The Trim: A New Years Resolution in August?

Among my mommy friends we seem to back and forth about whether it is necessary to trim our little girls' hair. I decided to do so (this is the second time ever) for the reason below.

We've all read articles about the connection between length retention and the health of the ends of our hair. While I am not obsessed with hair length, I do think there is definitely truth to that argument. The logic goes that often times we say that our hair just doesn't grow (past a certain length). Truthfully, the hair is indeed growing.  However, in many cases the ends of the hair (which have been around the longest) may be damaged and excessively dry which can cause breakage (at the ends) at a faster or same rate as hair growth from the root. I know for a fact, that with our busy schedule sometimes I'll look up and nearly a week has passed and I've not given the the ends of my girls hair the attention and maintenance needed (i.e. moisturizing the ends). In addition to a trim, which was less than 1/2 inch, the girls got a deep oil treatment/conditioning per-wash for Sasou and post-wash for Joelle, which incorporated Shea Moisture Deep Conditioning Masque plus castor and olive oils for good measure - all under a heat cap!   

I also think that excessive use of barrettes and rubber bands to hold beads can also damage and weaken tender ends.  That said, over the past few months between swimming and travel back to the United States, I've totally slacked (bad mommy) and felt the need for a trim to begin with a healthier "slate" of hair as we begin the school year in a few weeks. Along the same line of thinking, as soon as we get through the swimming season, I am planning to change up our hair routine a bit to include more double strand twists for Lady Grace in particular and fewer rubber bands and barrettes and more "protective" styles in general. While I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with this post, it appears to be a New Years Hair Resolution in August!

Getting a Hair Trim

"Is Hair Care Oppressing My Black Daughter?"

I recently came across an interesting article on the Root, “Is Hair Care Oppressing My Black Daughter?”  The person posing the question is a (white) stepmother, who is caring for her husband’s (black) daughter from a previous relationship.  The stepmother also has a biological (white) daughter from a previous relationship, of the same age, who does not have a hair care regime – i.e. she can “get up and go” or "wash and go" in the morning, whereas the (black) stepdaughter doesn't do so - instead she gets her hair "fixed".  The stepmother is questioning whether a negative message is being sent to her (black) stepdaughter, who needs to get her hair “fixed” either daily or worn in braids.

Personally, I agree with most of the points made by the author, in response to the stepmother's question. While I believe that the stepmom is sincere, I think the question speaks to the issue of what is “normal”.  What may be “un-normal” hair regime practices for one culture, may be perfectly “normal” for another culture.    Personally, I find washing, conditioning (sometimes with a heat cap), moisturizing and styling my girls’ hair on a weekly or biweekly basis perfectly “normal” within my cultural context.  Additionally, a lot of sharing and bonding takes place during the time that I spend on keeping my girls’ hair healthy and happy.  We take pride in getting our hair "fixed" whether we are braiding, twisting or rocking afro-puffs!  Upon finishing each hairstyle (usually braids or twists), my girls love to look in the mirror to see how they got their hair “fixed”.  Finally, hair textures are all different (even among blacks) and require various levels of attention and care to maintain health.  Black hair may be on the more demanding side of the care scale, and I am OK with that – we work with what we are given!  I hope the stepmom can learn to be OK with that too.  

Photo: Generic Image (Thinkstock)
From The Root