[leaabc123]

I followed the instructions in it's all good hair.

I also used a little "let's jam" hair gel in her hair before twisting.
Do a two strand twist making sure you have even amounts of hair. Then put your finger at the base and kind of twist it around the base. Once I twist a bit around, I out my finger on top of it and keep twisting. A tip I got from the yahoo hair group was to add a black rubberband (the non snagging kind) t help them stay in place. So, I did that oterwise they come out in a few hours.

Probably clear as mud huh?

[redhedded]

Lea, I could not remember if you were using the shampoo/conditioner but meant to post last week that we ordered and have been using Carol's Daughter shampoo (rosemary mint) and black cherry leave in conditioner. They are both great, and the shampoo smells so great. I also bought the Hair butter, which is very different (and much better for dd) from the Marguerite's Magic.

[leaabc123]

Red, right now we use the neutrogena triple moisture line and paul mitchell's leave in conditioner.

I might try the shampoo next order. I ordered a leave in conditioner but don't like it, it was black vanilla I think. It is too thin for Big D's hair.

[redhedded]

oh, that is it, black vanilla. We use it just after wash at night. It has worked well for us.

[jandn]

I've been meaning to try some Zulu's on Lili. She pulls out any bands, barrettes or bows and we've had such a hard time keeping her hair "girly". Do you put bands in after you section or just to hold the knots in?

[leaabc123]

I just wrapped the bands around the knots. They stayed in for a total of 2 weeks. I had to retwist a few after one week but overall, it was a good low maintanance look.

[jessc098]

Our daughter came to us at age 7 with a scalp condition and badly damaged, poorly cut, short hair. She is AA, and we are CC and my first memory with her was being in Disney world (day 1 after placment) and being stopped on a ride by a woman who said "HOney, what have you done to her hair?!?!" I explained our situation and that I honestly didn't know what to do. She gave me a shopping list of products and told us to find a good local AA salon when we got home. We did that, and it's been great advice.

We were able to take a braiding class. DD still wants her hair "flat" but when she was in a predominantly AA community what she wanted most was to be able to wear beads. We've been able to stave off the "flat" arguments with bribes of braids and beads. I was told by the salon not to do "puffballs" they said it was patronizing, but perhaps that's a west-coast perception? (We live in the Pacific Northwest).

[traceyk]

We either do poms (puff balls) or just leave her afro. I am lucky she sits through her poms. I am sure once she gets older she will have more patience. I always have people tell me they can braid her head up in 20 min. One of these days I may take them up on it

[Linny]

Regarding the 'puffballs being patronizing'......this surely isn't the thing in the midwest...as a lot of AA parents style their children's hair this way; so my feeling is, if this is what works for our babies....so be it!

My two little ones are now four and three years old. We've tried the beads....but after about 20 minutes, dd said, 'can we just do something else?'...and she's not mentioned it again. I, too, have had a couple of AA friends tell me that they will braid her hair (the 4yr old) in a quick time; but honestly, I can't imagine having all that done, then tearing it down within a couple of days!

I'm tempted to go the braid route; and sometimes now, we do the banding or twists; but I tell you, I can't stand to leave their hair 'tied up' for more than a couple of days! Even with oiling it while 'tied'......I just think when it starts to look bedraggled, it's time to take it down and re-do or put it in something else! I oil their hair daily and take down the pigtails or twists daily too.

The three year old, has very sparse hair....more relaxed, but not nearly as thick as her older sister. I often do pigtails (as we call them) or do pigtails and twist and tie them together to make 'one'...then flip it underneath. It's a nice change....

Sincerely,

Linny

[jessc098]

It's funny--the day after I posted about puffballs (I think the woman who told me not to do puffballs was referring to big kids, not babies DD is 7Y/O), it was "hair day" which is becoming infamous in our house I think...

I asked my daughter what she wanted and she said "a ponytail." Well, her hair is like three inches long all over, so I explained that wouldn't work. She said, "ok--do lots of little pony tails like my stand-up braids."

Well heck...if that's what SHE wants and it takes me half the time, I don't care what I was told it is.

We did about 65 cute little puffy ponytails with pony beads over the rubber bands and theyr'e staying in fine, and all her little friends at camp think it's great. (Go figure?).

Must learn those zulu knots though--how long does hair have to be for that?

[adoptmom_02]

Hi I love this thread. thanks for all the tips and pictures of the different style. i would love to see a picture of the kids once the hair styles are completed.

we have an AA son and i dont get to do much to his hair.