Styling African-American Girls' Hair

Although today's children are getting a lot of flack for sitting in front of video games and watching television all day, there is still a large group of kids who want to go outside and play. But when they play, they play hardcore, including active little girls who love to come back into the house with their hair looking nothing like it did when they left the house.

Every other Saturday, my grandmother would take me to a beauty salon in our south side neighborhood, and I'd always leave with a curly ponytail. Sometimes with bangs. Sometimes without. I'd leave with all my hair in place, but by the end of the day, there would be strands sticking out everywhere thanks to Chicago's windy weather and my own hyperactivity. One of my favorite products to use was hard gel to keep my hair in place.

Bad idea. Although gel will keep hair in place, it oftentimes makes hair hard to comb because the hair strands stick together. And after gel is combed out, little white flakes appear, which makes perfectly neat hair dry and dirty. Even soft gels can make hair dirty too fast. Consider using natural products like cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil and styling lotions instead that don't make hair itch or get dirty as fast. With Chicago winters and dry summers, this also makes hair dry quicker.

Caring for African-American girls' hair is pretty similar to caring for adult hair. Make sure their hair is oiled as needed, as well as shampooed and conditioned a maximum of once every two weeks. Do not wash African-American hair every day or every other day because this washes out essential oils.

For thicker hair types like mine, perming my hair made it easier to comb and brush. However, there have been horror stories about hair falling out or perms being too powerful on children's (and adult hair). Each person is different, and as dangerous as it may be, finding the right perm may require trial and error. Just because the perm (also called "relaxer") says it's suitable for childen's hair doesn't mean it's suitable for every black child's hair. Don't let the photo on the outside of the box fool you. This is why some parents choose to press and curl their children's hair instead. Although heat can dry out hair and many children can remember hot curling iron or pressing iron skin burns, perm can burn a child's scalp if it's not done correctly or the chemicals are too powerful.

I've had a perm since I was four or five years old, and minus two perm burns from scratching my own scalp beforehand, I've never had an issue with hair growth or hair loss. But perming a child's hair is an individual choice. Letting a child wear her hair in its natural texture is also an excellent choice for parents who can upkeep natural hair.

Although I insisted on loose ponytails, French braids and braided ponytails lasted much longer and usually ended up being the hairstyle of choice by Day 3. Separating each ponytail into two chunks and twisting the hair around usually leaves small puffs of hair that constantly need to be twisted again. French braids are less likely to unravel for thick hair types. French braiding hair from the scalp also lasts awhile depending on how tight the hair is braided and how thick the child's hair is. Avoid braiding hair too tight, which can pull at the scalp, making her hair uncomfortable and can end up with the same hair loss reaction that extension braids on adult women's hair has. Beads aren't in style the way they were in the '80s and '90s so try pretty, soft barettes on the tips of the hair. Or, fasten the hair tips together with a bow.

Although there are parents who are allowing their children to get hair weave, I wouldn't recommend it. A child's hair is going through stages. Adding hair glue and sewing in hair during this early development growth stage can do more harm than good. Hair glue also pulls hair out as well as extension braids if they're too tight. A child's hair when she's little isn't necessarily how it'll look as she grows to an adult woman so be patient with your child's hair. Try working with the hair on her head before adding someone else's hair not only for health and hair reasons but for self-esteem reasons, too. She should feel confident with her own texture of hair and know how to maintain it before being too comfortable with an unrealistic hair type that doesn't match the hair growing from her head.