Change in hair after puberty

[krissyhair]

Did anyone notice a significant change in your hair after you went through puberty?

My family member (African-American) asked me for help with her daughter's hair. As a young girl, about until she was 10 years old her hair was bright blonde with natural red and brown tone highlights. Very beautiful, unique color. It was also a very fine texture, not too thick.

Once her daughter hit puberty, she says her daughter's hair started growing in extremely thick. You can see where the hair texture on her head started growing in very thick. The color also changed from its multi tone blonde color to an ashy amber brown.

I am supposed to help the girl learn her curly hair better and accept her new hair. Although she doesn't like her new color as much as her baby blonde, she has a natural ombre effect now that women would literally pay thousands for.

How can she style her hair and blend her two textures? It's all natural, mostly virgin (meaning only straightened a few times over her young life), never colored and overall in good health. I can tell she is overwhelmed by having so much new thickness. The girl described it herself as, "an under layer of frizz that grew in when I started middle school."

Both parents say the hair change started at puberty, so it's probably here to stay.

Her regimen is to cowash and diffuse everyday. Her main problems are frizz and moisture retention.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

I don't remember my hair (to be perfectly honest I don't remember a lot of my childhood, but I digress). Maybe she has to change up her regimen a bit? Instead of co-washing everyday, try every other day? How is her moisture/protein balance? Has she tried anti-frizz products? Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[krissyhair]

I don't know what products she's using. I asked her why she washes so often. She said it's because it gets so dry and frizzy overnight with the pineapple and sleeping on the satin pillowcase. She doesn't like to use the bonnet. Her mom tries to hold her down and oil her scalp, but she doesn't like oily scalp either.

 

[FlowerHair]

My hair changed in pre-puberty and went back to my "normal" hair type in puberty. It actually went somewhat straight for 1-2 years and jet black in color.

Hormones can change hair around puberty and also during or after pregnancy.

I guess she just has to find a new regimen that suits her new hair type.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

Hmm, I can page Prettymetty, divachyk, @pellohello. I know these ladies know more than I do about hair lol

 

[overtherainbow]

I have no advice to contribute, but my hair texture definitely changed with puberty. I destinctly remember growing up 4c with a z shaped pattern. When I was around 15, my hair texture started to get looser. I was relaxed,but my new growth definitely changed. By college, my hair was in springy coils with some S shaped patches that I did not have when I was a child. Hormones can really do some crazy stuff!

 

[krissyhair]

It is strange the way hormones affect hair texture. I think she really will have to find a new regimen

She searches for answers on YouTube.

 

[Foxglove]

I could see the hormones affecting the texture. Ty crane thing happens during menopause but in the other direction (thinner hair)

 

[Prettymetty]

I don't remember puberty lol. Im old , but my hair changed a lot during my pregnancies. Hormones affect hair thickness, growth, etc.

 

[kupenda]

I would recommend she find a different cowash conditioner. Play around with a few different ones, try some light protein, and instead of pineappling, put her hair in a few large braids/twists overnight. Moisturize and seal them, then assess in the morning. That might help with frizz, if you take them down with lightly oiled fingers. And maybe stop oiling her scalp. If it irritates her, find something else

 

[krissyhair]

I would recommend she find a different cowash conditioner. Play around with a few different ones, try some light protein, and instead of pineappling, put her hair in a few large braids/twists overnight. Moisturize and seal them, then assess in the morning. That might help with frizz, if you take them down with lightly oiled fingers. And maybe stop oiling her scalp. If it irritates her, find something else

That sounds like a good idea with the twisting at night. It will give her some more stretch and longevity to her wash and go.

I have no idea the protein moisture balance of her hair. It could probably use more strength, but the biggest problem is dryness.

 

[BostonMaria]

Hair can definitely change with puberty. DD1's hair was wavy as a child, tight 3B-3C hair in her teens, and wavy hair in her 20's. She had to change her regimen every time her hair changed.

As for ME... I had a relaxer from the age of 10 through 36 so I have no idea if my texture changed. My guess is yeah it probably did.

 

[divachyk]

I'm sorry I can't come through this time whosthatcurl krissyhair, I'm with Prettymetty, I don't remember puberty...that was long, long ago. Plus, I was not natural then either.

 

[kupenda]

That sounds like a good idea with the twisting at night. It will give her some more stretch and longevity to her wash and go.

I have no idea the protein moisture balance of her hair. It could probably use more strength, but the biggest problem is dryness.

Protein allows for proper absorbtion of moisture. Frizz usually means raised cuticles and dry hair. Protein once or twice a week as a cowash followed by a moisturizing cowash. Maybe leave in a little of the moisturizing conditioner. Braid/twist in the shower to reduce the chance of disturbing the curl.

As for puberty, its a time for change! Never know what youre gonna get.

 

[krissyhair]

I'm going to try to spend a girls day with her next week and give her mother a short break from the chi'ren. If her hair is already clean, which it should be because she cowashes everyday, I'll try to shingle it for her. That should last at least a few days at least.

 

[almond eyes]

I am not sure if co washing daily is helping her hair that much. Maybe wetting would be better and adding the leave ins later.

If she shampoos and DC's weekly that would be good to help clean the scalp of the accumulated gunk and add more moisture.

There are different hair strand compositions on our hair that does change as we get older. Lanugo, Vellus and terminal hair strands.

Hair can change during puberty but also if the scalp is constantly being disturbed (heat, extensions, tight braids) that can create issues too that can make it appear as if there is a change. I have seen some young women who co wash daily and use the denman brush and because they expose their hair to too much water in the shower (like co washing for more than 30 minutes) the hair can begin to get hydral fatigue especially.


Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[krissyhair]

I went and did the curly primer method on her last night. In my mind, it turned out okay, even a little meh. But she and her mother really liked it

I discovered that her hair is probably very low porosity. It's never been straightened or chemically treated, and even after washing and spraying it with water it doesn't fully get wet.

 

[GGsKin]

I went and did the curly primer method on her last night. In my mind, it turned out okay, even a little meh. But she and her mother really liked it

I discovered that her hair is probably very low porosity. It's never been straightened or chemically treated, and even after washing and spraying it with water it doesn't fully get wet.

If you get to treat her hair again, maybe you could try a thin clay mix on her hair before water rinsing and applying a leave in. I noticed my hair started accepting conditioner better once I started using clays regularly. It can get a little messy so I understand it's not everybody's thing, but my low porosity hair loves this, and my stands seem hydrated.

 

[krissyhair]

I feel a little bit uncomfortable talking about this online, but I think they might be dealing with some colorism. issues. They're really loving people, and fun, hard-working, good people. But they're still serious victims to good hair and light skin issues.

It's easy to imagine why though. She spent most of her life with naturally wavy blonde hair, and now finally as a teen it's thicker, kinkier and darker. She showed me pictures of what she wants her hair to look like on instagram. I told her she could absolutely grow it as long as the girl she showed me. But the texture was unrealistic.

They have a baby boy with curly hair, and the mom asked if she could use the same technique on the baby to make his curls pop. She said "his hair isn't as good as his sister's because hers wasn't this curly at this age."

That's a hard wall to break through. We're going to have to read some Boondocks comic strips together to shed some light on my little Jazmine Dubois.

 

[krissyhair]

Good news, she said her classmates liked her hair at school today. They were surprised it was actually curly. I told her, duh that's because it is. Good progress.