Don’t CRY mommy! Grow your daughter’s hair in NO time! Guide to growing your African American daughter’s hair

Your daughter is NOT her hair. Start from within.

While I vehemently disagree with putting relaxers, excessive heat or extensions in young girls hair, many mom’s opt for these measures because they simply want their babies to feel “pretty”. Long, straight hair should not be the standard at which your baby girl identifies her personal beauty, especially if her tresses  are naturally curly or kinky. If you’re substituting extensions in the place of short or slow growing hair for vanity purposes for your baby, you may be unknowingly subjecting your future Queen to relying on artificial means of achieving a standard of beauty that is not her own. This may sound so cliche, but beauty starts from within. When I was a kid, there were not many images of pretty black girls with natural hair. Presently, there are so many positive images of cute lil kinky haired kids! Show your daughter that there are other little girls who look just like her. Buy her dolls in her own image. Be the example for her! Encourage her and reassure her. Dealing with short, balding or slow growing hair may be the first great opportunity for you to teach your daughter about adversity, discomfort, patience and accepting her differences!

Infant Hair

Your infant begins growing hair while she is still in the womb. Between birth and 6 months, she probably will lose most of the hair she was born with. Some of it may fall out in patches from rubbing because baby hair falls out more easily than adult hair. This hair loss is normal, and the hair will grow back over the next few weeks or months. Naturally, you may be worried and wonder if your child’s hair growth is normal. Some infants take longer then others to regrow their hair.

If your child’s hair is bald in patches and the bald skin is scaly, she may have ringworm. Ringworm isn’t actually caused by a worm; it is caused by a fungal infection. Alternately, some children have rare genetic disorders that can cause abnormal hair growth. You or your partner may not suffer from the condition, but you may be carriers of the genes that cause abnormal hair growth. Your pediatrician can help determine if your child’s hair growth is abnormal.

Treatment

There is no over-the-counter treatment for slow hair growth in infants. Most pediatricians recommend that you allow nature to take its course and let the hair grow in at its own rate. However, if your baby has ringworm, your pediatrician may recommend an anti-fungal treatment and suggest ways to ensure that the ringworm doesn’t spread over other areas of her body or to other family members. A genetic disorder is more rare, and the treatment, if any exists, varies according to the condition that is causing it.

When to Consult a Pediatrician

Consult a pediatrician if your child’s bald spots appear scaly, as is the case with ringworm, or the skin has a rash. While many pediatricians are not inclined to worry about slow-growing hair, provided the baby does not appear to be ill, call for a consultation if the hair doesn’t grow back after a few months. Your pediatrician may need to conduct skin and genetic tests to determine what, if anything, if wrong.

We’ve ruled out Genetic Disorders and Skin Diseases, so now what?

Let’s focus on getting to know your child’s unique hair type. Once you identify your daughter’s curl pattern, you will now be better equipped to combat breakage and learn (here and here)  new habits that will stimulate growth. There is a plethora of kid’s hair product on the market and rummaging through all of it can be exhausting, confusing and expensive! Let me start by easing your mind, YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY ALL OF THAT STUFF! The key to stimulating and maintaining hair growth for little girls is constant moisture and very little tension (sorry Haute Moms, stay away from weaves and heavy braids on your future Queens).

African American hair is the most versatile but our’s is also the most fragile. Without proper moisture, a nutrient rich diet and tender loving care, it is nearly impossible to maintain a healthy mane.

Quick Tips

1. Stimulate Growth by massaging your daughter’s scalp – Massage using the “checkmark” method. Spread your fingers, and then place your fingertips on the scalp. Avoid using fingernails to prevent breaking hair strands or damaging the scalp. Keeping finger tips on the scalp at all times, extend and contract the fingers two to three times; similar to the shape of a checkmark. Move fingers around the scalp, covering all areas. Do a standard massage method by spreading the fingers, and then placing the fingertips on the scalp. Use slow, gentle movements to move fingertips in a circular motion, alternating fingertips around different areas of the scalp.  Peppermint oil is also an worthy investment. It stimulates hair follicles and promotes hair growth!

2. Do not use heavy grease – Back in the day, my mom would grease my scalp. I remember my head cooking when I’d go outside to play in the Tennessee sun! Aside from the discomfort, “greasing the scalp” can be chalked up to Black tradition. [FUN FACT: Slaves used heavy grease to protect their hair from insects.] It may clog the pores and there are much healthier ways to keep the hair moisturized than schlopping a gob of Dax or Blue Magic on your daughter’s hair. For years I used products containing mineral oil to coat my strands. Many manufacturers use mineral oil in a majority of products that contain synthetic ingredients because of its behavior as a preservative. Mineral oil is the result of the distillation of petroleum which acts as a saran wrap against your scalp, slowing down one of the skin’s main job which is to eliminate toxins. On the other hand natural oils are easily absorbed by the skin. Your hair may very well grow, but there are for more ideal options.

3. Avoid heavy braids and weaves. – Aside from being quite unsightly on little girls, heavy extensions cause tension that may lead to breakage. If your daughter’s hair is weak, thin or slow- to grow , you should avoid any kind of hanging extensions. If you must opt for a braided style, try a few of these cute styles. They are light and the braids are larger, which makes for an easier take down and less pulling during the braiding process.

4. MOISTURIZE! MOISTURIZE! MOISTURIZE! 

African American hair will chip, snap, pop and break off with ease. You can combat the natural tendency of the hair by keeping it moisturized. As a best practice, Vitamin E oil and Coconut Oil are the Holy Grails of moisturizers for Black hair of any maturity level. Feeding your daughter’s tresses with product that will keep it moisturized is key to keeping the hair healthy. Depending on your daughter’s hair type apply moisture 3-4 times weekly. I know some overachieving moms that moisturize daily though! If your daughter’s hair is 4 a/b/c kinky/coily, the you should definitely be one of those moms.

5. Don’t shampoo too often– Given your daughter’s hair is healthy and she has no condition that calls for special shampoo, it is not necessary to frequently shampoo (i.e. Psoriasis, ringworm, excessive dandruff, eczema, alopecia). Co-washing is a method in which you can wet and condition your daughter’s hair. Shampoo dries the hair which is the antithesis of what your daughter’s hair needs.

6. Avoid perms and heat– As a general rule, we have learned not to perm our daughter’s hair, not even with no-lye relaxers that claim to be especially formulated for her hair. There are no circumstances in which you should relax a toddler’s hair. Heat is also to be avoided. If conditions permit, allow the hair to air dry after it’s washed. If blowdrying is unavoidable, then do so infrequently and always use a Heat Protectant Spray.

7. Be gentle–  Lastly, just be gentle! Your daughter’s hair will grow like a weed with proper TLC.  Patience is key! Also constant manipulation will only frustrate her and you, not to mention, bothering the hair frequently will not make it grow any faster. Once you have implemented a new regimen, you should begin seeing results within 45 days. Have fun with this process and most importantly, remind your daughter of how beautiful and smart she is!