Ensuring that your afro hair is protected during the winter months can be enough work, let alone having to think about your child’s curls. But we understand that you want your child to have the same confidence in their kinky hair regardless of the weather, just like you do. This blog post will outline how you can develop a simple winter hair care routine for your child that will combat problems like dandruff, breakage, and an itchy scalp. Once you have established a winter routine for your child’s curls, you will know what works best for them and what does not.
Ensure That Your Child’s Afro Hair Is Clean And Healthy
While it is always important to clear your child’s scalp and remove any product build-up, this process becomes more critical in the winter. This is because the winter weather can make your hair more dehydrated than in the warmer months, as the dry indoor and outdoor air pulls the moisture away from their strands or scalp.
When hair is not cleansed for a long time, the tiny pores on your child’s scalp can get blocked, which then makes it difficult for new hair growth to occur. In addition, a dirty scalp can also result in excess product build-up, more dryness, dandruff, and breakage. Furthermore, ignoring your child’s scalp can also lead to conditions like trichodynia, which results in a painful feeling on the scalp or the strands themselves when touched. In short, the more you moisturise your child’s afro hair and scalp with water, the healthier their curls will be, but don't forget to cleanse the hair too!
Start your child’s winter wash routine by gently cleansing their scalp every seven to 10 days with a shampoo that is free from sulphates. Before shampooing, you could pre-poo their afro hair with our Leave-In Conditioner with Manuka Honey & Avocado Oil or our Curling Crème with Coconut & Jamaican Black Castor Oils which can help avoid hydral fatigue. Then cover their hair with a shower cap for 30 minutes to let the cream sink in before shampooing.
After you wash out the shampoo, condition with a conditioner free from silicone to make detangling easier using your fingers or wide-tooth comb to ensure the product covers all of your strands. Remember to squeeze the excess water from your child’s kinky hair and then wrap their strands in a microfibre towel or turban.
Moisturise After Washing To Seal Hydration In
Once your child’s afro hair is dry, you need to make sure it is well moisturised. This is because dehydrated hair is more prone to breakage. So, lock in the moisture by layering on products using the L.O.C method. First, apply a water-based liquid and then seal in the moisture using an oil. We recommend an oil blend of castor oil, jojoba oil, olive oil or coconut oil. Then, layer on a cream, which could be our Leave-In Conditioner with Manuka Honey & Avocado Oil which will help make your curls look shiny, healthy and hydrated.
Style To Protect And Work With Your Child’s Natural Curls
To make your child’s afro hair more manageable during the winter months, adopt a protective style like cornrows, braids or twists. Protective styles such as these can protect your child’s natural hair from tugging and manipulation, as well as other factors that are associated with colder weather. Just remember to keep this style for no more than six to eight weeks so that your child’s afro curls can be kept clean and moisturised. You could also try stretching out their natural curls without heat using our Curl Elongating Gel with Flaxseed Oil & Rosewater.
Continually Repeat The Routine For Best Results
After cleaning and moisturising your child’s natural hair, you can change your styling technique weekly depending on the look your child wants. The most important thing is maintaining this routine and only making tweaks in natural styling choices.
Having a winter hair care routine for your child ensures that you avoid issues like breakage and dandruff during the holiday season. Eventually, you will also save time and money once you know the process that works for your child’s afro curls.