Biracial hair styles....still learning.

[kaiya23]

Is there anyone out there with a biracial child...more specifically a black/white mix? My daughter's hair continues to tangle, despite a daily treatment with an oil moisturizer. I only wash it twice a week, but moisturize daily. I spray it with water, rub in the moisturizer and comb through. I use Soft N Beautiful's Just for Me. I think it's just like the Pink oil moisturizer, I just liked the scent better. I've learned how to part it into sections and put it into small pigtails, and that helps, but if I do it daily I'm afraid I'll pull her hair out. I take it out at night b/c as she moves around the little elastics slip out (her hair is still quite slick, just curly) and I'm afraid she'll put them in her mouth (she's done it before). It is quite cute though and does help to keep the knots out of the back of her hair. She's 14 mo. old and her hair when pulled straight is long enough to reach the top of her shirt.

Should I be styling her hair into pigtails? Or is it too early? Six little pigtails take enough of her patience...braiding is out of the question, despite my MIL's suggestion to start. The oil mosturizer is keeping her hair feeling healthy, but I'd love some advice as to whether or not to style it and how.

[fuzzy]

A friend of mine has a biracial daughter (black-white) and she has been putting pigtails in her hair since she could fit'em(It was definitely before one).Sometimes she'd put those clips to keep the front hair in( you know the metal ones you have to bend them in to open and bend the opposite way to close)and put 2 pigtails in back.sometimes she'd just put the clips in the front to keep all the pouffs away(aka fly aways).I wouldn't worry about it to much;the only thing is I'd keep an eye to make sure she's not losing too much hair.I see that braiding is out is that because you don't think your daughter could sit through it? I know that this is the first summer I have seen her with her hair braided and she's now 2 going on 3 in jan so,i'll have to ask her next time why she chose to wait?cause she couldn't sit long enough or if it damages the hair by doing it to young?I'll let you know and I'll ask her if she's got any tips for you!

[rrwms23]

I myself am bi-racial. My hair is VERY curly & my Mom went through the same thing. She too reached out for help & that was back in '81. They didn't make a lot of the products they make now. One piece of advice is to stop putting water on her hair. That is the first thing people want to do. The water will hurt her hair more than the pigtails. You should try to find a detangler spray conditioner. I believe Just for Me makes one. Curly hair just gets tangled. It will only get worse as it grows. I'm sure that is not what you wanted to hear. You just have to take it in sections. I tell myself that everyday. LOL. I myself use Bio Silk Cure (a bit costly but it works wonders). What ever you do DON'T start to braid her hair!! Yes, it's the easy way out, but so young it will begin to pull her hair out.

It sounds like you are doing good with the pigtails. Where you wanting some new ideas?

I really hope some of this helps. If you have any more questions....just ask. I'll be glad to help if I can.

[yslyin]

I have two children of biracial decent I had nothing but problems trying to come through all of their curls. A friend of mine who is also biracial, suggested I use the kids collection from carol's daughter or the kids collection from mixed chicks
http://www.mixedchicks.net/kidswithcurlyhair.html http://www.carolsdaughter.com/catego...ucts+&+tips.do

It controls my kids' frizz, adds moisture and most importantly detangles!!!!! The best thing I found is after I wash their hair with the product, I take a large brush with the little balls on them and comb through thier hair. It is SUCH a big difference.

Hope I could be of help! =)

[kaiya23]

I have the detangler by Just for Me, but when I've sprayed it in it feels sticky and didn't do much detangling. I know there's a direction about letting it sit to detangle, but how long should I wait? And do I follow up with the oil moisturizer after that? And no water? I guess it makes it so that it doesn't feel sticky to me when I add the moisturizer. And my hair detangles better when it's wet...so there I go sticking to what I knew before.

I don't know how to braid such tiny little braids, or at least my fingers can't handle it that small, so I'm glad I shouldn't do that yet. I was worried someone would recommend it. I have a niece who is like the family hairstylist...she's 13 and pretty good too. But all the little girls in the family get their hair done, most of them are mixed, and she puts hair grease and all kinds of stuff in their hair and braids it in different ways...how old should my daughter be before I let her cousin get a hold of her head? Especially if she's headed for braiding...

I'll have to look into those other products...unfortunately I'm one to run to Wal-mart before thinking of looking and purchasing online. Would a store like B P Beauty Supply carry those products? Those stores are everywhere where I live.

Thanks so much!

[littleMom]

I have a three year old biracial son (white/African American). His hair is very tightly curled-basically an afro. I actually use a "girls" product on ity because I could not find anything gender neutral. Its called "Just for Me" (I found it at Walmart in the African American hair care section), and it is a creme conditioner that can be used regularly. Its pink (that's why I call it a girls product). It works very well--more conditioning than the oils I have used, and afetrwards I can get a wide toothed comb (pic) through it pretty easily. As for styling. I know that its difficult with little ones. I sometimes do my son's hair while he eats breakfast, so he is occupied. I have heard from others that if styling is going to take a while, to offer your child candy. I know, candy isn't exactly an ideal treat, but I know that it works as an incentive and keeps them busy.
Good luck!

[littleMom]

One more suggestion--I have two books on styling textured hair-one book especially features many biracial children with styling suggestions and hair care for hair of many textures. Its called "Its all good hair". I have found it very helpful. You could probably order it online at Amazon....

[kaiya23]

Thanks so much! I'll have to look into those books. We're using the Just for Me Oil Moisturizer too...and it works really well. I've just found that her hair tangles less (so I do less damage in combing it) when I put it in pigtails, but I don't want to style it so often that I cause bald spots or weak/broken hair. I'm just worried that I've started styling her hair too early, but don't know what else to do.

I have a basic comb that I use,the teeth are pretty close together...should i be using something different? I just don't know if the wide-toothed comb would do much for her hair.

[littleMom]

When my son was a baby I used a small comb, but as his hair got more curly I switched to a wide toothed pic because it doesn't pull as much. In the book I recommended they also suggest using a baor's hair bristle brush. I bought one, but found it didn't do much for his hair because it was so "nappy". However, now I use it on my hair and it helps make it shine. In the book they also have some styles for very young girls that do not including braiding. Puff balls and such. Very cute. Now that cloth hairbands seem to be back in style--and I have seen some in the girls section of the hair care isle at Target, you could let it go free and put it back in a hair band-away from her face. And as long as braids aren't kept in all the time or twisted too tight, I don't think it would hurt.

[mommieof2g]

I am the mother of two bi-racial little girls. I think a lot depends on what "type" of hair they have. My oldest daughter, who is 6, has thick, curly hair but not real kinky but frizzy. My youngest, who is 2, has thin, Shirley temple curls. I have to do their hair completely different. My oldest we normally wash it and then decide if she will be wearing it up or down for the next couple of days. I NEVER attempt to put her hair up after I have fixed it down. That causes her hair to break off. (Even though she has tons to spare.lol) If she wants it down. I take a leave in conditioner and scrunch it through her hair and comb it out. After that we loosely pull it back and she goes to bed. The next morning we wet her hair and then depending on the look she wants to go for we either put Tresamme moose in her hair or put in a curl activator product. I have found that most all this products do the same except we are partial to Tresame brands. Her hair will last all day like this and won't frizz out or get those fly aways. If she wants it up we comb out and pull up wet. We also use a salon style flat iron for her dance line pony tails (which are high pony tails ). I have checked with several salons and as long as it is not used daily and with the protective spray it won’t hurt her hair. Now my youngest hair requires nothing but products similar to pink oil moistures. I have honestly tried a million different products made for their type of hair and have found that you can't treat their hair like African American hair and you can't treat it like my hair (white hair). You have to find a balance. As is it gets longer, it will only get harder so practice now!! Lol …Oh one more thing, make sure you take her to get her hair trimmed often. Very important!