Caring for ethnic hair requires special products and time.  Here are some tips to help foster and adoptive parents.

1. Keeping the hair and scalp moisturized is extremely important. Moisturize hair daily and moisturize scalp as needed.

2. Hair only needs to be washed on average one day each week. Although hair should remain clean, excessive washing can dry out ethnic hair and therefore cause breakage. After every wash, a leave-in or rinse out conditioner should be used. A detangling conditioner may also be used as this will help untangle hair and reduce breakage. A blow-dryer is recommended for drying straight hair, although not necessary.

3.  When combing curly hair, a wide tooth comb should be used in order to avoid pulling the hair out. When combing straight hair, a regular comb can be used. A soft bristle brush will be beneficial when caring for curly and straight hair when needed, for styling or detangling.

4. When styling hair, avoid excessive pulling, as this can also cause hair damage. Hair may need to be sectioned off and combed in individual sections to help untangle hair. A rat-tail comb is beneficial for sectioning off hair for detangling or styling.

5.  All chemical processes (coloring, relaxing, perming, texturizing) should be done only by a professional stylist. Hair loss, scalp burns, and severe hair breakage can occur if not done properly. Also, avoid excessive heat use. If a curling iron or flat iron is needed, use a low setting.

Some suggested Ethnic hair care products are:

• Just for me (designed for children)
• Motions
• Olive Oil
• Shae Moisture
• Pink Oil Moisturizer
• Jam
• Eco-Style
• Liv
• Baby Magic Lotion (for babies hair and body)
• Hawaiian Silky
• Diva Curl
• Mixed Chicks
• Sulfate free, dry free, paraben free hair products are recommended