Back-to-School Coily Hair

Let’s face it—this time of year is like New Year’s Day. In fact, if life had a fiscal year, Labor Day would be it. Why? Because back-to-school time is monumental—rigid routine, new clothes, new classroom, new books and supplies…everything changes. Even as an adult, I still feel the pull of starting over on Labor Day. It is ingrained in me like DNA from being a student years ago.

The other thing that happens is the pace of life suddenly gets more hectic. The long lazy days of summer are over as back-to-school time reinstates structure and rigidity. And with that, time literally evaporates into the shorter days and cooler nights. When you have a kid with tight coily hair and it’s Sunday night? Our hair doesn’t allow us to rush through detangling without tears flowing and our patience slipping away like the hours of daylight.

Back-to-school time savers

Here are some time-saving hacks that will help you and your child through this yearly transition from lazy summer to school structure:

• Wash hair on Sunday – take the time on the weekend to get in a fresh wash to get ahead of the game.
• Combine tasks to save time; for example, detangle during the wash session. Use clips to detangle in sections with conditioner in the hair. Twist up each section as you go and rinse each section separately. Always use a leave-in conditioner after washing and conditioning. This will help coils maintain a moisture level in the hair in-between washes.
• If you have more than one child, do separate wash days. This may mean that one child has a weeknight wash session, but staggering wash days will be more efficient week to week.
• Kid hair styles don’t need to be intricate. Sure, it’s fun to get some fancy cornrows or braids, but that doesn’t have to be the everyday norm. Especially, if that requires a salon visit. There are easier ways to style their hair to look great, with single braids in larger sections, flat twists, puffs, or wash and go’s. Accessories like hair ties, barrettes, and bows can also go a long way for a fresh look.

Back-to-school hair hacks

• For styling, think about what styles will last a whole week, and can be transformed to new looks in a flash. For example, style with flat twists or braids on wash day that later in the week can be taken down for a twist or braid out toward the middle of the week. Toward the end of the week, you can do buns.
• Make sure the style matches your kids energy level. For example, braids or twists are better for active kids, because they keep the hair from getting tangles.
• Have them use a bonnet for sleeping to ward off tangles and breakage overnight. Some kids protest this; you can also resort to a satin pillowcase, it’s better than cotton on coily hair.
• Your child’s hair can indicate that it needs to be washed by showing frizziness, or dryness. This can also happen due to kids being active (which they should be!). You can extend the time until their wash day by mixing water with leave-in in a spray bottle and spritzing the hair and gently detangling and restyling. This is a “cheat code” to buy more time until wash day.

I realize that kids can have strong opinions about what their hair should look like. What kid wants to stand out for the wrong reasons? Trust me I remember. Peers can be very influential and kids just want to fit in. But hair has room for compromise. Invite their opinion but also be realistic about your time and budget.

Hair product arsenal

Speaking of budget, natural hair doesn’t normally require layers of products. And choosing products doesn’t have to be difficult. Layering a lot of products can be counterproductive and cause dryness in the long run. Here is a list of products that is reasonable to have on hand:

• A moisturizing shampoo and matching conditioner to balance pH in the hair
• A leave-in conditioner, to maintain moisture between washes
• A style product – gel, twisting cream, or curl mousse depending on the style

Edge control can rip out tender baby hair, so I don’t recommend it for young kids. Instead use a styling gel to smooth strays around the face. Oil is optional too. Most styling products have oil infused in them so additional oil isn’t needed. Also, oil doesn’t seal moisture in, conditioner does after shampooing. Excess oil on the hair can cause build-up and dryness, so it’s okay to skip it.

Salon styles can be convenient, but they are not “set it and forget it”. Use them with caution. Braid extensions, especially if their hair is short, can create an excess of tension which can cause breakage or alopecia. Same with cornrows that are too tight. If you choose styles like these, listen to complaints of scalp pain from your child, because that can indicate that the style is too tight. If necessary, take them back to the stylist to loosen it if necessary. Routinely apply moisture with spritzing and wash hair once per week, even with a salon style.

Our coily tresses need moisture to thrive. Weekly consistency is key to keeping the moisture balance maintained which will minimize breakage, tangles, and tears in the long run.

You can get through the school year! Yes it’s hectic, but a good system with good tools and right hacks will make things so much easier.