Weaves for the under 5 year old set?

[belleama]

Okay I think Ive been living under a rock or something but I never knew that people were putting weaves or extensions in the hair of babies. I was out yesterday and I saw two little girls clearly 2 or 3 year olds with long waist or tailbone length braids. Different mothers so its not like it was just one wayward woman. Then I started looking around and I noticed one after another, little girls under five years old with weaves or extention braids (a few relaxers too but lets not go there).

WTF is that about? Isn't that crap expensive and hard on the child? Is this normal now and I'm just out of the loop? I don't know why but it really bothered me to see this.

 

[Tarae]

I definitely know what you mean.

Sometimes when I see little little girls with curly weaves bouncing as they run or super long extensions, I do a double take. I guess it is normal now

 

[anon123]

I definitely know what you mean.

Sometimes when I see little little girls with curly weaves bouncing as they run or super long extensions, I do a double take. I guess it is normal now

This shows how little I paid attention to hair, I'm just now noticing this. I saw a girl, looked like she was about 7 or 8, with some kind of curly hair . . .something or other, I don't know much about fake hair, but I knew it was fake. It wasn't even the sad phony ponies I see on little girls nowadays, this was over her whole head. what in the . . .

 

[scorpian]

I see a lot of little girls with weaves and extensions I also see a lot of them with barely there edges and napes and the phony hair holding on to whatever is left
Phony ponies and kinky twists are popular styles
At the BSS they are marketing the phony ponies to the kids... they come in little plastic bags with pics of kids on them

 

[CocoBunny]

I see both white and black little girls with weaves or, clip on ponytails. Just as odd (to me) are the little girls with acrylic nails.

 

[me-T]

For worse are the little girls with acrylic nails

say it aint so!!! i thought it was bad enough with the play make up that led to lip gloss and such!

and the kids with weave thing.... braids, i understand, just not those heavy "dooky braids". what kills me are the super shiny synthetic ponytails when the real hair (relaxed, natural, whatever it is) looks like....whatever it is. I really hope whoever's doin their hair gets on a hair site stat, or she gets on one as soon as she's old enough! prayin she still has hair by then...

 

[cmesweet]

I work in a school. I have seen kindergarteners with Neon blue or bright red braids.

O yeah, their mother only started on the perimeter area of the hair, so the braids are worn down while the middle hair just sticks up unfinished.

 

[beautifulisaunderstatment]

I am over grown women using their pre k-3rd grade BABIES as hair mannequins. They have permed/pressed/traction alopecia-ed the ish out of their own heads and are working on their kids. Babies with gelled down, skimpy looking ponytails with hair sticking up all over the place, too tight braids, weave (in any amount), no hair line, mama-tried to slick it down, flyaways everywhere, heavy MN/BT/WGO/sulfered/ everything concoction-ed hair. This ish is pitiful.

Im was actually VERY surprised at the experimentation I see HERE in the childrens section.

 

[tiffers]

I work in a school. I have seen kindergarteners with Neon blue or bright red braids.

O yeah, their mother only started on the perimeter area of the hair, so the braids are worn down while the middle hair just sticks up unfinished.

 

[belleama]

Now that I think about it I have seen the phony ponies too but those didn't really bother me so much. Maybe its the fact that those are just clip ins and weaves/extensions are semi permanent. KWIM?

I haven't even been to the kids section of this site. Hmm... Now you guys have got me curious. erplexed

Really I just don't understand why anyone would do that. Why are these stylists agreeing to put these things in the hair of children so young? My DD is almost ten years old and she has had one set of extension braids done (four cornrows incase anyone is interested) last summer because she kept begging for it and her grandmother was willing to pay for it. I only agreed after I throughly grilled the stylist about the technique she was going to use (based on info I got here), the type of hair and everything else she was planning to do. She wasn't even allowed to get them longer than BSL (four inches longer than her own hair at the time) because I am so against the whole practice.

She's begging me to let her get more done but I don't know. She hasn't been taking care of her own hair in the last few months and I think allowing her to get them again would be reinforcing the idea that you don't need to take care of your hair just cover it up. To me its not even a fake it until you make it thing. Its just faking it. Big no no IMHO.

 

[cinnamin316]

Yes i've seen this too. I mean gosh, it the baby's hair is short just leave it alone and let it grow. They are doing more harm than good.

I was on the bus one day and saw these two little girls get on. They had to be around 6 or 7. Well one of them had burgundy hair and the other had a light brown color in her hair (it wasnt her natural color because the new growth was much darker) Well they both had their hair up in ponytails and it just looked horrible. It looked like their hair could have been apl but it was so damaged and dry. I couldn't believe that they not only permed the little girls hair but also colored it. BTW they had different mothers.

 

[belleama]

Color too? WTF?? Shoot I remember when I couldn't even wear colored nail polish or colored lip gloss. I had to wear clear nail polish and plain old clear chapstick, if I wanted to wear them. Even the cherry chapstick was out of the question. So were those kiddy nail polishes that are practically see thru or the ones that were clear with glitter. I remember when I found out about using koolaid to color your hair. That was also a BIG fat NO. I was 13 years old then.

I just can't believe whats going on.

 

[RocStar]

My initial reaction is WTF? In my opinion young girls should not have weaves, wigs, etc. I don't know what would be an appropriate age (maybe middle school), however I see it everyday and just shake my head. I think we should teach our girls to love themselves and have self esteem just as they are. I am not knocking anyone who allows their kids to have weaves, etc., I just don't know if it is something I support.

Now, if it is a kid with a medical condition (like going through chemo or something), then it is totally understandable why they would have a wig, weave, etc. and I approve. But otherwise, I just don't know.

 

[Starr1]

What bothers me is that so many people let their little girls run around looking like little adults. . . a child doesn't need a waist length weave or to get their hair colored or to being wearing makeup or acrylics.

What ever happened to kids being kids. . . they have so little time to be innocent, so why not let them look their age?

 

[AshMoBev]

OMG!! Poor babies. This is soo sad to me...And I see this more and more, from hair bumps from it being pulled too tight by braids, to thinning edges, and hair falling out...It's like...let their scalp breathe!! Girls dont even get a chance to embrace their own hair because they're being taught at such an early age that it's just not good or pretty enough.

Black women need to cherish their babies hair for what it is and teach their daughters to love and embrace their hair because it's absolutely beautiful and quite unique!!

Extensions, weaves, braids on young girls=Come on now! Just stop it...

 

[DivaD04]

wow ya'll must think i'm a bad mother cuz i braid my 3 yr old's hair w/ ext's. damn, it's never mbl or tbl but last year i kept some in her's until it was long enough to start braiding her own hair. but the reason why i braided her's is b/c her hair was literally breaking off from being out, not to mention she's a wild sleeper and its a battle to comb her hair in the morning for school cuz she hates it. yes my child has been going to school since she was 2yrs. i don't really braid it like i used to, nowadays i'll usually w/ her own hair: fros, flat twists, and pony puffs and maybe some old school square braids aka plaits or twists.

but this is how i used to braid my dd's hair when we had an event to go to

 

[belleama]

DivaD04 I'm not going to call you a bad mother but I have to ask why do you think anything needs to be done to her hair at all? When I see a child that young the last thing I'm thinking about is her hair. I'm not thinking about how long or short or cute or whatever it is because at that young age (2 and 3) their hair is just starting to really come in. Its not until I see something out of place (like weave) that I notice the child's hair at all. KWIM?

 

[AwesomelyNappy]

i've added fake hair to my daughters cornrolls twice before. She doesn't need it, but we wanted to do something different for a week... and it was fun. It was tasteful, and I took it down after a week - 1.5 weeks because I co-wash her hair often.

Basically, the first time, i bought the hair for me to make a phony bun for my hair and had a lot of hair left over. My baby girl (5) saw the hair and said she wanted her hair longgggg like a princess. So, we braided it up and for a week she was "Your Highness" until wash day. It wasn't tight, pulling, tacky or ghetto... it looked nice, innocent and playful on her. the second time (a year later) we just did it because we didn't want to throw out the remaining hair i had in stow, so we got braided up again. I probably wont do it again for a lonnnngggg time simply because i dont want it to damage her hair and i wouldn't want her too become to comfortable with it.

Also, I know people who actually grew their little girls hair out with braids. When little, the young girl's hair was slow growing and damaged. they didn't know about all the healthy hair practices... they just knew the average black hair myths that most AAW know.... but after years of wearing braids and keeping moisturized, (and one was relaxed) these little girls (now around 8 to 11) have APL to mid back length hair....

so, some type of braids are fine with me (micros are a no no for kids)... but after braids i dont like any other type of fake hair on kids (unless its for playtime... in the house...)... no tracks, no phony ponies, no sewins, no lace fronts... no nothing

i've attached some pics of my dd's braids she got a few months ago

 

[sunshinebeautiful]

No. No. No. Just No.

Let the child have a chance to grow a healthy head of hair and develop a sense of esteem without always remembering that they "need" extensions.

 

[DivaD04]

DivaD04 I'm not going to call you a bad mother but I have to ask why do you think anything needs to be done to her hair at all? When I see a child that young the last thing I'm thinking about is her hair. I'm not thinking about how long or short or cute or whatever it is because at that young age (2 and 3) their hair is just starting to really come in. Its not until I see something out of place (like weave) that I notice the child's hair at all. KWIM?

i don't like my child looking a hot mess when we go out. she's a hardcore rocker so she constantly bangs her head ever since she was a baby so i started to keep her hair up. it's like damned if you do and damned if you don't. folks are going to talk whether you comb it or not. so i just do the best i can do and leave it at that.

ITA:
awesomely_nappy
so, some type of braids are fine with me (micros are a no no for kids)... but after braids i dont like any other type of fake hair on kids (unless its for playtime... in the house...)... no tracks, no phony ponies, no sewins, no lace fronts... no nothing

personally, I don't think I effect my child's self esteem by braiding her hair they're just braids and nothing more. she hasn't had these done for a great while and i don't plan on doing them b/c 4 one...it's too time consuming and kids (my child) do not like to sit and get her hair done. and i try to keep her as young as much as i possible can. but hey everyone is dfferent and has teir own opinion.

 

[MrsQueeny]

I've never done weaves but I do extensions braids to my girls' hair and they all have hair down their backs. For ME it helps the braids to last longer esp during the summer months when they are doing a lot of activities like swimming. Q

 

[poetist]

I work in a school. I have seen kindergarteners with Neon blue or bright red braids.

O yeah, their mother only started on the perimeter area of the hair, so the braids are worn down while the middle hair just sticks up unfinished.

QUIT PLAYING

 

[belleama]

i don't like my child looking a hot mess when we go out. she's a hardcore rocker so she constantly bangs her head ever since she was a baby so i started to keep her hair up. it's like damned if you do and damned if you don't. folks are going to talk whether you comb it or not. so i just do the best i can do and leave it at that.

I didn't mean to insult or offend you. I hope no one else feels that I am attacking them or their parenting at all. I am sorry that I made you feel that way.

I just really do not understand what could be so wrong with a baby's hair that it needs to be hidden by weaves, covered up by wigs, enhanced by extensions or altered by relaxers. IMHO a baby's hair hasn't even gotten a chance to fully develop.

 

[lilsparkle825]

i have seen small children with extension braids but if they are simple cornrows i don't really see too much trouble with it unless like you said the child has just started school or something. i seen the phony ponies but the relaxers are worse IMO. seeing young girls with chewed up ponytails and receding hairlines make me wanna smack the mama, especially if her hair is on point. if you're gonna give her a relaxer, keep her hair looking like the girl on the box please.

 

[MrsQueeny]

I didn't mean to insult or offend you. I hope no one else feels that I am attacking them or their parenting at all. I am sorry that I made you feel that way.

I just really do not understand what could be so wrong about a baby's hair that it needs to be hidden by weaves, covered up by wigs, enhanced by extensions or altered by relaxers. IMHO a baby's hair hasn't even gotten a chance to fully develop.

I'm not offended.
I think it is all about technique as well. My girls hair is not overwhelmed with the fake hair when I put in extensions. It is about a 70/30 mix of real and fake. Actually you can't even tell unless you look real close. The length is usually only a little past their natural hair so I can burn the ends. It really does help their braided styles to last longer. I always like for my girls' hair to look just as nice as mine. With the summer months, they are super busy and we are always on the go. Not having to re-do their hair as often helps them and me. I only started when they were around 5 though. Q

 

[vestaluv1]

Ok, I've seen the braid extension thing. I've even seen the ponytail thing.
I have never seen the full head sew it up or glue it in weave thing on a child under 5. This is pure madness .
I ain't got nothin' more to say on the matter.

 

[firecracker]

I think people were using synthetic hair w/braids so they would last longer before the universe became weave addicted. I have noticed the fake hair craze on little ones and teens which I don't believe is a good thing.

Children must first learn to embrace their true self before starting all that extra mess ie makeup, weave, relaxed hair etc or they could end up like my co workers daughter trying to commit suicide due to self image issue dealing with ridicule etc from wearing fake hair since elementary. She's a beautiful girl with the weave but without it she is "a chicken head". Her own words in her suicide note

 

[DivaD04]

I didn't mean to insult or offend you. I hope no one else feels that I am attacking them or their parenting at all. I am sorry that I made you feel that way.

I just really do not understand what could be so wrong with a baby's hair that it needs to be hidden by weaves, covered up by wigs, enhanced by extensions or altered by relaxers. IMHO a baby's hair hasn't even gotten a chance to fully develop.

i'm sorry Bell i'm not offended i was saying this: so i just do the best i can do and leave it at that. meaning i try not to worry about what other folks are going to say as oppose me braiding my dd's hair w/ ext hair. you know folks are going to always say what u should do w/ ur child and sometimes that can be a bit overwhelming....i wasn't directing this to you or anyone on this board...naw girl ur cool w/ me. i am noticing that even when i twist her hair she gets red bumps so i think she's going to sport fros for a great while. i just spent a bundle on mini clippies b/c i don't want to braid her hair....and since we're living in the mid east, this weather is harsh...VERY VERY DRY HEAT. I love saying this...It's hotter than a camel's hump. It get's so damn hot out here that you can choke from no moisture in your mouth. but for real to, this is one reason why she doesn't get to play outside...and a few others like mosquitos, them jokers do a fly by bite. but anyhoo, i'm not effected by this thread like that. i'd just thought i'd share my take on this sub.

 

[glamazon386]

I've never done weaves but I do extensions braids to my girls' hair and they all have hair down their backs. For ME it helps the braids to last longer esp during the summer months when they are doing a lot of activities like swimming. Q

My mother did the same thing when I was younger and my hair was fine. I was maybe about 6 or 7 the first time. I would get braids during the summer. She eventually learned to do them herself so she had control over how they were being done.

But weaves on children?

 

[glamazon386]

I didn't mean to insult or offend you. I hope no one else feels that I am attacking them or their parenting at all. I am sorry that I made you feel that way.

I just really do not understand what could be so wrong with a baby's hair that it needs to be hidden by weaves, covered up by wigs, enhanced by extensions or altered by relaxers. IMHO a baby's hair hasn't even gotten a chance to fully develop.

It's probably just tore up from not being taken care of.