Tuesday, April 15, 2014
After washing (see video here), it's time to start styling! I use a microfiber towel to soak up any excess water left in Aaliyah's hair. A microfiber towel helps reduce frizz, you can find these on Amazon or even at your local Dollar Tree for $1 (an old clean t-shirt will do the trick also).
Sometimes, still, with leaving conditioner in her hair, Aaliyah's hair gets ridiculously knotty. The conditioner helps some, but I add Kinky-Curly Knot Today in her hair to help with the knots. This helps tremendously and is perfect for little girls!
Next, I comb her hair with a wide tooth comb. NEVER use a regular brush on curly hair, especially dry curly hair. The Kinky-Curly Knot Today will help make this an easy process.
Products:
Then, I apply more leave in conditioner and run it through her hair with my fingers making sure I get every strand. Every product I use from this point forward I will be sure to get every strand. This is key! My favorite product to use on her hair is Shea Moisture's Curl Smoothie. It smells so good and makes such a difference.
Finger Coiling:
When it's that day to wash and clarify (or co-wash) Aaliyah's hair, I do it at night. After I clarify her hair, I do a basic curly hairstyle and for that I prepare her hair the night before. THIS MAKES LIFE SO MUCH EASIER IN THE MORNING! I do the above steps that night and then finger coil her hair.
Finger coiling, what's that? Finger coiling is simply just twisting the hair around your finger and letting the curl sit like that until it dries completely. It's that easy. Now when I finger coil her hair, I apply one more product to smooth done her hair as I twist her hair around my finger which is, Shea Moisture's Curl Milk.
Aaliyah goes to sleep and I let her hair dry over night. Using a silk or satin pillow case helps reduce frizz and breakage. I bought one for myself as well, which can be found here.
When it's time for school the next day, all I have to do is gently take the coils apart and taaa dahhh. Beautiful curls! I put a little bit of Deva Curls Gel in her hair and she's ready to go for school. The less your touch the better!
If you like to do your daughters hair in the morning, you can do all of the above steps and let the finger coils dry throughout the day OR you can skip the finger coiling and dry with a diffuser (keep the dryer low and on cool)
Next day:
To prepare for the next day, before bed you can put your daughter's hair in what is called a pineapple. A"pineapple" is just a high pony tail that protects the curls. Use an elastic band that's not too tight so it doesn't create a kink or leave an impression.
The next day, use a water bottle to spritz hair and a little bit of additional product and she's good to go the next day
Third day:
You can do this on the third day as well or you can try other little girl hair styles like a pony tail or pig tails.
It's best to use products with no alcohol!
PART 1 - Washing (Click Here)
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
My daughter, Aaliyah (a LEE yah) is mixed, her dad is African-American and I, her mother, am Puerto Rican, Irish, and Polish. She was born with straight hair but after her first birthday, Aaliyah's hair started to get curly. I didn't need much to tame her curls for the first few years of her life. All I used was a spray gel and that seemed to get the job done. When Aaliyah was about 3 1/2, her hair started to get much thicker and the spray gel just wasn't working anymore and I DREADED doing her hair.
Growing up I always wished I had curly hair but now that I had I daughter with curly hair, I was glad it was only one of us. She started to hate getting her hair done because there were so many knots and it would take forever to do. It was just something we all had to suck up because who wants their kid walking around with messy hair.
There had to be a solution..
I found out about Shea Moisture products and different techniques on styling curly hair. Yes, the products are a little bit pricey, but for what I was going through, it seemed well worth it. Each week I picked up a new bottle from the Shea Moisture line until I had everything I needed.
All I can say is what a difference. Now that I have the right tools and more knowledge about curly hair, we both no longer dread doing her hair. It's much easier and less painful for her. She no longer cries when I do her hair. I want my daughter to appreciate her curls. I don't want her to be one of those girls with beautiful curls that no one know's of because she's constantly using a flat iron to hide or control her hair.
I will be doing a series of posts/videos on how I do her hair. (Washing and Styling) So check back for more details!
LET'S GET STARTED..
I wash Aaliyah's with an actual shampoo every two weeks and co-wash every few days.. Depends on what I've done to her hair that week or how her hair looks. (Everyone is different, do what works for you. It takes time to figure this out) She's in school and plays outside so I do wash her hair more often than the people with curly hair do. After washing, I apply a leave conditioner in her hair and do not rinse it out. It helps keep her hair moisturized and makes combing her hair easier. Immediately after showering I comb her hair. I never attempt to do her hair dry.
TIPS FOR WASHING CURLY HAIR:
- Limit the number of times you wash your hair. Once every few weeks works. Washing your hair often can be very drying.
- Use a good clarifying shampoo - sulfate free
- Condition often and be sure to coat every strand
- Leave condition in, don't rinse out.
- Cold water is better with any type of hair. Warm water creates frizz.
- Use a microfiber towel or an old t-shirt to dry hair to reduce frizz.
- Never use a regular brush for curly hair. Use a comb
- Co-wash in between shampooing. Co-washing is short for conditioning washing. You're washing your hair with only conditioner and not shampoo. This helps prevent over drying and keeping your hair moisturized.
PRODUCTS USED:
Shea Moisture - Coconut and Hibiscus Shampoo
Shea Moisture - Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner (I wish I could find the Coconut and Hibiscus Conditioner but it seems to be hard to find in South Jersey. I've seen it once at Target)
Kinky Curly Knot Today - Detangler
Wide Tooth Comb (beauty supply store)
Microfiber Towel
Products a little bit pricer but I have had these products in my house for over 7 months now and there's still plenty left. Limiting shampooing to prevent drying out curls also helps save product so you won't find yourself going to the store as often. . Also I buy Shea Moisture at CVS where I can use my ExtraCare Bucks (similar to coupons) or Amazon (usually cheaper than stores).
About Shea Moisture:
No Sulfates
No Parabans
No Phthalates
No Paraffin
No Gluten
No Propylene Glycol
No Mineral Oil
No Synthetic Fragrance
No PABA
No Synthetic Color
No DEA
No Animal Testing
Stores that sell Shea Moisture: Target, Ulta, CVS, and Amazon.
Remember mixed kids are all unique and different in their own way!
