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Taking care of natural hair, as well as trying to find an easy natural hair regimen for black children has never been my forte. Truthfully, in the beginning, it was quite a challenge for me. That is why I wanted to share natural hairstyles for kids.
Learning how to grow black kids’ natural hair also has been trial and error. Because, as all black men and women know, our hair is very prone to breakage. I have had a perm in my hair for as long as I can remember. As a result, my hair care is completely different from theirs, even though we have the same hair type.
In addition, never in a million years did I think I would write a blog post about natural black hair care for black children. But all thanks to motherhood, here I am trying to share some tips. I can barely figure out how to take care of my own hair. Moreover, I am by no means an expert at all, and I am still learning as I go.
But I figured I’d share a few things that work for us in the hopes that they may work for you also. In the following paragraph, I will share some ideas for natural hairstyles for little black girls and boys.
Contents
How To Take Care Of Natural Hair For Children Of Color
Natural Hairstyles for Kids
As you can see, Aiden didn’t have much natural hair when he was born.
Before Aiden turned one, he had more hair on the top than on the sides. That is one of the main reasons why we decided to cut the sides only. Obviously, it was a nice natural hairstyle for him and looked great on him.
7 months old with a faux-hawk
During Aiden’s first birthday, my husband gave him his first haircut. I am not sure the background behind the tradition, but I was told that boys needed to get their first hair cut when they turned one.
He didn’t have much hair, so we decided to take down a little on the side and leave the healthy hair on the top part alone.
What Can I Expect Help With
- braided hairstyles for black kids
- braids for black kids
- hair care tips
- how to avoid things that lead to breakage
- tips for wash day and deep conditioning
- the best products to use (wide tooth comb, mineral oil, etc.)
- and more
first birthday hair cut
More Parenting Help and Tips
- Words of encouragement for kids
- 75+ Learning sites for kids
- Simple skincare tips for black women
- Diversity during playtime
as you can see, his faux-hawk style fit him well
What we routinely did was give him a line up, and take down the sides. Aiden didn’t really like getting natural his hair cut, so one day, I decided why even bother? I’ll just let his hair grow.
The top part was already quite longer, so we decided to let the sides catch up
the shrinkage is real
Aiden was excited about his hair growth, so I knew letting it grow was the right choice
Steps on How To Take Care Of Natural Hair For Children Of Color:
1. How To Shampoo Natural Hair
I wash his hair with the 2 shampoos below every 4 to 6 weeks depending on what style he is wearing. I don’t want to strip his hair of its natural oils, so I don’t shampoo it often. Also his hair doesn’t get very dirty so there is no need for me to shampoo more often. These shampoo’s can get expensive so I only use a very small amount. You really don’t need much so it should last a while.
- Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo
- Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Curling Shampoo
towel dry after shampoo so that when you apply a wash out conditioner, the hair will soak it up as much as possible
I highly recommend this towel (DuraComfort Essentials Super Absorbent Anti-Frizz Microfiber Hair Towel), it was dirty at the time of this post so I used the quickest one I could grab lol
2. How To Condition Natural Hair
I condition Aiden’s hair daily. We go through A LOT of conditioner. I use more conditioner on his hair than I would ever imagine using on mine, lol.
A. Wash Out Condition
Sometimes I condition his hair during bath time, or in the sink if he’s already had his bath. He usually lays on a changing pad, (Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad). We’ve had it since he was a newborn. I am glad I didn’t get rid of it because we still use it often.
I wet his hair, apply a wash out conditioner (lots of it), work it in, let it sit for a few minutes, part it, and then comb/brush/detangle. This is quite a process and Aiden doesn’t like it very much. (This is were my phone or his tablet comes in handy).
Aiden: No Mom No, I don’t want to comb my hair.
Me: Papa, you have to choose – Comb or Cut?
Aiden: Comb Mom.
A few of the wash out conditioners I love the most are:
- Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner (can be used as a leave in also)
- Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Curling Conditioner (can be used as a leave in also)
- Suave Naturals Conditioner – Tropical Coconut
- Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Deeeeep Conditioner
- TRESemme Flawless Curls Curl Hydrating Conditioner
rinse time
B. Leave in Conditioner For Natural Hair
After rinsing out the wash out conditioner, I then apply a leave in conditioner. I prefer the thick ones that are like a cream/pudding.
I don’t apply all of these leave in conditioners at once. I have them because I have tried several to find the best one for his hair. The one that ensures that his hair stays moisturized.
Step 1: Apply a generous amount of one of these conditioners below that made my cut:
- Carols Daughter Hair Milk Nourishing & Conditioning Styling Pudding
- Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Coconut Curling Cream
- SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie
- Kinky-Curly Knot Today
Step 2: Apply oil mix and aloe vera gel
- Oil Mix which contains (Extra Virgin Coconut Oil + Jamaican Black Castor Oil + Avocado Oil + Olive Oil + Jojoba Oil)
- Amara Organics Aloe Vera Gel or Earth’s Daughter Organic Aloe Vera Gel
Step 3 (Optional): To finish, I use a small amount of
3. How To Style Natural Hair
After applying a leave in conditioner as well as coconut oil, I run my fingers through it and let him wear his hair like that or I brush and put it in a bun, or braid it.
I prefer his hair in a protective style (bun or braid) because it reduces the amount of combing/detangling I have to do. His hair is really curly, so it tends to get tangled pretty quick. As you can see below he isn’t a fan of constant combing, so I try to keep it to a minimum by braiding often.
On days that I don’t do the whole 9 yards condition routine mentioned above, I use a Spray Bottle. It doesn’t matter what style his hair is in, I use the spray bottle every single day. My spray bottle ingredients are: Tips – make sure not to put in too much conditioner or else the mixture will be too thick. You need it to be a watery consistency.
OrganicWater (JK, any water will do :P)- Oil Mix (Extra Virgin Coconut Oil + Jamaican Black Castor Oil + Avocado Oil + Olive Oil + Jojoba Oil)
- Conditioner (Carols Daughter Hair Milk Nourishing & Conditioning Styling Pudding, Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Coconut Curling Cream. SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie)
- Aloe Vera Gel (Amara Organics Aloe Vera Gel or Earth’s Daughter Organic Aloe Vera Gel)
A. Wild Curls
“I’ve got crazy hair” – Aiden
B. Bun
“Brush it Mom, it’s better” – Aiden
C. Cornrows
“I like it Mom, but I like my hair to be longer” – Aiden
D. Braids
“Mom, these braids are so wiggly” – Aiden
A Few Extra Natural Hair Care Tips
- This Kids Satin Bonnet is awesome and reduces the amount of of tangling that occurs. Aiden’s hair is very curly, so avoiding a tangle mess is what we strive for. He has no problem wearing this and keeping it on.
- If you have a younger kid who won’t keep it on, I highly suggest a Satin Pillowcase.
- If you happen to find yourself struggling with a tangled mess:
- Use this awesome, easy DIY (do it yourself) tick. One tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar and one cup of water. Mix both, put it in a spray bottle, spray hair, rub it in the hair with your fingers to activate and voila! This actually works better than any store bought detangler.
- If you do prefer a store bought detangler, Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave In Conditioner/Detangler to the rescue.
- Always remember to detangle before you try to comb/brush.
- Brushes – Denman Cushion Brush Nylon Bristles, 9-Row and Detangling Brush – Glide Thru Detangler Hair Comb or Brush work really well.
- Remember – NEVER try to brush or comb your kids hair without wetting it and/or putting conditioner in it.
bath time photos
post bath shrinkage
How do you take care of you/your child’s natural hair? Please share below in the comment section. I am always eager to learn something new.
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I hope you found help with on natural hairstyles for kids! Let me know how you choose to style your child’s hair!
Omg i love his braids, cool dude!!
Hi!! I loved your post! Aiden is so sweet! 8 would love to see more braid hairstyles you do. I am in a bit of a rut when it comes to my son’s hair these days…also, any tips on dry hair? How do I keep it super moist and healthy? TIA!! Keep up the good work, Mummy Aiden!
Hi E, I am not the best at braiding also. So I haven’t been able to do any styles with his hair.
For dry hair, I saw keep a pray bottle with water, aloe vera and little conditioner and spray hair often.
Thanks, I try my best 🙂
Great blog. This information is great so many parents of coloured children don’t know how to care for their hair which causes issues later on in their lives. My youngest is half black but has my hair, regular straight light brown, it was wringlets when he was little but we keep it short now. Thank you for this.
Great job and perfect information
Very nice article and informative. The tips are also very useful and will help me take care of hairs of my daughter. As you have used many conditioners for him but can you tell me does that affected his hairs negatively for some time while trying different products as the small childrens skin is delicate. also can you suggest me some nice conditioner which you think will be effective for little curly hairs?
HI Giselle,
All the options are listed are good conditioners and free of any harmful ingredients. Any of them that you pick will work just fine. If you have a younger child then I suggest using maybe just one, and any one of them will do the trick.
Just found this post as it was shared on a foster care page. I am an adoptive mother and need help with my son’s long-ish hair. Like your son, he wants it long but I am stumped with what to do. I appreciate the pictures! I am good with washing and conditioning…but have wondered what to use daily as he’s getting ready. I will try your spray bottle mix idea! I’d love any other practical suggestions!
Thanks!
I’m looking forward to trying your methods on my son’s hair, which I don’t maintain well due to lack of knowledge. I was wondering if you could share specifics on the oil mixture you make, as far as measurements. Thanks!