In the Beginning

This post is about the LA's hair care for the first couple of months.

LA was born April 2010 with a head full of hair. It was really soft,  had a curl to it and was very thin around her hairline (and still is two years later).  Before she was born, I did some research on natural hair. I read and learned about sulfates.  Sulfates are chemicals that are put in shampoos and detergents to make them lather.  Sulfates dry the hair out and strip it of it's natural oils but they are found in MOST shampoos.  After doing my research, I decided that I would only use sulfate-free shampoo on her hair.  I started off using Burt's Bees baby wash and shampoo. When I felt like her hair was dry, I used a mix of extra virgin olive oil and water in a spray bottle to refresh and moisturize her curls.  That was our first hair care regimen and I felt so proud of myself.

When LA got a few months old, I decided to look into products for children with natural hair.  I found "It's a Curl" online and I ordered the set. It came with shampoo, conditioner, leave in and a product that rewets the curls.  I fell in LOVE with this line of products.  She only had a little bit of hair at this point so the products lasted a long while before I ran out.

I don't have pics of the back of LA's hair but I started to notice the back of her hair was becoming thinner and thinner.  I really dreaded the signature baby bald spot in the back and I really wanted to minimize the thinning.  Once again, I searched online and read about satin. People use satin scarves and pillowcases to reduce breakage.  It occurred to me that her balding could be coming from all the places she lays her head, so I went out and purchased about a yard of satin fabric and sewed pieces of it to everything she rested her head on.  In the picture above, you can see where I sewed the piece to her car seat. I found that even though she did end up losing much of her hair in the back and sides, the satin did help to reduce the amount.

Introduction

Hello blog land.  I'm pretty certain I am talking to myself at this point but I figure it is still necessary to introduce myself.  I am Nace, mother to the lovely Ms. LA (2).  I am starting this blog to document my journey, share what I have learned and hopefully inspire some other moms to learn how to properly care for their daughter's natural hair.

Where is all began:
On December 7, 2009, I discovered via ultrasound that I was carrying a little girl.  I vowed from that day, no matter what her hair texture, I would NOT give her a relaxer.  I, for one, am a relaxed haired female and although I still relax my hair to this day, I resent the fact that I never had a chance to discover my natural hair growing up.  My mother gave me a relaxer at a young age (maybe 5 and I don't fault her because times were different) therefore, I have no clue how to style, manage or even what curl pattern my natural hair has.  I did not want to put my daughter in that situation.  I was determined to learn how to properly care for and love her natural hair.  I started searching the internet and I found several different blogs and forums that catered to natural hair and this is where the journey began.

Where we are today:
My daughter is now 2 years old with a head full of beautiful kinky curls and I could not be happier.  This journey has been very trying at times but all very worth it.  From learning what sulfates are to satin scarves to protective styles, I can say I have truly learned a lot.  The journey is still just beginning though, so join us for the ride.  Thanks for reading.

Nace