LP
My son is very scalp sensitive. The water must be cool and not one drop of water can land on his beautiful face. Beautiful even as his face contorts rather oddly while he concentrates on not freaking out. He actually holds a towel over his face. His hair gets washed every 2-3 weeks. He has semi free form locs so there is no conditioner involved. I wash his hair with castile soap (my favorite is tea tree or peppermint). From time to time I deep clean his locs with apple cider vinegar and baking soda (works wonders). More so now that he's grown quite tolerant (for him...lol) to the entire process. He is very much a boy and his hair is rather course so lint, cat hair, sand, rice and everything else in the world looooves his hair. I serve eviction notices on the daily and wash day is get the hell out day. *smile* Lots of rinsing needed. When he's done I rub coconut oil all over his hair. The re-twist is completes with Indian Hemp and or castor oil. His hair loves castor oil. I braid his locs together since he doesn't care for pins. Most days I air dry. Now that he has outgrown his fear of the blow dryer, we employ that on other days. Either way when he's sure I'm done he takes the braids done and give his hair a good shake. Thanks me and moves on to the next step in his never ending journey.
P&C
Now my girls are exhausting. Their hair is a softer grade. This means nothing except that it stays neat for 4 days maximum. *sigh* Their hair loves lint more than their brother's hair (which is saying a lot). After I unbraid their hair, I check to see which twin I have because P needs the water to be lukewarm and C needs the water to be cool. Breeze on a sweltering day cool. Just enough oomph. You know? Like ooooomph but not too much or complaints will be lodged. *smile* I absolutely adore the Shea Moisture and Yes to Blueberries lines for shampoos and conditioners (take notes gift givers...lol). Their hair needs to be washed weekly. Like before the week is over but I work 12 hour shifts plus that overtime grind so weekly washes will do. Tuh. Their hair may be soft however it's extremely curly. Tight curls that curl into each other so detangle is a must. This is the tricky part. Too much manipulation and you'll lose the peaceful ambiance. Too little and when it's time to comb tears will flow like when a river greeting an ocean. It's a delicate balance to maintain. I detangle with maaad conditioner, B. Sorry, I had to. *smile* I use a LOT of conditioner to make this process as smooth and expeditious as possible. When that part is done, their entire head gets a good shea butter (God, I love Shea Butter) and coconut oil rub down. As I part and comb their hair a leave in conditioner is applied so as to get the curls to momentarily behave. Momentarily....for those familiar with black hair. *smile*
They all receive a 2 day notice when "Wash Day" is about to go down. Candles are lit (calming scents) and soft jazz or R&B is played to set the mood. You have to say that last part with Sebastian the crab's accent. You know? From The Little Mermaid. Come on...get with it. *smile* Facial kisses are granted. A peck on the nose, cheek, forehead, etc. The complimentary scalp massage is required just so I can hear LP say "Mooommmy, that feels good!". I don't know. It tickles me every time. What can I say? I'm in love. Anyway, DVD time is granted during the hair combing/twisting process. A much needed distraction....trust me. The woman who abhors television. At the completion of this ritual they admire their hair (sometimes each others) and thank me. Sometimes with puffy cry eyes but you know...whatever. I'm no hair stylist so I'm grateful for whatever commendations I can recieve. I then bend down like Tim Tebow at a game and thank God for making it through. Clean up the hair balls (they have to admire it first) and fly off to our next activity. We're like Diddy man....can't stop won't stop. Now take that, take that. Sorry, Hip Hop in 90s is basically the soundtrack to my life. Anyway below are the best hair shots I could get.
