Is My Daughter to Young to Wear Extensions in Her Hair + What is the Proper Age For Extensions

I get this question a lot.  "IS MY DAUGHTER TO YOUNG TO GET EXTENSIONS??"

Let me say this in writing! Not me, or anyone else can tell you if your child is to young for extensions. If you feel as a parent the best hair care for your child would be to have individual braids, cornrows or twists in her hair, by all MEANS, have some extensions put in her hair!  Now, if you are talking about a baby or a child that is a toddler, I wouldn't advise it.  But again, it is your child, and you should know what is best for her.

On another note, Black women as a whole will never deny the convenience of forsaking the daily routine of constant manipulation to our hair.  Not to mention how the extensions protect our ends from damage.  Why would you not want this for your daughter's hair? 

However with a child there are more things to consider when deciding to have extensions added to her hair.  One, how thin is her hair?  Two, how fragile is her hair?  The younger the child is, the thinner her hair is. And the older she gets the texture will change, hopefully becoming much thicker. Remember, with most children up until the point of puberty their hair is thinner and fragile and can break and get damaged more easily from the stress of extensions.  Even though this is a hair reality for a lot of children, it is not the reality for all.  I have added extensions in little girls hair as young as two years old, because their hair was thick enough, and healthy enough to handle the extensions.  I have cornrowed little girls hair as young as one year old because their hair was healthy enough to manage the style.  So, again, it would depend on the parent, and the state of the child's hair.

My opinion is, if you don't feel comfortable with having extensions in your baby girl's hair, a great way to get the same look is to braid, cornrow or twist her hair,  just as you would with extensions.  Her hair will still be protected, and the style will promote growth.  When all is said and done, age is just a number.  The appropriate age for extensions is, who really knows???

Moms + Tweens and Teens Agree When It Comes to Individual Braids

In today's world of fast and easy, teens as always looking for quick and easy hairstyles to match their busy lives.  If your tween or teen wants individual braids, it's important for them to know that keeping their hair moisturized and conditioned while in the braids is the smartest and healthiest thing that they can do for their natural hair.  Paying attention to their natural hair while in the braids will help to prevent breakage.

Most tweens and teens enjoy the versatility of individual braids.  This hairstyle allows them to create different types of hairstyles.  Usually moms, tweens and teens want to take a break from the daily challenge of combing the hair, hence one of the reasons for individual braids. If your tween or teen has dry, brittle and breaking hair, you might want to consider braids which promotes hair growth.

There are times when moms, tweens or teens get braids because of the hair being damaged from chemical processing and frequent use of heat and styling, which further damages the hair. In addition, braids are a great way to keep your hair looking great during cold, rainy months or even during hot, humid months, when it becomes more of a challenge to keep the hair from frizzing.

A great addition to braids is to add a different color braid in with the primary color this will add a nice touch of highlights to the hairstyle. Another cool thing tweens or teens can do with the braids is to wear them straight hanging down, or to curl them by braiding the braids in a couple of big braids and then dipping them in really hot water... be very careful while doing this.  The hot water can possible burn you.  When she wants to change up, she can re-dip the braids to make them straight again.

Learning How to Cornrow Takes Practice + Time + Patience

 One thing is an absolute when it comes to learning how to cornrow hair.  It takes a lot of practice and patience.  If you don't take the time that is needed to learn how to part and separate hair before trying to braid  and style it, you will definitely get discouraged and not try anymore.  Doing cornrows came fairly easy for me coming from a family that wears braids, and that has done braiding of hair for generations. 

My braiding skills have gotten better and better with each hairstyle that I create.  Just because you didn't come from a family of braiders, that doesn't mean that you won't eventually get the hang of creating beautiful cornrow styles on your daughter's hair.  Just be sure to practice and watch as many braiding tutorials as you can.  And I promise, at some point you will become a pro!

The purpose of this post is to encourage moms that enjoy cornrows, or individual braids for their daughters hair to stay encouraged.  In addition to you learning how to braid, let your daughter learn at the same time by you purchasing two doll heads that the both of you can practice on.

Good luck with the braiding journey! Please be sure to share your progress with us on our Facebook page at STYLES WITH PERSONALITY! 

If at some point you find that cornrowing or individual braiding is not for you, I invite you to give me a call for a FREE quote for your daughter's hair. 

Braids + Beads: Its Not Just a 2015 Thing, Its History

When you get your daughter's hair braided with beads, you are taking part in a social activity that goes back many, many years.  Her braided hair is showing love and appreciation for something that has been passed down from generation to generation. Not too mention not having to comb your child's hair for a good two weeks. All the Black mother's say "AMEN!"

Not only were braids worn back in the days, they were embellished. The braids with beads and other adornments, was a way for people to show their class of life, marriage status, age and wealth. The more intricate the hair, the higher up the social ladder you lived, think about it, who really has time to sit for long periods of time to get braids, and then to have them adorned... ONLY a person with a lot money!!

Braids are thought to have originated in East Africa, the oldest evidence of braids are a stone carving featuring a woman with braided hair found near the Nile river.

Certain tribes believe that loose hair should only be worn during mourning and that un-braided hair is seen to be in poor taste. Could this be where African American's got the natural routine of  "getting" their hair done.  Maybe, just maybe.

Braiding is said to be a social event that bonds young children and older women together as the elder braids hair using techniques that took time to master and styles that have been passed down from generation to generation.

From now on when you see a baby girl, young girl, or even a tween with her braids, and they are adorned.  Think about how many grandmothers, G-mas, aunties and Big mamas braided hair, generation after generation while passing the skill down to their young. 

History is, as history does.  Healthy Hair Care is adopted Practice!

***WE RECOMMEND "GIMME" SQUEEZY BEADS. THEY DON'T MAKE NOISE, AND THEY ARE EASY FOR THE CHILD TO SLEEP ON!!*****

Get Rid Of Dandruff In Your Child's Hair Once and For All

There are times when you might see something that looks like small snow flakes in your child's hair, on her scalp.  This more than likely is dandruff.  Dandruff is not contagious and most of the time it is not a serious condition.

Dandruff is a very common scalp condition (among all races of people) that causes the skin on your scalp to itch and flake up.  The condition is generally explained as a scalp reaction that causes the natural cycle of skin replenishment to occur more quickly on your scalp.

No worries, dandruff can be controlled fairly easily.  If you have a mild case of dandruff, you can get it under control by shampooing your hair regularly with a gentle shampoo.  However, if you have a more severe case of dandruff, medicated shampoos or physician assistance may be necessary.

Dandruff is a condition that is usually simple to diagnose.  If there are flakes of dead skin present in your hair and on your shoulders coupled with an itchy scalp, there is a good chance that you have dandruff. The condition can be impacted by the climate that you live in. Fall and winter months are usually the most difficult times of the year for people with dandruff due to indoor heating contributing to dry skin and scalp.  Dandruff usually improves during the summer months.

Tea tree oil has been medically proven to be a natural anti-fungal and functions as a good disinfectant. You can mix 5-10 drops of tea tree oil in your shampoo and wash your hair as normal.  I believe the method is more effective after shampooing your hair, mix 1 tablespoon of tea tree oil into 1 cup of warm water or Aloe Vera juice, spray into your scalp and let it sit for a few minutes. Gently pat the extra moisture out, but don’t wash it out.