After reading a recent post about a mother who received backlash from concerned parents and citizens on social media for installing faux locs on her daughter’s hair, I couldn’t help but wonder when a simple hairstyle which is loved by many suddenly became abusive.
I mean, is it child abuse because faux locs is a style that’s commonly worn by adults? Or is it child abuse because the child is wearing extensions*? Perhaps it’s the tightness of the hairstyle that makes it to be very abusive on the child.
I for one have never considered hair extensions*, relaxers, or hair dyes to be appropriate on kids; call me old school, but that’s just my opinion. I know some of you are probably thinking, “Caucasians wear extensions too, so what’s the big deal?”
While you may be right, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with adults wearing any hairstyle that pleases them, but when it comes to children, caution must be taken on how they are presented to the public.
In fact, prior to my discovery of the natural hair community, I never thought much about extensions* on kids because it was so prevalent that it became normal to me. However, I did frown upon relaxers and weaves on children because I know how damaging those hairstyles can be on an adult, let alone on young children.
So, how do children end up wearing extensions and unacceptable (or in some people’s words “abusive”) hairstyles?
Since our children are a representation of us, they will likely dress in a way that’s similar to the way the parents dress.
This means that moms who grew up in a weave culture won’t see the big deal in fixing a quick weave on their child. And if she grew up believing that a hairstyle has to be tiny and tight, then the child will have no choice but to bear the pain of a new hairstyle.
It’s even worse if the mother has a receding hairline and balded patches as a result of aggressive hairstyles because it can mean bad news for the child’s edges. Also, a mother who got her first relaxer at a young age won’t see anything wrong with relaxing her two years old’s hair. After all, it’s just hair, it will grow back.
Since you can only teach what you know, a mother with inadequate knowledge of healthy hair care won’t have much to teach the child.
As a result, she will likely style the child’s hair in a hairstyle that’s easier and more economical. An example of an economical hairstyle could be braided extensions that will last weeks, though it may be too heavy for the child to carry or a relaxer which can burn the child’s scalp and disturb the child’s natural hair growth cycle.
I don’t think kids should wear fake hair braids or not, its just wrong I don’t care how short there hair is, u can still find style to comb it.
There is other reason to braid a child hair than for length …my granddaughter has a nice head of hair but her scalp is extremely tender and she cry when her hair is being done so her mom put extension to avoid doing her hair daily and settle for bi monthly
Yeah true, but for me kids should be kids an not wear extentions
Lol!!!!!!
Child abuse? Really? That is reaching. If that is child abuse then my mother should have been charged with attempted murder every time she came close to my head with a hot comb
Right
They would’ve charged my mom with 3rd degree burns
She got close to the nape of our head
Now.
OMG LMBO! For real 🙂
Your mother too? I remember sitting between her knees on the floor, wishing I could drop out of sight before that snap, crackle, pop sound of my hair, Sulfur 8 and my sweat mixed together. The good old days??? Huh….no!!
If you would have seen the little girls hair due you would have agreed it was child abuse. Poor baby looked like she couldnt even blink. That how tight it was.
oooh guuurlll TELL IT NOW! ATTEMPTED MURDER…
I saw the little girl’s hair and it was not child abuse, people doing too much
DAMN yall taking in back. But what about pressing the hair with Dax or Dixie Peach. Your hair was shining. Lol. Those were the days
This is so stupid its not even funny! Really?!? As long as they are kept child appropriate and not causing damage to her hair and scalp then it’s fine!
Are people seriously entertaining that silly ass question? People forget that children are individuals who have their own minds. Do I think kids should be wearing em? No. Not my decision till I have kids though. I can disagree with it all day long but it ain’t my right to walk up to someone and start berating them because I don’t like it.
Ok as a child I had long thin hair and mom always used hair extensions to braid my hair. Child abuse is being burnt with the straighten comb on Sunday mornings. Now that’s abuse. Every mother should have the right to do whatever she wants with her child’s head until that child is able to do it herself!
Agree
Agree!
Well said
Lol people are trippin
Get a life!!
Not keeping your childs hair combed should be considered a form of child abuse,seeing is how some women stay dolled up and the child/kids don’t!!
Amen,and braids got the hair,and saves on time for school etc
Yes I agree they save lots of time and if done right and depending on the child’s hair and tolerance they may help the hair grow too!!
Wow this is just going too far. I understand that everyone has their own opinion, but claiming child abuse for braids come on now. We as adults put braids in as a protective style right but to do a protective style on a child is wrong. If I’m gonna protect my hair to keep it healthy I’m gonna do the same for my girls. This is just ridiculous.
No it’s not child abuse. If you have a daughter with hard to manage hair it’s better than them crying every day as you pull and tug on their hair and scalp.
Nope! Beauty pageants would be shut down if this was so. If it’s not hurting the child it’s not abuse!
REALLY!
Are you serious? ? Really? ?? This is stupid!!!
lol I loved my braids as a toddler I didn’t look abused in any of my baby pics
This is sick. When you work with children and your eyes are open to what abuse really look like – then people would stop asking that dumb question
No its not.. ppl really
I don’t think it is abuse but parents should consider that it can be painful and if it isn’t done properly or taken care of it can cause permanent damage to the hair.
Lmao omg I’m unliking this page asap,
No
I wouldn’t call it abuse but definitely NOT necessary. Little girls need to know that they are beautiful as they are. Long ‘Hair’ does not make one beautiful; It’s confidence! Keep hair clean, moisterized, neat. ♥
It’s no different than braiding regular hair
No. Ridiculous to imply that it is.
How is keeping your childs hair neatly braided with or without extensions a for of child abuse. If no one combed thier childs hair and they were unkept is that child abuse? Who is coming up with these theories, someone with no children?
Someone with no black/brown children.
I think it’s someone that has had their scalp beat up as a child with such styles. Not all parents are heavy handed but some are and it does hurt like hell. I speak from experience as an adult not as a child. As a child my hair was always taken care of and no one hurt our heads with braids, other styling.
That’s what I keep saying lol
Smh this is very crazy. THen we need to shut down beauty pageants because making a 10 year look like a prostitute and she has breast is a form of abuse. This is non sense. Everyone should know at whatever age you are dont mess with a womens hair period, its too personal. I understand if the hairdo isnt age appropriaTE FOR THAT child but leave it alone. How about focusing on why these children cant eat a balanced meal at school first. UGH
Yass and all that damn make up!!
If its tight, causing your child pain as it does most ppl wjo have it – then yes its abuse – the abuse ia not about the extensions but rather the way its put in
Like everything. It must be done tasteful and catered to the age. People are never happy. If the child’s hair wasn’t done and looked like blue Ivy’s used to or worse. Would that be a form of child abuse or judgment from others as well. Unfortunately, we have been forced to feel the need to fit in and look manageable.n
Abuse…that is a very strong word to use!!
Wow really this is child abuse. I thought child abuse was beating your kids, starving them, neglecting them.
Causing a child pain, also with tight and heavy hairstyles is a form of child abuse. That’s the point here
It’s a dumb point
Yes dumb point.
Child abuse NO ridiculous, in some cases YES, I’ve seen a toddler with Too MUCH added hair, weighing her down,make it look believable if you must do it at all.
really …
Not abuse but the ones that be so tight pulling all the poor kid hair out… its like why do that? Head all bumpy and sore
Ugh these articles! Child abuse really!!! Just stop!!! More like poor choices! Some people are just ridiculous with it! But weave is not child abuse! Now if your using the kid as a live maniquin then that’s a topic to discuss
Excuse my French but don’t put fake shit in a child’s head it’s sad how i see some girls at my brother elementary school with micros and hair extensions
Silly
No. Some little ladies want the extension. Are the mother is just trying to beautifie her hair in more manageable way.
I normally ignore posts, such as this, but this is STUPID!!!
Anytime anyone did ANYTHING to my hair it hurt lol can’t lock everyone up for trying to help me be presentable
Oh Boy!!!!
No, of course not, but teach them to embrace their beauty without false additions, they have plenty of time to do that when they grow up…..let your child be a child…….
Who wrote this stupid article….really abuse. if that’s the case my mother should have need locked up years ago!
Really child abuse who comes w crap like this
What pea brain said this is child abuse like really this child hair is pretty.
What the hell is wrong with people now a days people need to know the different types of abuse and braiding a childs hair is not
Abuse isnt always physical yall damn
My mother first relaxed my hair when I was 7 years old. For the next Seventeen years after I’ve experienced burns on my scaple, my bangs and edges have fallen out five times, many Dominican hair salon truma stories, getting made fun by school kids because the relaxer was eating up my hair. The toture of having the spending all my money on full head weaves. I’ve sat my mother down and told her she ruined my life with that bullshit. It took me 17 years to finally return back to natural. I love my mother but I would consider what she did to me as child abuse and I would love to see an age limit put on relaxers because little black girls should have to through this.
I notice a lot of people are concerned with length some kids hair grows more slowly or has more shrinkage they add extensions. I wouldn’t do if I had kids. I’ll personally style their hair til they’re 18 then they can choose whether to weave it up or perm it out. But kids should stay kids and leave alone the extensions and weaves and perms and such
White ppl plz stop wit yall nonsense….
You know there are people out there killing there children and thats a real issue, but someone out these make there children look pretty isn’t a big issue, not combing there hair at all is a issue.
Why is everything that parents do is child abuse now??? extensions, earings… if care is child abuse if we dont care is neglect let so many opinions about everybody’s life is actually frustrating to raise a child in a world like this
Here we go! Now abuse is keeping the Black American child hair kept up is abuse. Please stop the f**kery. ..
Omg! REALLY!?
Um, no :/ Silliest ish I’ve read yet.
Not child abuse but should be brought to the attention of the parents that these styles can hurt the child’s head and worse than that, it could cause permanent damage.
I agree. There’s a reason that children scream and cry when they do their hair. Stick to very simple styles and don’t use a comb often (which is mainly the culprit+ tight styles) work mostly with your fingers. Many don’t understand that though and would do tight styles to make their child look “pretty”.
Omg …
No, I don’t think it is a form of child abuse…
I had box braids when I was a child. Abuse? Ok. Y’all got it.
I was more scarred by the white children and their verbal abuse re: my hair than anything my mother ever did to it.
No. Don’t even try to go there, you are Heathen for allowing that question.
Weave yes. Box Braids no. I would wait until they are around 1 to pierce their ears. It think some people think pierce ears are “abuse” because they are looking at it as abuse because you are deciding at a young age to have body modication done on them for your own vanity without giving them a choice of do they want a needle through their ears for beauty purposes .
No they not
NO, IT CAN REALLY GROW THEIR HAIR,,,
No damn way!!! Who would think that.
NO! Her hair is fine and gorgeous!!!! Why is this even a topic of discussion? Seriously? I agree with Felicia, not combing your child’s hair is child abuse.
You guys no where this came from I just no didn’t nobody black better not I said it
Wow . no they are not.
Good God that is just crazy smh
I, personally, would never put any type of extensions in my daughters hair (she’s 3 1/2) but to each his own. As long as you understand the damage it is doing.
let’s also look at this holistically. there’s a picture of a little black girl but not only do African Americans put extensions in their child’s hair and I get being excessive with straight extra long hair that’s a bit much but what about the pageant and the extra hair that’s putting these Caucasian girls hair as well and white women wear weave as well so it just seems like this article is a little slanted with the negative light on the African Americans. absolutely not child abuse
Ummm NO! gtfoh!
Why is it abuse on one of our daughters, but when someone does it to impersonate a n AA woman its ground breaking and acceptable ?!?!
No…but an uncombed head is,….It’s called child neglect.
No, but not so tight people. Who says?
Wow
No!!! I’d rather children get extensions rather than plastic surgery!
I think letting my child go to school with her head looking ratchet and kids picking on her because of it is child abuse. If her hair isn’t growing right, falling out, is damaged for any reason, what is wrong with extensions? You also have to remember, it’s HER SELF ESTEEM that we have to protect as well. And if anyone thinks it’s child abuse to put extensions in her hair, I personally think they have way too much time on their hands and either need to get a hobby or a life…..or both!!
Foolish question
Smh..the foolery is real!!!!
I think it looks cute on her and it looks age appropriate
No style
WTF!!! That’s just crazy. How is it child abuse??!!
I want to get this done for my eight year old
If they were I would have been in jail years ago. Lol
I dont think so but I dont believe that a child younger than 4 should have hair extensions.
IT IS NOT CHILD ABUSE…somebody need a dictionary to look up abuse…now I am not a fan of extensions for children, but that’s just my opinion but I wish they would stop labeling these ladies as abusers…that is a very harsh word/statement!!!!
Lol y’all are crazy not that I DISRESPECT what my ancestors do but seriously in certain parts of the world some kids have to get pierced with sticks and cut with knives and forced to married grown men as low as 8 years old NOW THAT ABUSE TO THE FULLEST
It’s gotta be somebody white asking this damn question….smh…..Nawh bye boo
It’s child abuse if u not keeping their hair well groom,
Yes
Child abuse?????
Not child abuse. But a child hair isn’t as strong as an adult so if any thing they are damaging the hair but not abuse
Anything to take black culture away from them…this is crazy…I have never heard of this. Over so many years of black kids getting their hair done I’m just over people…then when their hair is not done ppl have something to say…#OVERIT
Depends on how tight it is… ; )
Nothing wrong with it but extensive braiding will damage a child’s real hair
This is not abuse
Its abuse for me but if i choose to do it so be it but for children who have no choice it takes to long it hurts and the tension on the hair and scalp is horrendous
No, its not!! In fact, not doing your daughters hair is a form of child abuse and negligence.
Putting hair extensions in your child’s hair is not abuse. I maybe reaching, however this topic leans towards racial profiling. Trying to say braids with extensions are abuse. Seriously!
Child abuse? No. My daughter is mixed and I have considered getting some light extensions in her hair. Only because her hair will not hold any twists or braids for more than a day. And I cannot leave her hair loose as it becomes tangled and a big mess. Not to mention the breakage that occurs. So I either have to brush her hair up to twice a day when loose, or restyle her hair every other day at the most. I would love to use some extension to put her hair up into a protective style that will stay for a longer time and help protect it as it continues to grow. Still haven’t done it because I wouldn’t want it to hurt her. But if I found someone who could without hurting her, damaging her hair or scalp and keep it as simple as possible just to achieve the goal of protecting her hair, then perhaps I would go ahead and do it.
I agree with you 100%. I got my hair braided tightly, when I was a kid and it was horrible. Tight and heavy hairstyles have no place on a child’s head! People are just trying to find something to nag about and missing your point totally. IF YOU ARE CAUSING YOUR CHILD PAIN WITH THOSE HAIRSTYLES, IT IS CHILD ABUSE!
Tf? No! People really need to stfu. Everything is child abuse, now
No, I personally, don’t think it’s abuse. I did not grow up with extentions or early relaxers, but feel some age appropriate extentions are ok and ask that the braids are not too tight.
This article is beyond dumb, a Mom who has weaves will do the same to her child’s hair…really! My Mom had weaves and I didn’t get a relaxer until I was 12 and was never interested in weaves.
I thought that was real locs!?!?!!
By looking at this lil ladys picture we cant really judge , I think its a very age appropriate style.. but certainly NOT abusive. Its sure better than burning her hair out in heat damages. The Mom can still wash, condition, and treat her scalp, with this style.
Shut up.Stick a hair bundle in your mouth
Seriously, stop it! This little girl looks very pretty as she is , good job mom.
Seriously,nothing else to.write about so attack the culture?
If the hair is being braided too tightly, as a parent you chose the wrong braider. You as a mother or guardian should watch your child while their hair is being done and tell them not to braid so tight. It’s just simply parenting skills.
There is something deeper and where this is going ………….who gets extensions and which race does this 99% of the time …………..if you cant figure out where this is going i feel sorry for you……..people wake up!
Seriously? ???? Are u out of topics to talk about? Like for real for real?!!
I feel like as a black mother I’m damned regardless of what I choose. We have to start fighting back against this bull or before you know it we won’t be able to make any decesions on or children. Braids are fine so long as they are not placed on the hair too tightly we need to educate these people…smh.
Well I can’t say anything about anyoneelse’s kids .If I have a child , my child will wear their natural hair and I will teach my child to love their natural hair . When my child becomes an adult , he or she can do whatever they want to their hair . Case closed .