All 3 of my kids have full heads of curly, kinky and coily hair. Each kids’ texture varies but I have mastered techniques and products over the last 6.5 years. Today, I’m sharing my baseline tips on how to work with and care for baby’s curly hair, regardless of curl type.
Do You Know Your Baby’s Texture?
First, you need to determine what kind of texture your baby has at the present moment. Why so? Most times, their textures will change from infancy to toddler and then again into school age. Check out the timeline of my kids’ ever changing curl patterns over the years.
Luc, my oldest, started off with curly/coily hair and now has more coils than curls but still a mixture of both.
Logan, my middle guy, started off with a dry fuzz but now has full blown coils.
Sage started off with loose silky curls and now has a curly coily mixture.
Knowing your child’s current pattern and working with what’s in front of you will save you time and loads of money. For example, I’m not going to use products for wavy hair on coily hair and vice versa. Learn their texture and seek out products based off that + their age.
When Should I Use Products On Baby’s Hair?
This varied with age, texture & child in my home. Luc had a thick & full head of curls and coils before he was 6 months old. I started using products with him around 6 months of age but only non-toxic & plant-based. Camille Rose Naturals & Jane Carter Solutions were our faves at the time.
Logan’s hair didn’t fully come in until almost a year later. He was my only child born practically bald. Ironically, he has the most hair & it’s the thickest 😂. We started off with “CURLS, It’s a Curl” baby line and adjusted products as the years continued.
Sage started off with just pure aloe and water. I’ll touch more on that + what we currently use next post.
It’s always best to wait until babies reach 2-3 years of age but that’s not always practical when they have more hair on their heads than we do as adults right? Try sticking to non-toxic, plant-based and natural products when possible.
Washing
I can’t encourage this notion enough: you DO NOT have to wash their hair everyday or even weekly. Curly hair cannot take excessive friction from washing too frequently. When it comes to Black or mixed babies hair it’s even more delicate & usually requires more moisture. Over-washing irritates the scalp, causes excessive frizz and dryness. The less manipulation the better! Depending on the age & activity levels, bi-weekly or monthly should suffice. Here’s our current wash schedule: Sage is 16 months of age and I wash her hair every 4-6 weeks as needed. Logan is approaching 4 and I wash his hair 1-2 times monthly, as needed. Luc is approaching 7 and we wash every 2-3 weeks and after haircuts.
Moisturizing & Detangling
Curly hair thrives off moisture. When curls are properly moisturized you’ll have minimal to zero frizz. You’ll also find it a breeze detangle aka ZERO tears! Detangling must be done while hair is saturated with conditioner, period.
If you try to detangle curly hair while dry you’ll be in a losing battle. After washing we always condition or use a high quality leave-in/detangler that does the job in one felt swoop. Don’t skip this step…ever.
Retaining Moisture
I’ve seen some articles mention moisturizing hair with oil. Mamas, it’s a whole lie. Oil doesn’t moisturize dry hair. You need a water based moisturizer to effectively moisturize. Oil works to seal in moisture. So if your baby’s curls are already dry and you add even the most natural oil, they’ll still have dry hair! It’ll just now be oily and dry.
Only add oil to seal in moisture. This can only happen AFTER effectively conditioning their curls. Sweet almond, jojoba, avocado & argan are our faves. They’re all lightweight, non-comodegenic and only enhance the health of your little one’s hair and skin. Use it for yourself as well!
Combing
Your fingers are the best comb for your babie’s curly hair. I don’t comb my kids curly hair often. I always finger detangle while wet and sitting with conditioner or leave-in conditioner. After finger detangling, I go back through their curls with a detangling brush or wide tooth comb and then finger detangle one last time to set their curls/coils. This does the job every single time regardless of all 3 of my kids’ different curl types. This method also prevents breakage and tears that just don’t need to happen. NEVER comb dry curly hair….ever. Water and cream really will be your best friends. Check out this quick video showing both my detangling and styling method below!
I hope this post was helpful to you. Whether you’re a mom of a Black or Mixed baby, pouring love and care into their curly/coily/kinky/wavy hair is a must. Teach them to love every strand that grows from their beautiful crowns. Stay tuned this week as I dive into everything from our favorite products + updated routines!
