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......

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[franch]

I use the Body Shop's leave-in conditioner on DD, which helps a lot - Baby Love is seriously chemically!

[franch]

Body Shop's blueberry detangling spray is good too

[HappyMumof2]

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[4kids]

hi just reading recent posts pink m can sometimes be a bit heavy & build up a bit Motions is really good light not to oily & not to cloggy . When it comes to washing hair people differ i myself wash kids hair once every 2 weeks sometimes longer depending if plaited. Washing to often dries the hair thats why black people use oil products they dont produce a lot of natural hair oil .

[4kids]

for those with older kids do any of u put cholesterol treatments on hair i really recomend it once a month specially for kids with long hair & also hair caster oil now & again i swear by it .

[HappyMumof2]

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[4kids]

Happymumof2- the green & white bottle sounds like sofn'free Motions oil moisturizer is in a pink bottle with a purple pump dispenser & purple writing .the Motions oil sheen spray {looks like a can of hairspray}is better 4 short hair or when using staightners or tongs on hair is in a yellow can with purple lid & purple writing .the sheens called oil sheen & conditioning spray. try the sheen spray if ds hair is shaved short .

[franch]

Mars - I've got your hairdresser coming on Friday (finally!) - I'll let you know how we get on

[MunchedTooManyMarsLady]

Good to know. Charli is lovely.

[franch]

That sounds good sally. Mars, Charli has just gone and DD's hair looks gorgeous! She was full of fabulous tips too, and brought me some Pink Oil Light which seems good - I'll just have to get the hang of how much to use & how often by trial & error. She twisted DD's hair into beautiful curls (I took some photos for DH ) and hopefully I'll be able to do this myself with a bit of practice.

BIG thank you for the recommendation.

[franch]

PS I'll email you a photo if they come out all right

[MunchedTooManyMarsLady]

Just home from my travels. I'm so glad that it worked out with Charli. Told you she was lovely. Brilliant isn't she? She knows the difference between white, black and mixed hair. My children always look brilliant when she's been. I won't use anyone else. Email me the photo if you can.

[franch]

Yup, she's fab. The Pink Oil Light has transformed DD's hair, too, and made it infinitely easier to deal with - less trauma for her and me Should get the photos back tomorrow - if they haven't come out I can text you the one on my phone?

Thanks again

[franch]

Have emailed you a photo Mars

[MunchedTooManyMarsLady]

Thanks doll, will look out for it.

[MunchedTooManyMarsLady]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! She's so GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[franch]

Before she got her hair sorted she was the love-child of Halle Berry and Ken Dodd

[Eaney]

I have used Elasto Curl by L'Oreal on my sons curly wurly hair. We really like it. You can only get it in Salons and is pricey but lasts for ages. About £12 but it has probably lasted me about 10 mths.

[PinkArjuna]

Wow! Jesus I know hair is always a trauma with black people - the maintainence and hot combs and extentions people wanting to touch it etc... but I had no idea it caused such a problem with mixed race children. I'm black and going to have a mixed race little boy, sounds like a walk in the park because the curls are so loose! However I have years of managing my own hair behind me. I am lazy about my hair and simply can't be bothered with endless straightening and treatments because my hair is too weak to cope with the Chemicals.

I have always been seriously interested in the hair debate. I was adopted into a white family and in the 'white' world My hair was a total failier. This myth that somehow afro hair is 'messy' or 'unmanagable'. I wonder perhaps if it is anything to do with the dominant successful cultures being of european origin? Even the earliest relaxing products in America were invented to 'tame' the hair and relaxing though it can be extremely stylish is infact rooted from the desire that black beauty is somehow a lesser beauty. Just a ethnic political statement. Some of the most educated black eminant people I respect such as Maya Angelou and Bonnie Greer do not straighten their hair. I just wondered perhaps if this was an acceptance of the self. Though mainstream 'black' culture is full of straightened tresses and news readers don't seem to ever have non relaxed hair... just a debate.

I was from a family with no black connections at all but I still hauled arse to the local Afro shack (usually to be found in the yellow pages no matter where you live) went along, got phone numbers and bought products there. You can always find people to do hair on the cheap as hair is big business and many people just learn at home. I don't know how helpful they are at answering questions but I sometimes get products from afroshack For mixed race hair I imagine the lighter spritzers are better than oils as they are lighter and less greasy. I don't think you should comb too much as so much breakage can occur - unless you want to plait it up teesing the hair is alot better. Curls are so beautiful if they are just eased out and left natural.

Also for those of you who want to grow your girls hair but don't want to be dealing with it all the time you can get extentions put in and grow it that way. Then you'll only be combing and deep treating the hair once every 3-4 months depending on the growth. It needs the roots sprayed in a bit of braid sheen spray to keep the condition but thats about it. It depends where you live obviously the big cities have much better supplies for afro products but generally european products won't do. Though I find some of the salon european deep conditioners are good.

What I would recommend though is african pride hair and scalp spray it is really light and I use it myself as I hate greasy hair.

[PinkArjuna]

Oh I'm a pink supporter too I have a salon sized pump bottle here...

[RTMTMML]

I also have a salon sized bottle. I would say though that mixed hair does behave somewhat differently to "black" or "white" hair. Also, there is no guarantee that your son's hair will have loose curls. I have 5 children and each of them has different hair ranging from a very loose curl to a much tighter curl, but not quite as tight as mine. I think that if people find their child's hair difficult they should look for a good hairdresser (not always possible I know). We have a good un don't we Franch? I'm not a big fan of children with extensions, but each to his own

[PinkArjuna]

Loose to me is anything not like the micro curls I have

[LipstickMum]

Pink, we'll have to talk 'mixed race' hair tomorrow