When it comes to managing natural hair on your little princess, it is absolutely essential to have the right tools and techniques.Many moms quickly discover that you must tame your daughter’s tresses the night before, or be prepared to put a little extra time in during the morning routine. One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, “What can I do about dry, brittle hair?” This is a big issue for most naturalistas, as natural hair has a tendency to be drier than most textures. After years of styling my natural tresses and those of my three girls, I’ve learned a few tips and I am thrilled to share my best practices for a tear-free morning routine.
Your hair is like a plant. You need to hydrate and moisturize on a daily basis. I didn’t realize this when I first began combing my little girls’ hair. Every morning when I sat down to comb my daughter’s hair, it usually resulted in lot of tears. My girls hated it when I combed their hair. Because I was often in hurry, I would attempt to comb through their hair as quickly as possible…a recipe for disaster for “tender-headed” little girls!
It is easy to become overwhelmed at the thought of combing out a curly tangled mane of natural hair. If you do choose to use a comb, remember to always comb the hair from tip to root to minimize the amount of tugging of hair strands and tears from your daughter. To help moisturize the hair as I fingercomb, I added Supercurl Brilliant Shine Crème. This product makes the detangling process much easier. As with the leave-in, continue to use your fingers to minimize snagging and or breakage.
Once you’ve finished sectioning and combing the hair out, don’t forget to seal in moisture by applying a creamy product or oil while the hair is still slightly damp. This will make the hair much easier to style, and it will stay smooth and shiny all day. If you have shrinkage you will especially like Extra Butter Brilliant Shine Creme it moisturizes and elongates curls, while eliminating frizz.
As you prepare your daughter(s) for bed that night, remove any rubberbands or hair balls to relieve the stress on the hair. Plait the hair so that you can reduce your detangling time the next morning. A bonus: allow her to sleep on a satin pillowcase or in a satin bonnet (just like mommy does).
So, to improve your morning hair routine with your daughters, remember these four tips:
- Plait the hair the night before to reduce the amount of detangling required the next morning
- Get up early so you don’t rush
- Fingercomb to detangle instead of using a comb
- Use a leave-in conditioner or an oil-based moisturizing crème to help ease the detangling process
- Seal in moisture by applying a creamy product or oil while the hair is still slightly damp
What are your tried and true techniques and tools for taming your little princess’ natural hair?