Hair Raising Guest Post Tola Okogwu

A girl’s hair is her crowning glory.  At The Hair Helper we believe that every little girl should feel this way about the head of hair she is adorned with.  Of course, only having one hair type in our home, makes it tricky to talk about various tips and tricks for looking after all the different types of hair that you will find.  So, we’ve enlisted the help of some lovely ladies whom we’ve met through social media.

Read below from our guest blogger Tola Okogwu who is equally passionate about little girls feeling good about their hair…so much so she’s written two children’s books, with another on the way!

Tell us about yourself

My name is Tola and I’m a yummy mummy to two gorgeous little girls.  By day I work in admin but by night I write and publish children’s books and blog about afro haircare.

How old is your daughter?

Elizabeth is three going on thirteen and Rebekah my youngest is 8 months old.

How would you describe your daughter’s hair?

Both my daughters have dark brown very curly afro textured hair. Elizabeth’s is almost mid back in length and Rebekah is ear length, though she has a cute Friar Tuck situation going on in the back. Elizabeth has tight zig-zag curls compared to Rebekah who’s curls are looser and spiral shaped.

What products do you use, and find work on your daughter’s hair?

Afro textured hair tends to be on the dry side so I use very moisturising products and natural oils to lock in the moisture. I love the Mielle Organics and Camille Rose Natural brands. My favourite products at the moment are the Mielle Organics Babasu Oil Shampoo, Camille Rose Naturals Moroccan Pear Detangling Conditioner and Coconut Water Leave-in Treatment and Brown Butter Melt.

How often do you wash your daughter’s hair?

I currently wash and deep condition Eizabeth’s hair every two weeks and I keep her hair in protective style most of the time. With Rebekah, as her hair is so short and free flowing, I wash and condition every week. Unlike Caucasian hair, oils are good for afro hair, so washing too frequently strips these oils away and can cause dryness and breakage.

How often do you cut your daughter’s hair?

Because Elizabeth’s hair is rarely free flowing there isn’t much damage or split ends so a trim every 3-6 months works well for us. I don’t believe in trimming for the sake of it.

What hairstyles do you find work best in your daughter’s hair?

My go to is two-strand twists, they are easy to do and take down and they can last up to two weeks. They are also really versatile as I can still switch things up and put her hair up into a ponytail for activities like gymnastics. Elizabeth has very delicate hair, which thrives best when left alone. I’ve also just started putting Rebekah’s hair into twists.

Hints or tips for people with the same afro hair type?

  Never shampoo curly hair that has not been detangled and always detangle curly hair when damp. When detangling, separate the hair into sections then starting from the tips, comb gently upwards. Try and use your fingers as much as possible to reduce breakage.

Be prepared to stop and start styling as needed. Children have zero chill and a short attention span. With my daughter, I sometimes have to break it up into two 20-40 min sessions, depending on the style.

Don’t over wash curly hair as it can strip the hair of its natural oils and cause breakage. Also try to avoid using shampoos, which contain harsh surfactants like sulphates. Deep condition regularly, especially in colder months to keep hair moisturised and prevent dryness and breakage.

Use a silk/satin bonnet or pillowcase to help protect delicate baby hair from drying out at night.

You can protect your child’s hair during messy or sand play with a swim or plastic shower cap.

 

 

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10 Comments

  1. I wish my daughter would take pride in her hair! It’s as much as I can do to get her to brush it. In the summer I die it pretty colours for her and that’s about the only time I can get her to keep it looking nice.

  2. New follower from me! I have Afro hair and have only recently learnt what to do with it as my mum has Caucasian hair. My daughter has the most amazing long curls so I will keep and eye on you guys!

  3. I really do love my daughters hair just as much as she does. I think it is so important to look after your hair and I do love that she has an interest in this as well. Many of my friends had afro hair growing up and I used to be fascinated in how much more time and effort was dedicated to caring for it. One of my best friends always carried a comb with her. I also didn’t know that it was more dry but makes sense after reading all of your tips in this article. Great advice. xx

  4. Wow! I complain about my hair being so fine but the flip side of this is that it takes me about 2 minutes to brush and is dry in no time at all! I guess I’d never really thought until now the upkeep that goes into afro hair and the books look so cool!

  5. When I was little my sister and I had super long hair and my mum would always wash/condition it, brush it for us and do lots of pretty things with it. I think it’s probably the reason why we both love our hairs now and always take care of it the best we can.

  6. Pingback: Hair habits that make you want to pull your own hair out! | The Hair Helper

  7. If you’re looking for a reliable and effective black hair shampoo, I highly recommend try to visit Atlantis Decora website. They sell excellent black hair shampoo and helps consumer to maintain the richness and shine of your black hair.

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