In the Black community, the topic of natural hair is seemingly never-ending and personally, it’s a favourite of mines. For all intents and purposes, I have two girls ages 2 and 2 months but I will focus on my toddler’s hair care in this blog post.Charlotte was born with a head of curly hair however, the crown of her hair grew a bit faster than the rest so for awhile, she looked as if she was sporting a fro-hawk. Back in 2009/2010, I learned that the key to what makes black hair thrive (in terms of health and thus, length retention) was moisture and since then, I have implemented the LOC method for myself and even more intentionally for Charlotte’s hair.
The LOC method stands for Liquid, Oil, Cream. This is the specific order that one must apply product to the hair to ensure maximum moisture retention. Similarly, there is the LCO method that stands for Liquid, Cream, and Oil. Since I am such a big advocate for natural hair in all its forms, I implemented this method when Charlotte was about three weeks old.
I gravitated towards the cleanest of brands and after using certain products for some time, I can say that I have seen the benefits of being consistent with both Charlotte’s routine and products. For the past six months at least, I have been using Up North Naturals shampoo and conditioner bi-weekly, Camille Rose Kids leave-in conditioner and butter to moisture and seal, and Jamaican Black Castor Oil and jojoba oil on her scalp.
A combination of the products, LOC method and weekly protective styles has proven to be the best for Charlotte’s hair. Thankfully, because I started doing this a a very young age, she doesn’t fuss and fight with me to get her hair done and of course, that helps a whole ton!
If I could share a few pieces of advice for a fellow mama trying to achieve healthy hair goals for her toddler I would say the following:
- Whatever products you choose, make sure that it is moisturizing for your child’s hair type.
- Try out the LOC and LCO method, see which one works best. Either way, the goal is to lock in moisture for a certain amount of time.
- Consistency is key, cliche but true for both product use and routine.
- Keep your child’s routine simple enough that you can keep up with it. If braiding is your thing, aim to braid the hair once a week or bi-weekly and leave it alone while moisturizing as often as necessary. Even if braiding is not your cup of tea, find styles that you can do that leave the hair alone as much as possible. Frequent manipulation for the hair is never a good thing especially because some hair types are more fragile than others!!
I hope my thoughts/experience recap on my toddler’s hair journey was helpful and simple to understand. Do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any further questions or comments! You can also find style inspo from how I do Charlotte’s hair over on her Instagram Page @herhairischarlotte.
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Our guest post for August is from Colleen Reid.
She’s a millennial wife and mom to two girls: Charlotte and Chelsea.
Quick facts about her- From a very young age she’s had a passion for reading, writing and all-things creative.
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