From Miss Hot Comb to Miss Dark and Lovely

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Fashion & Beauty

Saturday, 07 March 2009 06:00

By Jolene Skerritte

Women of colour go through excruciating processes to make us beautiful and enduring such tortures as putting a heated iron comb through our hair. Depending on how long or thick your hair is, you may or may not have telltale burns as evidence of this drama.  And after all this processing, you may be lucky if your hairdo lasts an entire day.
However, the dread of Mama’s iron comb and the dreamy ads for relaxers, which appeared as an easy solution, such as Dark and Lovely, Revlon, Optimum and Motions started a new hair revolution for black women. 
As we moved from childhood into adulthood and had children, we’d looked at our daughter’s hair and asked ourselves how will I manage this?
That has led us to ask the question whether to chemically process our child’s hair or not. 
It’s a matter of individual choice; however, some points worth bearing in mind are age, type of chemical, (texturized, relaxed), type of hair and the end result.

We all want to do what is best for our children, so when considering putting something in their hair that will alter the way they see themselves we want to make the right choice.  
Some mothers think that eight is an appropriate age to take this step while others begin this treatment as young as five. 
However, many stylists indicate that the majority of mom’s opt to wait until their child is a teenager before moving her away from little miss hot comb to miss dark and lovely.

Relaxing ones hair is a commitment.  Your hair needs maintenance and will have to be “touched up” every four to six weeks.  Consider whether you want your child to go through this process every month.  Remember these chemicals are harsh and, from our experience as adults, we know they burn and sting.  So let’s consider how this will affect a child. 
If you are planning on relaxing your child’s hair, it is recommended that you let a professional do this job.  

Although it’s easy to buy a relaxer kit and attempt to be a backyard beautician, a young child’s scalp is tender and you want to choose the best relaxer for her hair type. So make sure that you choose a hair care professional who is just that, a professional.   

If you think you’re qualified, please do a strand test before processing. This can be done by applying the texturizer or relaxer to a small section of hair.  If the end result is what you desired, then by all means proceed.  Whatever you decide, remember maintenance is the key.

Here are some tools that can assist with styling your young child’s hair.

   * Snag-Free/Ouchless ponytail holders
    * Wide tooth comb or pick
    * Rat tail comb for straight parts (optional)
    * Natural bristle brush
    * Moisturizing conditioner
    * Clarifying conditioner (for heavy duty washes)
    * Hydrating shampoo (If you decide to use shampoo)
    * Daily moisturizer for comb outs
    * Light natural oils
    * Cream hair moisturizer

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