Hybrid Hair

People are always asking about & commenting on Jayde's hair, so I thought it was only appropriate to blog about it.

Hair pulled back in a natural pony tail. No extra styling done.

Don't get me wrong, I love the uniqueness of her hair,  but it is unruly and sometimes very hard to tame. Keith has given her hair the name "hybrid hair," because that is pretty much what it is- a mix of Caucasian hair and black hair. The hardest part is: it isn't really "white" or "black" hair either. Yes, it is somewhat smooth and has somewhat of the same texture as "white" hair, but at the same time it is so curly and frizzy, I don't know what to do with it at times. And because it is super curly, but not the same texture as "black" hair, Keith doesn't really know what to do with it either.
For the longest time, we didn't really know how to care for it, so we didn't do anything at all. There came a point, once her hair got longer, that we could no longer get away with not doing anything to it. People were constantly telling me that I needed to do something with her hair because it looked SO out of control. But what could I do? Not only had I never done someone else's hair, but I had no idea how to take care of hair like hers.
Finally, a family member took me to a hair stylist who specializes in hair like Jayde's. She taught me SO much in such a short amount of time, I was so grateful! But learning how to take care of her hair made me realize that I was in for a lot of work (until she is able to do her hair by herself.)

Jayde at the salon when I was being taught how to do her hair. She was one and a half years old when this picture was taken!

The main, and most important thing: MOISTURE.

The more moisture that is in her hair, the easier it is to tame. The less water, the better. Which meant that instead of washing her hair as much as I did, I had to start washing her hair once a week. This seemed really crazy to me at first, because I wash my hair nearly every day! But then I realized, my hair is very different than hers, and her hair is more prone to dry out. To add moisture into her hair, I apply Argan Oil in her hair a few times a week (or more, depending on how dry it is feeling). I will usually apply the oil before bed, and then put her hair in braids so that her hair locks in the moisture and soaks up the oil while she is sleeping.
Doing her hair is a MUST. Everyday. If not, not only does her hair get super tangled, but it seems to dry out. Each day I apply minimal water (usually combined 1:1 with some conditioner to help her hair not dry out), and add some leave in conditioner for styling (and again, also for the purpose of conditioning). Most days I throw her hair up in some sort of braid, pony tail, or bun. That way, her hair is usually more manageable throughout the day. I also find that when I put it up, the moisture is better retained. I learned how to "curl" her hair with my fingers (although sometimes I find it easier to use a rat tail comb). This is the best way to do her hair, since it keeps it from getting tangled, keeps in the moisture, and trains her curls. I also prefer doing her hair in a "up" style, because it is personally easier for me. Her hair is at an awkward length stage right now, and it is hard for me to get it looking right. Since her hair is more of a "fro" and has not fallen down to her shoulders, it makes her hair being naturally down more difficult at times.

Picture was taken when Jayde had just turned two years old. This is when I was starting to get the hang of styling her hair. These are the curls that I make with my finger/rat tail comb.

I am technically suppose to do something with her hair at night as well. I was told that braiding it is best, or to curl it with my fingers. This way while she is sleeping, her hair won't break from rubbing against her pillow. It is also suppose to help keep her hair moisturized, since this is when I will generally apply the oil. While I try to do it as most as I can, I honestly don't do it nearly as often as I should. But, I am going to try and get on track with it, because I am now realizing how important it is to take good care of her hair. The people at the hair salon also told me to get her a silk pillow to help with the breakage of her hair, but I haven't done that either. However, I did just purchase a satin bonnet for her to start wearing to bed at night, which is suppose to do the same thing. I am not sure if she will even wear it, but it is worth a shot.

The Jayde-fro.

The thing I haven't mastered yet: french braiding. It is SO different braiding thick, curly hair then it is other types. I feel like the braids I do always come out messy, or not looking quite right. Oh well, I will just have to keep practicing. Practice makes perfect ;)

Classic "bath hair" photo.

I am sure you are thinking to yourself, "that is a lot of work for hair!"… YES, it is. But I have gotten used to it these past 2 years, and it is now just a part of our daily routine. Luckily, Jayde has always been somewhat ok with me doing her hair, and will sit still during the time it takes me to get through the whole process. I do sometimes catch myself getting lazy with it (like last week), and then I instantly regret it because her hair drys out SO much. Then I basically have to start all over again with having to do extra work to get the hydration in her hair back.

CRAZY HAIR!

Not only is her hair time consuming, but her hair products sometimes cost a fair amount of money. Not to mention that I have to spend money on utensils every once in a while since I usually have to use 3-4 different hair combs/brushes on her hair (depending on what style I am trying to accomplish that day). I am constantly trying new things and buying new products to find what works best with her hair. So far, I have had a few that I like, but most of the things I end up not liking. This last time around, I purchased the ever so popular "Mixed Chicks." People are always ranting and raving about it, so I figured that it was time that I try it on Jayde. I will say that it smells fabulous, but it dried my daughters hair out SO much, I just could not bare to even finish the bottle. That's the annoying thing about products, what works amazing on one persons hair, might not do the same for another. And I hate that I have to spend all this money to buy a product, not knowing if it is going to work out for us or not. I ordered a few products from "Miss Jessie" that actually just arrived in the mail today, so I will be trying those products out tomorrow. I hope they work as good as people say they do, because with the condition of Jayde's hair now (from the drying out of the Mixed Chicks), I need a miracle!

New product that I will be trying- Miss Jessie's!

As costly and time consuming as her hair is, I love it! I honestly wouldn't have her hair any other way. It is beautiful and unique, and one of the many things that makes her who she is. Once I stopped being afraid and embarrassed about not knowing how to take care of it, styling it has been so much fun. I love learning new hair styles and being able to experiment with different things. I have even started using fun hair accessories like bows, head bands, puffs, and other items to spice things up. I even once put washable purple coloring in her hair, because she kept asking me to dye her hair purple. I can only hope that I can teach Jayde all of the things I have learned these past years so she will be able to love and care for her hair the way I do.

Fun purple hair!