When considering a hair care routine for infants one should always follow the mindset that less is best! While it may be very tempting to go out and buy every baby hair care product available, it is recommended that you instead keep it simple. While other ethnicities wash their hair as frequently as once a day to remove excess oil, African American hair textures don't require such frequent washing due to the fact that our hair doesn't produce as much oil. Over washing your baby's hair can strip away the natural oils of the scalp causing hair to be dry, brittle, and frizzy. Instead, wash your baby's hair only once bi-weekly using the following method:
#1 Wet your baby’s hair and add a pea sized amount of BABY SHAMPOO to the top of your baby’s head. I can not stress enough how important it is to use a baby shampoo. Baby shampoos are tear free and contain mild ingredients soft enough for such a delicate head
#2 Massage the shampoo throughout the baby’s head. Rinse the shampoo out and repeat as needed.
#3 Detangle It is at this time that you'll want to detangle your baby's hair. Gently work out any tangles by separating large sections of hair into smaller sections with your fingers or by using a small baby comb or soft bristle brush. Then towel dry hair
#4 Apply oil While your baby's hair is still damp from washing, apply a pea sized amount of oil such as jojoba, olive or coconut oil instead of conditioner. This aids in sealing in your baby's natural hair oils, which will keep it moisturized longer. When you use oils, you don't have to worry about any other chemicals that may cause irritation in your little one's scalp.
#5 Cradle cap What is cradle cap?? Cradle cap are thick white or yellow crusty or oily scaly patches on a baby's scalp. It isn't painful or itchy, but they aren't easy to remove. Cradle cap usually clears up on its own in a couple months but you can help it clear up in 2 weeks. Simply apply extra virgin olive oil to your baby’s scalp 30min before bath time and use a soft bristle baby brush to massage the hair. This will help lift the patches off the scalp, then start with the shampooing phase (step 1) of wash day. You may need to do this multiple times throughout the week to remove it all because you don't want tp irritate their scalp by trying to remove it all at once. Below is a picture of what cradle may look like.
#6 DETANGLE AGAIN Follow step #3
#7 Styling When styling your baby's hair, less is more! It is recommended that you do not style your baby’s hair using damaging hair accessories such as rubber bands, beads or barrettes. These accessories can damage and break off their delicate strands. Especially if your little one is curious about their hair or what’s in it, they may tend to pull at their hair. Many babies pull their hair out which leaves patches and bald spots. Instead, opt for letting them rock a little baby ‘fro and accessorize with a cute headband. If you MUST style, consider loose puff balls secured with snag-free elastics.
#8 Bed time It would be good practice to introduce baby bonnets to your baby's hair routine around 9months to 1 year. Most crib sheets are cotton and there is a good chance your baby will rub their hair against the cotton and cause a bold spot; especially if they sleep on their back. Purchase a satin or silk baby bonnet (the same material you would purchase for your own bonnet) to keep their hair moisturized. Most babies do not like things on their head so it will be difficult to keep the bonnet on but they will eventually get used it!