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>> Hello. I'm Ajia Maximillian, licensed natural hair
specialist and owner and founder of Thrive Hair Bar.
welcome to Transracial Adoption Hair Care.
First, let me start by saying congratulations on the decision
to embrace an intimate part of black culture,
hair care,
hair and black communities can be intense source of pride and
beauty
to some learning about black hair care may not seem
important compared to the loss and grief that many adopted and
foster children must come to terms with as they discovered
him. They are
nevertheless, for black children. Their hair is an
identity. They may not fully understand but offers a unique
connection to culture and linage, rooted in them from
birth.
It is now your duty as a parent to teach the child in your care
that their uniqueness is great.
Parents let your children know their hair doesn't need to be
straight wavy or artificially alter to be beautiful.
Black children living in multicultural homes. Whether
they are biracial or not may have hair you're unfamiliar
with like tight coils, thick curls, kinky zig zags, fragile
strands or even short hair. And their differences may be a
source of frustration in their lives,
start teaching them as soon as possible to be proud and
accepting of who they are and to love all of their treats,
including their hair,
keep books and magazines around the house of people of
different ethnicities with natural hair.
And if you're thinking that looks aren't everything your
right, but having confidence in who you are is.
And with that, here are some black natural hair care basics.
>> That will help you and your children have confidence in
caring for and wearing their natural hair.
>> Use a wide tooth comb special to tangling brush or
even your fingers to gently help with the detangling.
Never
attempt to comb through the hair when it is dry. Remember,
hair must always be wet or damp with product with when
detangling.
Wash hair at least once a week with a sulfate free shampoo,
sulfates are very efficient. but harsh cleansers that dry
out
hair and black hair tends to need to combat dryness. You
shampoo with natural plant-derived ingredients such
as shea butter, avocado oil coconut oil,
olive oil and jojoba oil
conditioner is essential. Every time you watch your
child's
hair
after rinsing out the shampoo, be sure to coat the entire head
of hair from roots to ends with conditioner, paying special
attention to the ends of the hair there. The oldest part of
the hair and get very dry, conditioner should also have
plant-derived ingredients like avocado oil, castor oil shea
butter, vegetable glycerin and aloe vera gel
after shampoo and conditioner. How dry? And then add your
favorite leave in conditioner. A light oil or moisturizing
styling products to help with your styling.
Having a spray bottle handy with water and a touch of aloe
vera mixed in can be helpful for adding extra moisture at
the style.
Use a satin or silk bonnett or satin or silk pillowcase at
night to protect hair.. This helps eliminate frizziness,
protects against dryness, breakage and helps preserve the
hairstyle.
Change pillowcases frequently to avoid skin problems.
Haircare
products can build up on bonnets and pillowcases.
So make sure
to have more than one and change and Wash them at least
weekly
use non rubber elastic or satin here ties when pulling hair
into
a ponytail.
This will help prevent breakage.
Now that you have the basics down, it's time to buy the
right shampoo conditioner and styling products. There are
many to choose from, so don't let the volume of choices
overwhelm you.
>> The more you embrace your children's natural hair
texture, the more you learn that natural and organic hair
products work best. There are hundreds to choose from.
And hundreds of ingredients found in nature that can be
used in here products. And these healthy ingredients
aren't just for kinky, coily and curly hair.
These ingredients worked to make everybody's here
healthier.
Here's some popular ingredients found in natural hair products
to look for.
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Remember organic and and refined versions of these
ingredients work best. It ensures retention of nutrients.
now for hair washing demonstration by Nikki Brown
and her daughter Wynter.
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>> Hi, I'm Nikki Brown. And today I'm going to show you how
I wash and style my daughter's hair.
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>> Wet hair and divide into 4 sections before washing.
then add detangler or water from a spray bottle.
then detailing with your fingers or wide tooth comb to
get
knots out.
Washing in sections helps prevents tangling.
When you use a comb, start combing gently beginning
at the ends of the hair and work your way up.
Then I twist hair and put a non-elastic rubber ban at
the end and move on to the next section.
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Again, I'm working in sections her hair before adding
shampoo,
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get the shampoo in there
and make sure you create a nice lather
gently massage the scalp to help break up any buildup.
after that I run my hand from her scalp through her strands
to help remove excess product build up.
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Now I'm going to rinse it all out and just repeat the same
process on the rest of her here.
Once that is done, I will simply twist her hair
into sections.
Again, this is the best way to keep her hair from getting
tangled.
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on to the conditioning. I'm using a condition with shea
butter
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So again, I'm twisting her hair back up and get moving on
to the next section to do the same process.
I really like to make sure I get extra commissioner on the
ends of Wynter's hair because that's where her hair is
driest. .
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Once I apply the condition I leave it on are here for about
10 minutes while she sits in the bath tub.
This gives the conditioner time to penetrate her hair.
and it really adds moisture to her hair
Now it's time to rinse the conditioner out, right now
her hair is feeling nice and soft.
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Once you do the final rinse, get a micro fiber hair towel
and blot or squeeze the hair dont rub.
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on to the final stage, which is the moisturize and style phase.
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now it's time to moisturizer her hair.
I'm taking some detangler and moisturizer and I'm
just getting it through their roots all the way towards the
ends of her hair.
I'm using non elastic rubber bands on her hair.
You can always part hair in different places for other
styles. And I'm creating two pony tail's, This is Wynter's
go to
style and she really loves it.
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>> Taking the time to care for a child care is one of the ways
people in black communities traditionally have demonstrated
love and built relationships with their children,
whether it is at home or in the community of a barbershop.
It is an opportunity for an adult to talk with the child
about what interests them.
It is a time to share stories and wisdom with kids and for
kids to learn the rhythms of conversations and develop
cultural awareness.
It is a time when you can use the love language, a physical
touch in a way that is affirming and appropriate,
especially during the teen years. When hugging may be less
comfortable.
Caring for your child's hair can treat intimate bonds and
restore trust,
which is especially important for children and teens who have
been abused or neglected in the past.
>> If you're not sure what to do for different looks, add
accessories, for daily styling. You will still need to
moisturize the hair with water and a product before styling.
You can use a spray bottle to dampen the hair before
manipulating it
for children with longer hair. One of the easiest things you
can do is put here in a few ponytails
Taneisha proctor and her beautiful daughter Nyla show us
a few examples of styles and ponytails and puffs with added
accessories.
These are also low tension, simple hairstyles that keep the
hair detangled without adding a lot of pull on the hair and
scalp.
>>
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>> if you choose to let your child's hair out a natural afro
style, that's beautiful, too. Just be aware that these can be
high maintenance as here can more easily get tangles,
gather, debris and become dry.
Now that you have the basics, establish a hair care routine.
Hair care routine. Ensure that here stays nourished, healthy
and strong.
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Consider taking your child to a professional barber shop that
specializes in serving black hair. You can learn how to do
your child care, receive helpful tips and have access to
hair products.
>> The child also finds a natural connection to his or
her culture and experiences being in the majority at a
majority black barbershop versus the minority.
This can serve as an important cultural connection.
Here are some essential tips and picking in navigating the
barbershop.
Make sure hair is thoroughly washed and free of dirt
dandruff and grease.
Be clear about the type of hair cut you want and talk it over
with your barber. Once you're hair is cut. There is no
turning back.
Make sure the terminology used is accurate so that you in the
barber share the same vision
one of the best ways to explain how short or long you want the
hair is by familiarizing yourself. With the size of the
clipper guard.
This determines how many inches it takes off the hair. When you
go to the shop, you'll hear someone say take 2 of the top
and one off the sides. That means you want to clip a guy
that keeps an 8th of an inch on the side and one quarter of an
inch on the top, which is a pretty short hair cut.
If you're unfamiliar with the terminology is just ask your
barber and bring a photo of the style. Your child. Once
many times kids are inspired by their favorite entertainers.
Bring a photo of that artist's hair
for first time hair cuts, it is beneficial to prep your child's
before they sit in the Barber's chair
a couple of times before the trip sit your child in a
a chair and act as if you're cutting their hair with
clippers or scissors, it helps them feel comfortable with the
process because a small child can feel scared or intimidated
by the tools used in a barbershop.
>> For children in foster care, often their biological parents
wish to make decisions regarding their appearance
before you make any significant changes to their hair. It is
important to first discuss it with your child's foster care
worker.
>> In the early ages of their development, black girl seen
numerous hairstyles including afros, weaves, dreadlocks,
twists
braids.
>> Terms curls and corn rolls.
While young girls are exposed to numerous hairstyles, they're
often socialized to dillenate between good hair
and bad hair with good hair, falsely viewed through
Eurocentric portrayals of beauty to be most attractive.
Help your children embrace their natural hair. Understand
that their hair is also attractive and beautiful.
Back in the day, women were tortured with hot combs
burning relaxers and hours spent in a salon getting so it
needs to change their hair from its natural state.
Today we embrace curls, kinks and coils because it's all good
hair and something to celebrate
for more information resources, contact the Department of
Family Services.
I'm Ajia Maximillian. Thank you for joining us.
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