Next up- Miss Tia

Introducing my only daughter,Tia! She loves all types of hairstyles, from kinky twists to sew ins. We talk about hair all the time and embracing our natural textures. Length is her biggest concerns so as long as the braids are at a minimum of bra-strap length she is fine. Many teens long to have hair hanging along their backs and Tia is one of them.  I haven't had the struggle with wanted straight hair, she has always liked curly hair but length is her love. Her natural length was always pretty long until a very bad experience with micro-braids.

In an attempt to provide Tia with a protective style for the summer that would give her the ability to enjoy all the water activities and her grandparents without concern for her hair, she lost 4-5 inches of her hair.  The micro-braids caused hair loss from her edges & sides and the stylist  (unknowingly i assume) cut 4 inches of her hair removing them . Needless to say she was devastated and I was furious. We gathered ourselves and I went on a mission to help Tia regain her healthy hair.

I began by messaging her hair line daily with a whipped Shea butter mixture, weekly hot oil treatments & monthly deep conditioning.  I would give her roller sets, two strand twists etc to allow her to have styles without heat and little manipulation during the week. Tia began to see great results on her edges but the length of her hair was still an area of concern for her.  To give her length I suggested braids again but to guarantee that the hair would not have a lot of tension I did them myself.

First I tried kinky twists, then cornrows and individual braids. She has experimented with a micro braid/sew in and although she loved the look the stress on her weak hair was too much.  We have decided to stick with a variety of cornrowed styles and individual braids until she has the length she wants. Tia loves my thick curly afros, twists and braid outs but doesn't want this styles for herself. Her hair is thinner and my hair has a kinkier pattern.  I feel she accepts her hair and embraces it but choices to make longer length a part of her persona..

I am proud that my daughter has chosen to live a chemically free lifestyle and that she leans towards ethnic styles but I would support her anyway.  I share with her my reasons for leaving the chemicals out of my hair and its one of the many ways we have to spend time together.  Tia is definitely more than her hair but I'm glad she can love it at a young age.

  How does your daughter wear her hair?  Share your stories & concerns....Thanks for your comments!!