Sos My Daughters Afro Curly Hair

Sos My Daughters Afro, Curly, Natural Hair - Australia Gold Coast

LOVE THE FRO, LOVE THE CURLS, love the natural look

S.O.S HELP- My daughter has been crying for 5 years morning and night everytime I try and do her afro curly hair. 
Where do I start? At birth I suppose, except at birth she had straight black hair! I should explain how this is possible. I'm Australia of European heritage and my husband is Brazilian. There we have that amazing mixture of cultures. So when she turned 1 parts of her hair had turned curly. By about 1 and half, she was full curly.

By 2 years old I was trying everything to get the knots out.

Trying to do all the things I do with my hair, conditioner in the shower with an afro comb. No good. Lots of wasted water as it takes so long, still not very effective- screaming. Every morning and night she screamed for 5 years, because it was hurting. Grief for me and for her.

All these different products DO NOT WORK:

1. Argan oil expensive and doesn't work
2. leave in conditioner, just like water - no go.
3. Olive oil smelly, just like a salad- extra virgin olive oil too.
4. Coconut oil after a day stinks as it has gone rancid
5. Baby/ child detangling sprays - hopeless, they just have nice pink girly bottles and smell good.
6. I used to use a combination of leave in conditioners and hair oil, anything to add moisture and get the tangles out. But I still had some parts with big knots.

I asked retail hair shops, and hairdressers for help. They just don't know or they gave the wrong advise which doesn't work. For example advise hairdressers told me that DOES NOT WORK:

1. Leave some conditioner in the hair- no good.
2.  Use a tangle tamer brush- this is a weird octagon shaped brush- its impossible to comb her hair with it. 
3. Sleep on a silk pillowcase- no difference what so ever
4.  Just use the cheapest shampoo and conditioner- dried her hair out.

SHE GOT NITS- arrhh- thats my scream!

When she started Pre-prep which is 3 days a week like school. She got nits which is common around other kids. Well what do I do now I couldn't send her to school. So I brought a treatment for nits, used it and then it said to use the fine tooth nit comb that is conveniently added inside the box. Except one problem, with Afro hair its impossible to use the nit comb. Crying and screaming from her and I. So we had to cut her gorgeous hair. :(

 Since then I spent an hour at PRICELINE talking to the shop assistant. Which nit product doesn't require combing. Its funny what happened next. Another shopper walked past and handed me a box- QUIT NITS, this is a brilliant product for nits. It doesn't need combing with the torturous fine tooth comb. It smells like fairy floss and it works. Halleluya! It also comes with a spray to prevent getting nits which I spray on everyday before going to school. I will try and sell this product shortly.

Here some interesting home made remedies:
http://www.stayathomemum.com.au/houseandhome/pests/getting-rid-of-nits-and-lice/

I've had suggested as a nit prevention spray use water and tee tree oil or lavender oil- I had no success with these, still got nits. So far the Quit nits spray has worked.I've used it for over a year.

So what DOES work for Afro hair? the best products for afro / curly hair.

Well to get the answer, we went to visit our family in Brazil. I talked about my struggles and grief the on going 5 year problem.

I only need four items now, these are:

1. Combing cream- Creme para pentear
2. Special strong wide tooth comb
3. special hair brush, with no little balls on the brittles. (many brushes have balls a the end of the bristles and these get so tangled in the hair)
4. Water- hair must be wet.

I will sell these products shortly, as I realize if I'm having this much trouble, other people are too.

No more tears -HOW TO GUIDE- a step by step guide of what to do.

1. Have a shower, so hair is wet.
2. Towel dry, a little so water isn't dripping everywhere.
3. Both sit down, as it takes a little while - 2 chairs are ideal. 
4. Place alot of cream in your hand. and use fingers to spread around hair, especially at the ends where it tangles more.
5. Do the hair in small sections. Get the first section add more cream. Use your fingers first to gently separate the knots and tangles. Then use the wide tooth comb from the root to the tip, When you are up to the ends hold the hair in the middle so it won't hurt as you pull the comb through to the ends. Work through the whole hair section by section.
6. When you are ready to tie it back, hold it back with your hands and use the brush, only brush the top parts of the hair, as it will tangle at the tips. The brush makes the hair neater and flatter to tying back.
7. Only wash your afro every 1-2 weeks with shampoo and conditioner as this dries out your hair and strips the moisture from it. Even less often just when you notice its getting really tangled and dry, or of course its full of sand from the beach etc.
8.  Do not let sand, from the sand pit or the beach get on the hair as it gets trapped there, like a net.
9. Sleep with the hair tied back, leave it there.

I will make a video and upload it soon showing how I do these steps. I now can do my daughter's hair with no more tears.

Oprah- secret womens hair business

Oprah always has straight hair- how is this possible???

They use relaxers- this requires visits to the hair saloon every month, even in Brazil they do this. I say, embrace the curls and afro , if you use relaxer on your hair it will dry out and break.

They have false hair weaved into their hair.

Chris Rock and Oprah share the secret hair business- so funny and so true

Love your Afro, Love your gorgeous curls!!!

This is a pic of my daughters' hair before I have worked out how to look after it. Knotty parts and some almost dreadlocks.

Sesame Street-I love my hair

 Watch this cute video from sesame street. About hair LOVE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enpFde5rgmw

Hairstyles for Afro Hair.

2 strand twist-platt/braid

Get 2 strands of hair and twist, easy to do. Much better then the 3 strand platt or braid, these are hard to undo and they knot at the ends.

I found this great, how to, video on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ_y3uq_pmY

Another great video with the 2 strand twist done on a boy by a hairdresser, awesome:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FLm9ZKtmzs

Last year at the Quiksilver Pro International Surfing Contest, I met an US girl from Maryland USA. It was the first time I had seen the 2 strand twist, so I took some photos of her. The photos are on taken on top of the rocks at Kirra Groyne.

This is a GOOD EXPLANATION OF HOW TO COMB AN AFRO

SEND me a comment, tell me what you use.