First post on Beautifully Curled! Welcome to our spot where we share are natural hair journey as mom and daughter. I want to document my process of properly managing my daughter’s hair. I have never been great at styling anybody’s hair outside of mine own so learning how to style my daughter’s hair is going to be an adventure. So much to learn. So much to do!
Fresh Start: Trimming Dead Ends
Recently, I read an article on Chocolate Hair Vanilla Care on how to trim a child’s natural hair. Looking at Z’s uneven and dry ends, I knew that it was time for me finally pull out the scissors. We have been dealing with the conditions of her ends for far too long. I had some reservations about clipping her ends because she was terrified that she will look like me after my trim (I am sporting a really short cut that she believes is only for boys). Nevertheless I got past my hesitations and reassured her that she will have PLENTY of hair left after I am done. She trusted me, and we were set to go.
The Process:
Z’s hair was already detangled and stretched from banding so my work was pretty much cut out for me. Starting from the bottom, I sectioned out a row, applied water and moisturizer to her hair, and began twisting. As I twisted each section of hair, I assessed to see how much to clip off the ends of each twist. I cut at a 45 degree angle to eliminate the look of a blunt cut (not good for twists). The entire process took 2 hours to complete. Once completed, Z ran out her chair into the bathroom. I heard a giggle, and she yelled, “I like it!!!” Whew! A sigh of relief.
Her hair grows very fast in the back middle and crown of her hair. Her slower growth areas are around the nape of her neck and her edges. I am still learning how to handle her hair individual since her texture overall is very fine, tightly curly, and soft. My hair is the complete opposite: it is thick, course, and wiry.
The Final Results:
Overall, I clipped between an half inch to 3 inches of hair to rid her of uneven ends. The aim was not for a perfectly even cut. I wanted to better balance out the fast growing sections with the slower ones. As a result, I am very pleased with her cut. Her twists better frame her face and make her look that much more adorable. My goal is to work on keeping her hair moisturized more consistently. Z is very active so her hair has to endure rough play sessions all over the floor. I do not have a set schedule on when her next trim will be. Her trims will be dependent on how well her ends are maintained.
