princesess
Kids hair, moms care
NATURALSTYLE Winter 2011/12
Photo by Manav Lohia
CARING FOR OUR
Developing an easy, stress-free haircare routine for your little lady is important for you and your daughter
TRESSES
Preparing hair at bedtime is essential to retaining length, stretc hing hairstyles and pr eventing mor ning time tangles. After a long day of work and general mothering, it ’s not always easy to add extra duties to your plate. But, if you can save yourself some time in the mornings by exercising a few quick and easy ideas at night, you may end up saving more time and trouble than you can imagine.
lorem ipsum dolor met set When your child is getting quam nunc parum prepared to “hit the rack”, help them prepare for the next day by starting a quick, yet effective night time routine.
SCALP CHECK!
FOR STYLED HAIR
Take a moment to survey your little ones scalp at night. Look for any abnor malities suc h as abrasions, dry areas or any other visible changes in the scalp that may be unusual. Children go through a lot in a day and sometimes they experience little boo boos or come into contact with things that affect the health, feel and appearance of the scalp such as fungi which is commonly spread among children.
If you are fortunate enough to be able to style your little ones hair in a way that lasts for a while, kudos to you. Cornrows, flat twists, box braids, two strand twists, etc. all work well when you’re looking for a style that will last for a while. Keep those styles looking fresh by covering hair at night.
A daily visual inspection will help you ensure that nothing strange is irritating them or prohibiting normal hair growth. You can also use this time to apply an oil or other choice of topical scalp care product if needed. This ensures that dry scalp is never an issue.
Many moms say hair coverings come off at night. We suggest using a loose stocking cap under a silk scarf. Try to place the stocking cap slightly beyond the hairline to avoid friction. Make sure the edges of the hair are well moisturized prior to putting on night time sleep “caps”. Avoid using too much moisturizer on the edges to prevent hairline build-up.
SPOTLIGHT ON:
Sporting loose hair on occasion is no problem when you have prepared the hair in advance.
Petite Naturalista and aspiring model Anika Ryland, shares her reasons for loving her natural hair.
Our model, Neomi Horsey, sports freshly trimmed hair that has great sheen. Good care is key!
DON’T RUSH TO BRUSH! One thing moms should be warned against is brushing hair that is styled in an effort to tame frizzy hair that begins to emerge as a style ages. Brushing the hair while styled and bound in cornrows, etc. will definitely lead to broken hairs. Whatever your night time head covering can’t lay down needs to stay where it is until you can undo and re-style the hair. After all, a little fuzziness never hur t anyone. Silky headbands and strategic placement of no snag barrettes can mask or draw attention away from fuzzy hair. Get creative and use these options in a pinch!
TAKE THEM OUT! Remove all hair accessories (except beads) prior to bed time whenever possible. The friction caused by movement during slumber can lead to breaks when hair becomes entwined in ornaments. This can happen, for example, with ponytail holders.
FOR LOOSE HAIR If you are freshly styling your childs’ hair each morning, it’s easy to achieve soft, moisturized,
manageable hair. Even if you’re allowing your child to wear an “out” style during the day, do not allow her to sleep with loose hair at night. Try french braiding, cornrowing, plaiting or braiding your daughters hair before bed to achieve a more manageable morning time mane. These techniques help to stretch or elongate the hair without the use of damaging heat. This also allows for easy manipulation during the prep for an “out” style. Adding cute hair bows, clips and other “ouchless” accessories helps enhance your loose hair styles. It’s a fun and stylish way to let your little lady dress up her look!
ANIKA SAYS: “My hair is beautiful and curly. My favorite styles are the fro-hawk and the braid-out. (My hair) makes me look fashionable, it’s soft, smells good, and most of all my daddy loves it.” MOM SAYS: “I cleanse and condition Anika’s hair once a week. I apply olive oil, shea butter and water. I recently tried some of the Hydratherma products. We’re sharing those because I’m actually going natural again.”
LOW MANIPULATION STYLES ARE STILL OUR FAV
Share your child’s hair story with NATURALSTYLE
Styles that don’t require much daily manipulation in the form of combing, brushing, etc. usually aide in hair growth. Sometimes less really is more!
We love to promote self love and hair awareness amongst our younger naturals. To submit information on your petite naturalista for a spotlight note, send her story to us at mediamatters@naturalstylemagazine.com 44