.

A good moisturizer will have water as a first ingredient and won't contain either the mineral oil or petrolatum.  Hollywood Beauty carrot creme, S-Curl no drip, ORS olive oil lotion, cantu shea soft moisturizer (if I'm not mistaken) and Elasta QP mango butter are some examples of water based moisturizers.  Once you find one of these, you can seal them in with a natural oil like olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil, or carrot oil.

Also, the PCJ leave in--- does it contain any type of protein/amino acids?  If you are using this daily- it may have alot to do with why her hair is feeling drier than normal.