Mixed Race Hair

[KatieMac]

If I start it here they can move it to the right place (If they decide to start a topic (& ever decide what to call it))

where do I start......

[Cha]

Thanks Mars - have to go into Brixton again and get another packet of saltfish. No - don't know how to do dumplings tho we often have them from the local takeaway. I have made rice and peas, ackee and saltfish and fried plantain many a time - but always with my friend in tow to tell me what to do. It's a bit like directions though, once you come to do it on your own, you get totally lost.
Totally aware I have hijacked this thread and smeared food all over it. Sorry folks who want to talk hair, shall shut up now and start a new thread!

[MarsLady]

see you on the new thread Cha

[Lupe]

Hi all - I'm a new mum to a beautiful 3 1/2 month old girl with loads and loads of hair! It's very wavy rather than at all afro-looking - my MIL (Jamaican) said 'all babies are born with straight hair' but I'm starting to wonder... DH keeps saying 'when's it going to turn afro?' Would be interested to hear from other mums as to how their babies hair changed over time - btw she hasn't lost any hair at all.

[MarsLady]

hi Lupe. My ds1 and the dts have all got wavy dark hair. My dd1 and dd2 have both got curly hair. NOT all babies are born with straight hair. dd1 had no hair at all for about 18 months and when it came it was curly. My mother (Jamaican)is always telling me things like cutting the baby's hair before the baby walks holds up the walking lol. bless

[Zinger]

Sounds very like my DD's hair Lupe - hers did gradually go curly and now at nearly 10 months it's classic mixed-race hair - very curly but fine and not afro. Hard work but utterly gorgeous

[mammya]

My dd's hair was straight at first and started curling when she was about 3 months old. Now it's very curly, but it's quite fine with soft small ringlets, not afro. I agree with Zinger, hard work but sooo gorgeous!

[Lupe]

thanks for all your comments - I'd also be interested to know if and when you started using 'products' or special shampoo - she's got so much hair I've had to wash it properly from the beginning! She's got a bit of cradle cap at the moment so I'm rubbing oil in and then using Infaderm shampoo. I also rub a little coconut oil through her hair after as it's very big and bouffant! I'd like to find something that would keep it soft looking without being greasy.

[MarsLady]

I don't bother with special products with the babies. I just wash hair with kids shampoo. With the older ones I spray a product called gold into their hair before plaiting. Keeps it nice ans soft. Different people like different things. Do you have any sils who can advise you on hair care or are you happy with us?

[Lupe]

Thanks Marslady - no, no sils, just a couple of bils with not much hair! So I'll certainly be coming back here for advice as she gets older although I'm lucky that we've got an afrocaribbean hairdresser just round the corner as well. btw, anyone tell me how long cradle cap normally takes to clear up? I think she is scratching it a bit as well which doesn't help.

[MarsLady]

My DS1 had cradle cap for years. Probably lost it when he was about 5 or 6. Shouldn't worry. With the oil that you'll be putting in your darlings hair it should vanish with washing and brushing.

[Ivybridgite]

DD is a week away from 12 months and we have never washed her hair yet. we treated her cradle cap with cocoa butter from the body shop and it dissappeared within two weeks and left her hair beautifully soft. She's bathed in oilatum plus every night and then lathered in cocoa butter from head to toe, her skin is great and her hair is really manageable, cocoa butter is slightly expensive but well worth it.

[Lupe]

ivybridgite - didn't she ever get anything yucky in her hair that you wanted to wash out? my dd gets milk in hers - starts to get a bit stinky if I leave it without washing! I'd like to try the cocoa butter for the cradle cap but can't see how it wouldn't just end up clogging up her hair which is really long already.

[Ivybridgite]

She gets loads in her hair, but a bucket (childs play bucket) of bathwater over her head 3 or 4 times during a bath seems to do the tricks. It probably helps that she loves water and bath time.

[Cha]

I found the best cure for cradle cap was a nit shampoo and comb... You will not believe the sheer horror that convulses a mother when she sees a full grown louse crawling through her best baby's (not yet one inch long) hair. Somehow it is not so bad on older children.
BTW - parents of kids with soft curls that go frizzy on brushing - I have a friend who is a hairdresser who is researching a UK equivalent of Vitapro Fusion leave-in hair treatment. Will keep youse all posted on what he comes up with.

[Zinger]

This story about the 'melodrama' that white mums stir up about mixed-race hair is quite provocative!

Scroll down to 'Oh no! More hair drama!' on this page for a follow-up

[4kids]

Hi i'm new here reading the posts on mixed race hair as a white afro hairdresser i find a product called MOTIONS really good 4 mixed race hair .You can take years finding the right products but when u do stick 2 it.

[MunchedTooManyMarsLady]

Hi 4kids. Welcome to mumsnet

[Cha]

What is Motions like? My dd has quite Euro hair, big soft curls but a bit Mad Professorish in the morning and after brushing. Would it suit? Is it oil based? Desperate as just spraying on water at the moment, which brings the curls back but dd's hair is getting quite dry.

[Gwenick]

DS2 (13 months) still has soft, but very curly hair. However, I don't think it'll stay like that - his brothers hair was the same until he hit around 18 months and then got coarser. Thankfully being a boy it's just a number 3 at the barbers and he's sorted - although last week he turned round, after looking in the mirror, and announced he needed his hair cutting - which was very true he was starting to grow an Afro.

I REALLY wanted a girl (wouldn't be without my boys though) but I was DREADING having to do their hair - I struggle to get a simple pony-tail in my (blonde) hair looking decent so I think I'd have had to go and live with my SIL for a while to 'learn' how to do the hair.

[4kids]

replying 2 cha . u can get every product 4 hair by motions the hair creme is oil based but very light & doesnt leave hair oily its wicked 4 all types of mixed race hair i,ve told alot of my mixed race friends about it & alot of pep with mixed race kids & they have all started using it

[rouge]

Where can you get it, 4kids?

[4kids]

Mixed race hair of any texture should b treated like afro ,dont wash it 2 often {dries it out} try not 2 brush curls dry comb with a afro comb & less damage when combed wet & let dry naturally & u should always moisterise .

[4kids]

replying 2 rouge . U should b able 2 get it from any afro hair shop its good value u can get diff size bottles but big bottle is best value £4.99 for 976 ml. Give it a try cant promise youll like it but b suprised if u dont

[4kids]

Might sound a bit silly but what does dd ds1,2 ect stand 4

[rouge]

Thanks - will look out for it.

dd = darling daughter, ds1 = darling son #1, etc. There's a link to 'acronym list' at the top of this page. HTH