I’m allergic to all matrix products and if I use them, my hairline gets something like a burn.  You may have stumbled onto an allergy.

I’m allergic to all matrix products and if I use them, my hairline gets something like a burn.  You may have stumbled onto an allergy.

We have bi-racial twins with alot of very curly hair. We use CURLS milkshake leave in and have also used KIDS ORGANICS by Africa’s Best. Both need to be purchased in a beauty supply or online.

I love the products on curls.biz for both my Ethiopian daughters.  Since your daughter is five, I’d recommend the hair milk shake (saved my daughter’s hair!!), the curl jealousy, and the detangler.  The hair custard might also work for you as it is a littl heavier than the milk shake.  You can get it in a salon, but there aren’t any in my state, so I always buy it online.  Make sure you don’t use anything that has sulfates in it, as that is really bad for AA hair!  I’ve tried Carol’s Daughter products for my older daughter, but it didn’t do the trick for me….  However, you really just have to keep trying different products until you find what is perfect for you and your daughter!

Try braids…  Redone every 2-3 weeks with olive oil hair lotion or other natural moisturizer nightly.

We are caucasian parents of a 6 year old AA girl who we fostered from birth and adopted at age 2 1/2. 

When she was 1 yr old, she and I were waiting for a table in a local diner when an older AA woman (who I did not know) tapped me on the shoulder and very sweetly said, “Is that your daughter?”  I answered, ‘yes.’ 

She said knowingly, “You’re having trouble with her hair, aren’t you?” 

“YES!  What do we do?”

I invited her to have breakfast with us if she would explain the secret of AA hair to me.  She graceously accepted.

Frist of all she told me that she could tell we were washing her hair too often which was drying it out. She said to wash her hair no more frequently than 3 times a week. 

2nd, she strongly advised that we start getting her hair braided right away and keep it up as long as we could. 

She also against getting our duaghter’s hair cut.  Finally, to use moisturizers and oils very night.

Our daughter is now has the most beautiful shoulder length cornrow/braids. 

We get her braids done at an AA hair salon as we are totally incapable of doing it. 

The negatives are:

1) It takes a long time (45 mins to take the old braids out, 30 mins to wash and prep and another hour and a half to rebraid).  But when she is done, her hair is absolutely gorgeous.  The braids stay tight for about 2 1/2 weeks… sometimes longer. 

2) The 1st day, the tightness bother’s our daughter but it disappears by the next morning.

A good braider is a true artist.  I’m amazed what they do.  In 5 years, I don’t think our daughter has had the same braid pattern twice.

It’s really worked for us and our daughter.  It’s worth a try.

I’m really appreciating all the hair care input from everyone. My Ethiopian son is 2 1/2 years old and is just starting to grow some real hair. It’s been thin and sparse till now. So, now I’m trying out various products for his hair. Hearing what works for others is wonderful.

I learned recently too, that you should not wash it frequently. I wash his hair about once a week and I condition daily. I’m using a leave in conditioner inbetween baths, and I’m also using a hair oil called Marrakesh Oil. It seems like a nice product. But I will be trying other products yet too.

I also learned that his hair should never be combed through when it’s dry. (Ouch!) So, I’m only combing through it when it’s wet and especially when there’s conditioner in it.

There was another discussion thread about hair posted here a few weeks ago which I was referring back to frequently, as there were a lot of good tips there. But I can’t seem to find it now. Has it been removed?

Here’s also some websites which I got from my sister who’s a hairdresser. There may be some helpful stuff there:

http://www.ouidad.com
http://www.mizani-usa.com
http://www.missjessies.com
http://www.modernsalon.com/texture
http://www.naturallycurly.com
http://www.curls.biz

Another pointer which my sister gave me is that baby shampoo should not be used on this type of hair. We’re lead to believe that it is mild, but actually it is harsher on hair than most shampoos. The pH level is matched to human tears so that babies eyes won’t burn, but that pH level is higher than many shampoos.

Thank you so much for your input as soon as I can I will get it braided and also try the milk curl products!  I can’t wait to throw on our clothes and walk out the door!  Now hair fixing is about 20 min of our morning!