Dangers of Braiding Kids' Hair

 When is the right time to braid your baby’s hair?  

                                                  

Image of a kid getting her hair braided

Many things come with caring for your baby and the baby’s hair is one of them. As the baby develops a thick head of hair, figuring out exactly what to do with it can be challenging.

Some parents therefore choose to braid their kids’ hair for additional beautification purposes.

Interestingly, parents of such kids in their attempt and quest to beautify their wards put them through the hair braiding ordeal. 

                                                  

Image of a kid with braided hair

According to Dr Priscilla Wobil, a paediatrician with UNICEF on thefinderonline.com, “braiding of kid’s hair could damage their scalp and hair follicles at an early stage. And it’s also unhealthy to make a child go through the hair braiding ordeal.”

Abigail Ntiri, a kid’s hairdresser with 4 years’ experience admits that braiding of the hair is not a pleasant experience for most of her clients.    

 

“They cry because it’s painful, so you have to pamper them. Some also tend to have rashes around the hair and also receding hair line after the braiding”, she notes. 

Meanwhile, speaking to some of these children who braid their hair, it was obvious most of them braid under the influence of parents and hence they have also come to accept the practice. 

                                                                                     

Dr Paa Gyasi Hagan, a dermatologist from Holy family Hospital says braiding of kid’s hair increases the risk of kids developing an irreversible form of scarring hair loss at an early stage.

                                                   

Abigail Oware · Braiding Vn 1

He also went on to advise that, parents should allow their kids wear their hair as freely as possible so that their scalp and hair follicles can have the ability to breathe and flourish on their own.

Putting your baby’s hair and scalp through stress just to look beautiful will do more harm than good. 

                                                   

A kid with braided hair

Parents if possible, should resist the urge to braid their kid’s hair until they are old enough to handle it.

Final production by Abigail Oware