When I had my own little girl I just couldn’t wait for her hair to sprout, not ever thinking she would be almost completely bald until she was a little over a year. Fast forward a few years, after a slow start, she now has a head full of thick hair that continues to change in texture, color and manageability as she grows. Looking back, I realize I took for granted the quickness and simplicity of getting her ready by slicking down her patch of fuzz and dotting out of the door. Her daily hair care regime takes up the biggest part of our morning routine and I never feel like I have a grip on it or if I’m using the best process. I must admit that sometimes it overwhelms me.
Fortunately or unfortunately, it seems I’m not alone in my hair journey with my daughter. Beccastone recently chatted with a few moms to find out the various processes they use to care and maintain their child’s hair. We would also love to hear your own Hairstory so join our hair discussions!
Daily Maintenance
What seem to tangle up most, pun intended, was the daily hair care regime, it didn’t seem to matter if the hair was natural, chemically treated or heat managed. The quest for the perfect hair process changed and evolved as the child grew and hair texture and length changed. Most relied on some kind of detangler to help tame the tresses but the old go to is still simple hair grease or other moisturizer and water for younger children. There isn’t one specific method that mother’s use managed the daily hair routine.
Styling
Styling options varied depending on the treatment of the hair, whether it was processed, natural or treated with heat. A vast majority of mothers with girls under the age of ten, sometimes with many tales of struggle, opted to let their daughter’s hair remain natural until they were older or old enough to decide for themselves whether or not they wanted to chemically treat their own tresses. Natural hairstyles ranged from braids and cornrows to twist and ponytails, with occasional flat iron straightening for ease of daily combing or reserved for special occasions for younger girls. Depending on the length and texture, shampoos schedules were most often bi-weekly but some stretched out six to even eight weeks, whether at home or in the salon. Most used shampoos with detanglers and followed with a deep conditioner, with occasional trimmings.
Adornment
From snag-free pony tail holders, clips, elastic headbands and ribbons to bows, barrettes, and beads to add that extra something — the choices are endless. The kinds of adornment used by moms depended on how they were styling their child’s hair.
What to Use
Almost all moms have been turned into PJs, “products junkies,” searching for the perfect potion, trying at least five, some more. Depending on the age of the child, grade, texture, condition and natural state or process treatment of the hair product list seems endless, although maintaining moisture for extra dry hair was the constant theme. Everything from Miss Jessie’s, Carol’s Daughter, Pureology, Sulfur 8, Liv, Aveda, Crown Royal to Paul Mitchell and many more, have been used. Product selection is definitely a personal choice based on the specific needs.
Summer Hair
We can all relate to being paralyzed by swimming pools during the summer for fear that our hair would “go back”. Today girls use swim caps to minimize washing and just dive in. Also during the summer, avoiding the hair dryer and opting for air drying and/or braiding with leave-in conditioner provides a barrier of protection from chlorine to help minimize damage. For summer camp or vacation, braids and twist are the go to, no fuss style choice.
The tried and true methods to manage our manes that we once adhered to and were stifled by have gone by the wayside — the old adage that we grew up with of “fried, died and laid to the side,” is vanishing in some ways. On some level, we are no longer judging ourselves based on our hair looks, ultimately being less critical to what our children’s hair does or does not do and looks like relative to what we think society will approve. This is a good thing and somewhat evident that the mane managing methods we use will continue change and evolve as we do.
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