We love seeing cute pictures of little girls. I’ve come across a few that after further inspection I notice the child may or may not be wearing extensions. If you’re like me, you may go comment creepin’ to only see folks ripping the mother apart for adding hair in this baby’s head. That got me to thinking…how young is too young for extensions?
9 year old McKenzie looking fabulous in her twists via The ATL Go to Girl
Truth be told, I’ve had every chemical and hairstyle done to my head before I was in kindergarten. I had a “Jerri” curl in my kindergarten school pictures. I pray those photos never resurface. I think I had my first relaxer by the age of 3. Back then, the creamy “crack” was running rampant in these streets. Being natural was unheard of. There were no natural hair shows and meet-ups.
If you weren’t getting a relaxer, you were getting braids. Not just plain braids but with Kanekalon hair and beads. I couldn’t wait to get my hair braided with extensions. I loved the feel of the beads hanging down my back. You couldn’t tell me nothing!
Peyton sees me changing up my hair all the time. She doesn’t think too much of it. One time she did say she wanted her hair in a style that I had. I told her she had to wait till she goes to college. Ha! But in real life, I’m sure I will let her get extension sooner than that.
I see a lot of negative comments towards parents that choose to put extension in their child’s hair. Are they wrong? Would you let your child wear extensions if they asked for them? What age would you allow your child to wear extensions? Do you feel there is a difference between wearing braids with extensions versus a weave? Do you see extensions as a protective style for kids just as much as adults? I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.
Tiffani
May 24, 2016 at 9:27 amFor me, I am an 80’s baby and look back at pictures of me as a kid (6,7,8) and I had braids with extensions, and when I ask my mom about it, she says it made getting ready in the morning easier for her. I won’t allow my 11 year old to wear extensions because for her, it’s not about protective styling, it’s about having something long hanging down her back. Her two older cousins wear weaves and one is half way balding because that style actually takes effort to take care of and they don’t….they just spend $250 for a weave, barely comb/wash it, and leave it in for 6-7 months….so by the time they remove the hair, it’s matted and the little short pieces of their natural hair are sticking straight up on top! I have seen babies as young as two with a head full of extensions and I’m pretty sure it’s not in the name of protective styling…usually their edges are bald and the braids look like someone just slapped a pack of braid hair on their hair….there is still maintenance that goes along with extensions and unfortunately, I just don’t see the care that it requires being given. My reasons for my own daughter not having extensions is because I want her to love her own hair and learn what it can do and what styles look great on her. Her father and I have recently started taking her to natural salons and having her pick styles with jazzy corn rolls or 2-strand twist Mohawks and she LOVES them!! I think for my daughter, the whole “salon” experience is great, having someone other than me do her hair is what does it for her. The salon trips got expensive and we found a traveling stylist to come to our house and hook her up…this lady is excellent!! I’ve seen older girls with extensions and it looks like someone is actually taking care of the braids, oiling her scalp and wrapping her hair up at night, in that instance, go for it…it’s the same as relaxers….it’s not a maintenance free style, you still have to take care of your hair and scalp. In the end…..to each it’s own!
Toya
May 24, 2016 at 3:04 pmI don’t enjoy seeing toddlers in wigs and weaves. Cradle cap is a thing. Children’s hair needs to breathe. I think 9 is wonderful age to get braid extensions. Not a weave. Braids! I didn’t have perms growing up but I rocked braids and press n curls as my signature style. But I will say, too each its own. I have 2 nieces that spend the summer with me and getting their hair ready is a struggle. So I understand why some parents prefer it. It’s low maintenance.
Nikesha
May 24, 2016 at 4:19 pmI think it depends on the hair texture. Some 2 year olds have really coarse hair, and can therefore tolerate extension braids. Whereas finer hair textures at that age cannot. My adopted sis had really really short coarse hair, so my mom would add extensions to her ponytails or give her braids sometimes at the age of 2.
MJ
May 24, 2016 at 4:54 pmI don’t think 9 years old is too young but I do think 7 and younger is too young. Either way, it’s not my business so I don’t judge. Personally, I wouldn’t put extensions in my child’s hair but again that’s just me.
Shilene
May 24, 2016 at 7:55 pmThis can be a touchy subject. Like you said, natural hair was not popular back in the day so I had a relaxer by 7 then a Jheri curl at 9. Went back to relaxed hair at 11 because I went to a mostly white school and they made fun of my hair being greasy. For my 11yr old she has worn braids with hair added but not weave. It’s not all the time but sometimes to give me a break from doing hair. i say weaves are definitely something she can get when she is older if she prefers with proper hair care but not now. I just stopped wearing weave after 3 years continuously. I developed seborrhea in my scalp and resulted in hair loss. So I’m good on weave unless it’s a special Occassion. Thank God my hair is growing back!
Alison
May 25, 2016 at 7:45 amI think each to their own. None of us know the struggles each parent goes through. My daughter wears her hair naturally but she used to wear braids in extensions when she was a lot younger (she is now 6). I see alot of children wearing braids as extensions out here in the UK. I would draw the line at a weave for my daughter – but that’s because I don’t want her thinking the Western style of hair is more beautiful than her own. I want her to appreciate her own hair and luckily she does.
Mel
May 25, 2016 at 12:49 pmI’ve had a relaxer since the age of 5. I am a mother of two curly haired girls. 19 and 2. One is thick with a loose curl pattern. The other is thick with tighter curls. They are both natural and I plan to keep it that way. My 19 year old wears twist outs and press and curl styles. My two year old wears twist and braids with her own hair. They have never had extensions. I would say that adding hair to braids is ok when they are a tween and extensions are ok around 16. I want my girls to love the hair that they have been blessed with. So I always focus that and taking proper care of their hair. With time and proper care their is no such thing as bad hair.
Krissy
May 25, 2016 at 9:40 pmFor me it depends on what you mean by “Extensions” do you mean a weave? If so, yea wait until maybe high school for something like that but if you mean like braids ( and/ or crochet braids) then I believe as long as they’re age appropriate then I don’t see why not. My thing is, I’m sure you would never do anything to endanger your girls or their hair health so I say do what you feel is best as the mom.
Adanna
May 31, 2016 at 2:24 pmI’ve been thinking about doing braids for the summer just so I don’t have to so my daughter’s hair. She’s headed to grade one and 5 years old and I don’t see anything wrong with that. People need to mind their business.
Now, when it comes to wigs and chemicals I don’t support on children but again, that’s none of my business it’s just not something I would allow.
Adanna
May 31, 2016 at 2:25 pmI meant to say wouldn’t allow.
nomoremamajeans
June 1, 2016 at 4:49 pmMy ten year old just started wearing crochet braids and I went back and forth with if she would look to grown. We took a chance and did it, and I and my daughter absolutely love them. For me is has been a life saver as far as time in the morning because we are always on the go, and she in turn enjoys styling them many different ways. When I look at her I still see a ten old year girl, and we will continue to rock them all summer!!!
Shanta
October 15, 2016 at 2:02 pmI used I get my hair pressed and curled when I was very young. At about 9 I had my first perm and didn’t start braiding til I was in my teens. I feel that it is at the discretion of the parent, but some styles can be too grown for the child. My daughter is 10 and she had her first extensions because of her dad. I protested and for good reason, it pulled out her edges which will now take me some time to get grown back and the style to me was very adult for her. Again that is just how I feel for my pre-teen.
Mrs
August 4, 2018 at 10:49 pmThis is a touchy subject for me! I have 4 year old triplets. They are starting preschool in about a week. They will have to get on the bus at 6:30am mon-fri. My babies are mixed (blk/wht). 2 are identical twins and the otherbis a fraternal twin. When I do a style to their hair it takes me hours to do all 3ol of them and the sad thing is… IT DOES NOT STAY! If frizzes out the first night they sleep on it. So all that time I spent is only for the day! I finally broke down and said forget what everyone was saying. I took them today and had their hair braided in a cute kid style with the added hair to help keep the style so it won’t frizz out. I’m aware there is still maintenance to do on the hair but it won’t take hours everyday. It will be much simpler and they will look nice without all the effort. I would have to get them up everyday at 4:30am to do all three of them, feed them breakfast and get them dressed before the bus came. So…. That’s good for their health? Please…. I will never allow them to get chemical treatments. They will have to be out of my house before they can do that. Idk what all the judgement is about. It’s braided in a child’s style, not too long (not much longer then their natural hair), it’s black (their natural color)… If it’s that big if deal adults shouldn’t wear in either. Wth? It’s hair! Not like your child is getting implants or tattoos. Some people just have nothing better to do then judge others and gossip. Get a freaking life!