D.A. asks from Houston, TX on February 26, 2008
Biracial Hair Care
I am white, my husband is black, and our daughter has hair with tight curls. We had been keeping it cut, because my husband likes her to wash her hair every day, but that makes her look boyish so now we're letting it grow. It's tough to comb out, but I don't want to do corn rows. She's 6, and will wear headbands for a while but then take them off. Any suggestions? Thanks!
So What Happened?™
Thanks to everybody for answering my question about bi-racial hair care! I had several specific suggestions that I'll be following up on. Some of them were common sense (like "look for a little girl whose hair you like and ask her mother how she cares for it"), but it hadn't occurred to me!
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F.J. answers from El Paso on April 24, 2008
What ever you do. DO NOT PUT A RELAXER in her hair. My daughter is biracial. The biggest mistake i ever did was put one in her hair.
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C.A. answers from Austin on February 26, 2008
Have you tried thinning it out. Pluse my Daughter uses a cream on her daughters hair which is the same way. Her Daughters are biracial & have the hair of the black race. When I was a beautician I never worked on hair except my granddaughters hair. First I would try thinning & perming. Not the perms with the curlers but you just put it on the hair & leave for a certain aount of time & wash out. If you need more I can call my Ganddaughter & have her send you an email of how she takes care of her hair.
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B.W. answers from Houston on February 27, 2008
DO NOT WASH HER HAIR EVERY DAY! BIG MISTAKE, Your husband should know better. Her hair is prone to dryness due to natural scalp oil not being able to flow as easily around the bends and curves of her curls. You will need to buy a good brush, find a good leave-in moisturizer (meaning you don't rinse it out), and use a moisturing shampoo/conditioner that preferably has an oil like jojaba. If that's too hard to find, purchase the oil separately and add it to the shampoo, or just work a few drops into her hair after towel-drying. Coconut oil is a great softener and moisturizer for everyone. Blond people also tend to have dry hair, so you want to ask a blond girlfriend if she has any recommendations for you. Ask your curly-haired girlfriends for brush/comb, and conditioner recommendations. You may even want to consider products to reduce frizz. FIND A GOOD AFRICAN AMERICAN HAIRDRESSER that you can use for special occaisions and give you more personalized advice to care for your child's hair. Resist perming, aka "a relaxer" to chemically straighten hair until she is at least 10. I'm so glad that you asked for help because whenever I see a mixed race child (Black/White), I can always tell when the mother is white because the childs hair is unfortunately and usually unkempt. She's at a loss and clearly doesn't know what to do and no one will tell her. Look at black little girls' hair when you are out and about, and when you see a style you like ask the mother for advice.
In Amazon sisterhood,
B.
____@____.com
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J.J. answers from Killeen on February 27, 2008
I use to be a Cosmetologist and I have biracial nieces in my family and I strongly suggest., Start using leave-in conditioners and oil her scalp weekly after washing it. She doesn't need her hair shampooed daily, like you said she is part black right?
Weekly shampooing is good with daily spray leave in conditioner and oiling the scalp. Comb it immediately after shampooing with a wide tooth comb and do big braids or blow dry out with a moisturizer. Do not brush after brushing this will leave split ends. Always comb from bottom up to roots.
In the long run, I would advise you to start investing in a regular visit to the beauty shop for care maintenance and PLEASE OH PLEASE, don't let anyone talk you into RELAXING, PERMING her hair until after she is pass 10 years old. Her hair texture is still changing until pubity.
I hope this helps.
Mz. J
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N.S. answers from Austin on February 29, 2008
I also have a six year old daughter with curly biracial hair.
I wash her hair once a week and use a leave in conditioner.
Daily I use Johnson's no more tangles spray detangler and also Silken child silk moisturizing Creme(from sally's)
I brush with a bristle brush and then comb the curls with a wide comb!
I usually do pig-tails, or pony-tails to keep the hair from tangling and hold together with goody ouchless rubberbands and attached ribbons or bows.
Also the lotion smells really good!!
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F.J. answers from El Paso on April 24, 2008
What ever you do. DO NOT PUT A RELAXER in her hair. My daughter is biracial. The biggest mistake i ever did was put one in her hair.
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D.H. answers from Houston on February 26, 2008
Hi D.,
I am also married to a black man, and we have 3 daughters. I can tell you that it is not healthy for their hair to be washed every day. Try every 2 days. I use olive oil in my girls hair, and it works very well. Have you tried to put your daughters hair in platts? Or even twist?? Im not sure where you live but there is a good hair place to take your daughter, it is called Ebony Hair, it is located off of Veterians Memorial and Antoine, in the parking lot of Food Town. if you have anymore questions please feel free to contact me @ ____@____.com
D.
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D.M. answers from Houston on March 03, 2008
I worked at a daycare for a long time and we had a little girl in your daughters sitution. Dad was black and a dad and had no idea what to do with her hair, and mom was white and had no idea how to work with it. they found that they make a detangler for that kind of hair. you may have to go to a store like sally's to get it but they make it. they also learned to wash her hair with like pantene dark and natural, i think its called, and extra condition it. her hair was always short, but once they started to let it grow they found out as it got longer, the kinks kinda relaxed some and she really had beautiful hair. i hope i helped. good luck!!
D. Mattern
The MOM Team
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A.F. answers from San Antonio on February 28, 2008
I have tried all sorts of hair care products becausee of my (bi-racial) hair texture Whatever you do DO NOT wash your daughther's hair daily it will dry it out and look more frizzy. I would recommend a moisturizing shampoo, conditioner and a leave-in conditioner. A great product at Sally's Beauty Supply is called Silky elements leave-in conditioner. I use it, my children (who have Caucasian hair)use it and my nieces (who are bi-racial) use it and can be used daily if needed. Costs is $4.99 and lasts aprox 6months. Do not add any chemicals to her hair.
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