Taking care of a mixed-race child's hair is not difficult, but does require understanding of differences in your child's hair. Biracial children often have characteristics of African hair, which means that it is kinkier and requires more moisture and gentler treatment than Caucasian hair. According to the Biracial Hair Care Tips and Guide, parents often complain that biracial hair may look dull or frizzy, but this can indicate use of inappropriate hair care techniques. After some learning and practice, you will be able to achieve beautiful hair care results.
Step 1
Wash your child's hair with a moisturizing shampoo no more frequently than every 5 to 7 days. The Adoption Library's guide to caring for biracial or African-American hair says that over-shampooing is the most common mistake in mixed-race hair care. More frequent shampooing will dry out the hair too much.
Step 2
Follow up after shampooing with a deep conditioner. Rinse out or leave the conditioner in, depending on the type of product you have chosen. Gently pat the hair dry with a towel; never use a hair dryer on the highest heat setting.
Step 3
Style hair carefully. For easier combing, divide the hair into four sections and start combing up from the bottom. The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training program suggests applying a light moisturizing spray or filling a spray bottle with one part oil to seven parts water to help the comb glide through hair more smoothly.
Step 4
Use a hot oil treatment or deep conditioner twice a month. The Biracial Hair Care Tips and Guide suggests using such a deep conditioner twice monthly for extra intensive conditioning and to add more moisture to the hair.
Tips and Warnings
- Help the child be more comfortable while you are working on her hair, perhaps by letting her watch a favorite video. Use shea butter and natural oils, such as lavender and olive, as often as possible.
- Never use water to wet down the hair before combing. Do not use products containing grease, mineral oil or petrolatum. Harsh permanents and relaxers are not recommended for young children.
Things You'll Need
- Wide-tooth comb
- Moisturizing shampoo and deep conditioner
- Hot oil treatment
- Leave-in conditioner
- Light moisturizing spray or spray bottle
