Bi-racial Son Needs a GOOD Haircut

My daughter has had the kinkiest hair - not a clue where it came from - and just last year we started taking her to Gina and she has been just great! She has her salon right off the 405 freeway on Avalon. Let me know if you want her information.

Hello B.. I just wanted to comment on the "itchy" factor. Don't be so sure that your son is complaining of itchiness because his skin is being pulled tight. The hair grows below the skin from the follicle, and what grows out from there is the actual hair shaft. The hair is anchored at the follicle, so there shouldn't be any tugging of the skin once it emerges. With that being said, your son most likely (I'm willing to bet on this)just needs his scalp greased. There are a ton of greases out there, but when my daughter was very little, I used African Pride on her scalp. It smelled great and worked very well. That was 18 years ago, so there is probably new and improved items out there, so choose one that is thick. The scent should only be an added plus :) and is not important - relieving the scalp from irritation is, though. The "ethnic" hair lotion is fine for the curls, but his scalp is what needs to be tended to first and foremost. I hope this helps :)

p.s. - after re-reading your post, it appears that you are washing his hair every night. I may be mistaken, but that's how I read it. Maybe you're just getting them wet, and maybe you're actually washing his hair every night, I'm not sure but in any event his hair shouldn't be washed daily. Black hair is different than any other hair and thrives on the oil that is produced, so washing it often is not a good thing.

My girls have longer hair and I make every effert to braid their hair before they sleep or else it's really a challenge to get the knots out (they are Black & Persian). I wash and condition it in the shower (I also leave in some conditioner) an I use a large tooth comb and comb through it in the shower. But, braiding it at night helps alot too!

Hope that helps!

K.

He may not need his hair washed every night. Sometimes that can cause the scalp to dry out and and thus, become itchy, even if he has super short hair or longer with more curls. Keep his scalp moisturized and perhaps, try washing once a week or every two to three days if he's getting really dirty. Keep in mind that his hair may itch if his scalp is too oily as well. If you do decide to cut his hair super short, it will require less maintenance, and less grooming products (whether they're "ethnic" products or not.) Hope this helps.

Sincerely,
A.
Multi-racial Mama of 3 multi-racial boys

Hi B.-

Your son sounds absolutely adorable. As a mother of two biracial children and as a black woman who wears her hair completely natural, I think I might be able to help. First its not his tight curls that are making his scalp itch but it could be the products you purchased in 'ethnic' aisle. Alot of 'those' products are filled with petroleums and mineral oils which act as a barrier for moisture and actual dry your hair out. Trust me, curly hair loves moisture and water. Most likely the itchy scalp is a result from the ingredients in 'ethnic' product that is causing your sons scalp to itch. Dry scalp may also be caused by too much shampooing. I would suggest that you use conditioners like, Herbal Essence, Suave or Trader Joe's Nourish, to co-wash( terms and helpful suggestions can also be found at www.naturallycurly.com). Just make sure the conditioner is for dry hair. I wash my childrens hair with cheapie conditioners daily, like Suave and once a month wash with a diluted Dr Bonner Castille soap. Most conditioner have a bit of detergent in them, so it does actually clean the scalp and hair. You can also get more detailed information, techinques and suggestions at www.tightlycurly.com( amazing site and she's also biracial) to look up the conditoning method. The site also speaks about certain ingredients that are bad for ones hair. You can also try purchase some light oils like safflower(grocery store) or jojoba oil(health food store). Just make sure you apply the oil to hair and scalp when wet or damp. Applying it to wet hair will cut the greasy feel tremendously. You can also purchase some ALL NATURAL aloe vera gel and mix that with your oils, for a moisturizing hair oil with a little more hold. Nightly, I would take about a quarter size of conditioner and apply to his hair( don't rinse it out). Once the conditioner is rubbed completely in his hair, add a couple drops of the oil( or oil mixture)and massage it into his scalp for several minutes before bedtime. Couple drops of lavender essential oil might make it just that much better. It's a relaxing nightly ritual that is a great ending after a hectic day.

I hope that helps you and your son out. Best of luck!!

Make sure you are rinsing his hair really, really well. Especially if you are using hair products. I am speaking from experience. Sometimes you can't see the scalp very well because there is so much dense hair and there may be lots if white, scaly product build up underneath. If there is, you will need to get some good build up removal shampoo and scrub & rinse really hard. This kind of hair doesn't need to be washed every day like other types. I only wash my daughter's hair once a week which at first seemed gross to me because I have to wash my hair every day (I have straight, blonde hair). Look for Mixed Chicks hair products. You can order them online direct or from Amazon. They are pricy but the best product I have found for the build up (the leave in conditioner and the deep conditioner). A little bit goes a long way. I wouldn't spend the extra money for the shampoo, Neutrogena build up removal once a week works just fine.
Another option, since you have a boy...there is nothing wrong with a nice short "military" buzz cut...
Good luck! I just spent my weekly hour with the flat iron this morning!

My son is also bi-racial and I take him to a place called Kiddie Cuts in La Verne. I find that keeping his hair short help with those tight curls in the back (and the tears of combing them out)

Try Chill on 2nd St. in Long Beach, this is one of their specialties.

hi,
i am a mom of two boys, 10 and 3. my 3 yr old has curly hair like that but he isn't biracial. i use pure shea butter on his hair. i rub it in my hands and then on his hair in the evening before bed and in the morning before he goes to daycare. also you should try coconut grease/oil or olive oil hair lotion. to find these products go to a black beauty supply store. it's itchy because his scalp is dry....my son says the same thing if i forget to put the shea butter in his hair.
you can keep in touch with me if you ____@____.com luck! love ya sista-mom-frend