Share

Before you relax your child's hair at home. Read this

accreditation

Kids’ haircare can be demanding. In addition to what products to use and sensitive scalps, you never know whether it will be hit or miss.

daughter hair

Here are the dos and don’ts of doing your child’s hair at home:

DON’T…

Relax they’re if they are under 10

Because their scalp is still soft and developing, it’s not ready for harsh chemicals. Rather use leave-in conditioning detangle to manage their hair.

Use the same products that you use

Most adult products have chemicals in them that are too harsh for children. Using your products on your child will either cause scalp irritation, dryness or rash.

Leave the relaxer in for longer than instructed

Leaving relaxer in for longer will not create a sleeker effect. In fact, it will harm the child’s scalp and cause irritation, rash or chemical burns.

Use too much mosituriser

Deep conditioning is a great way to add moisture to hair, but piling on too much moisturiser can leave hair greasy and heavy, making it difficult to style.

Over-dry your child’s hair

A hair dryer is the fastest way to dry your child’s hair but, if over done, the heat can break hair or leave it dry and brittle.

Braid hair after relaxing

Tight braids can lead to traction alopecia and permanent damage to the hair follicles. Wait at least before braiding relaxed hair, and always give the hair a break in between braided styles. Clip the ends of hair every six to eight weeks to keep split ends under control and promote growth.

DO…

Wash hair properly after relaxing

Always thoroughly rinse off the relaxer and double or triple shampoo the hair until the soap is no longer pink. Using your fingers and lukewarm water, gently remove all traces of the relaxer. It may seem tedious, but not rinsing properly is going to cause serious hair breakage, and you really don’t want all of those chemicals in the relaxer left over on your child’s hair and scalp.

Co-wash and condition regularly

Shampoo hair once a week is enough to keep it clean. Clean hair is not only hygienic and healthy but also allows the scalp to breathe and hair to grow.

Our hair is described as coarse, which doesn’t mean stronger and thicker. Our hair is actually thinner than most hair types, so needs gentle care. When washing, use a little bit of shampoo diluted with water, and then condition. Or use a conditioner to wash your child’s hair instead of shampoo.

Moisturise the right way

To ensure that the hair retains moisture, spray a little water on the hair first and seal with a hair oil before styling. Use moisturiser daily, or opt for a leave-in conditioner that can be used with hair oil.

Offer a variety of vegetables and fruit

Always make sure that your little one eats their vegetables and fruit, and drinks lots of water. The vitamins and protein contribute to the health and growth of their hair.

Get the best in Soccer, News and Lifestyle content with SNL24 PLUS
For 14 free days, you can have access to the best from Soccer Laduma, KickOff, Daily Sun, TrueLove and Drum. Thereafter you will be billed R29 per month. You can cancel anytime and if you cancel within 14 days you won't be billed.
Subscribe to SNL24 PLUS
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()