Review: "It's All Good Hair: The Guide to Styling and Grooming Black Children's Hair"

This is one of the best African American hair care guides that I have read.  I was initially drawn to this book, It's All Good Hair: The Guide to Styling and Grooming Black Children's Hair by Michele N-K Collison, because of its title.  This “good hair/bad hair” business does not exist in Caucasian families, and I was completely blindsided the first time an African American woman casually told me that my daughter had “bad hair.”  What she meant was that my Little Miss has kinky hair with a coarse texture.  Hair earns the term “good” as it approaches the texture of Caucasian hair. Collison even relates in her introduction that her own mother used to “pray over my head while she brushed it” in the hopes that God would let her hair grow in “good.”

Collison and I agree that no little girl in this day and age should be walking around thinking that she has “bad hair.”  We should embrace the styles and techniques that work with our child's hair texture and see the beauty in its uniqueness.  Of course, neither Collison nor I knew the first thing about little girl hair styles.  Now, this is particularly affirming to me.  I sometimes feel like a White woman walking around ineptly in a Black hairstyle world, but Collison wrote her book after realizing that she, as a Black woman, still had no idea how to do her own daughter's hair.  And she realized that many other moms and dads-- Black, Biracial, and White-- also had no idea what to do.  In fact, many of these moms and dads contributed amusing, affirming, and inciteful anecdotes to begin each chapter of the book.  It made me realize that, Black or White, we all struggle.

But, I hope that I will be struggling a little less now that I am able to follow the clear instructions in this book.  The ten chapters cover the topics: Pregnancy and Infant Hair Care; Grooming; Braiding; Twists, Cornrows, Zulu Knots, and Extensions; Swimmer's Hair; Locks; How to Relax Hair; How to Blow-Dry Hair; Boys' Hair; and Hair Problems.  The book includes some simple, practical ideas that I have been able to easily introduce.  For example, have Little Miss lie face up on the counter so I can wash her hair in the kitchen sink.  Put conditioner in her hair, let her run around for a few minutes so it can soak in, then pop her back up on the counter for a rinse.  No more fights and tears in the slippery bathtub!

The hairstyles range from the simple to the intricate.  Each style has step-by-step instructions, line drawings illustrating the instructions, and photos of children with the completed hairstyle.  The styles were put in by professionals, but the instructions are clear and easy to follow. There are styles to suit every hair texture.  Overall, this book gave me the feeling that I could put most texture-appropriate  hairstyles in Little Miss's hair if only I was willing to practice, practice, practice.  Now, it did not exactly explain how I would get my 2-year-old to sit still for all of this practicing, but I guess that's my department.  I have tried to implement a few styles, and am able to put in a passable flat twist that I am now incorporating into Little Miss's daily “do.”  As her hair and her patience grow, I hope to be able to learn more and more skills.

The downfalls of the book are few, but if the editors happen to read this review and happen to want suggestions, I do have two.  First, Collison makes it clear the styles were chosen for the pictured little girls to compliment their hair texture, but she does not state for each style what the natural texture is.  I can guess based on the picture, but I would love to know for sure if I should even attempt this style on Little Miss.  Second, Collison gives general tips for keeping a style in good shape over several days, but I would love it if each individual style was evaluated in this way.  With good care, how many days can Zulu knots stay in?  What about cornrows?  What about twists?

So, I guess you could say the book left me wanting a little bit more, but only because I was so pleased with what I had already found.  Although I know it will take practice, I have found a variety of styles that will look great on Little Miss.  And when you look great, no one can say you have “bad hair.”

Comments

[Andrea]

I am amazed at the amount of care a Black person's hair needs. I lived with a girl in college who spent countless hours every Sunday getting her hair just right. It was always amazing to me the time and effort that had to be put toward her hair. It was also a time for some of her other Black friends to get together with her and work on their own hair or style each others. Almost a little enviable and so very personal--to do someones hair and spend so much time together helping to perfect an image. I'm sure as your daughter gets older, she will sit still a little longer. Props to you for understanding that it is an important part of her life.