Back to school season is always a great opportunity to switch things up with different hairstyles. Each year, there is a range of new, trendy styles to choose from, and some of the classics still remain our favorite go-to's. In this post, we have a variety of school-friendly hairstyles for textured hair that will inspire you and your little one.
1. Afro Puffs
Afro puffs are a classic style that never grows old! They are a beginner-friendly style that can be worn by kids of all ages--from toddlers to teens. To get the most out of an Afro puff style, make sure the hair is evenly moisturized and that the two parted sections are straight and even.
Once you've parted each side, fluff the Afro with your hands to maximize your child's beautiful fro!
2. Banding
Banding is a great protective hairstyle for thick, textured hair. It gives the scalp room to breathe and space for new growth to easily grow in.
Another great thing about this low manipulative style is that it can be left in for longer periods of time. This means you can take a little break from styling your child's hair every day. It's also a simple hairstyle to perform. All you really need is a bag of hairbands, and a comb to part the hair!
It is also low maintenance. It just needs a little moisturizing here and there, as with most black hairstyles.
3. Individual Knotless Braids
Extensions are a fun hair tool to play with and to incorporate into natural hairstyles. Knotless braids, in particular, are a great braiding technique that makes individual braided extensions look more natural, from root to tip!
Adding hair accessories such as hair rings or beads at the ends of the hair are a creative way to decorate this protective hairstyle.
4. Two Strand Twists
Two-strand twists are a super cute, low manipulative hairstyle for kids, especially for toddlers! The style inherently brings out the super power of textured hair to shape shift!
Two-strand twists can also be styled in several different ways. Once the two strand twists are completed, you can put them up in a bun or even section them into two buns! It's very flexible and versatile.
5. Twist Outs
Once the two-strand twist style starts to wear out, you can gently take them down, add a little hair oil to moisturize and let your child rock a twist out for a few days or so. It's a nice way to extend the life of the two-strand twist style.
6. Bantu Knots
Bantu knots are great at fully protecting the ends of our hair. This is because the style involves twisting and tucking in your child's tresses from top to bottom. This way their hair is more protected against the elements, yet still look absolutely adorable!
This hairstyle is also heavily embedded into African culture. Its origins can be traced as far back as the 2nd millennium BC among the Bantu speaking community that originated from Southern West Africa. From there, the style spread to Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, during the Bantu migration. Eventually it grew popular internationally, too. Talk about a classic style–well it doesn’t get any more classic than this!
7. Cornrows
Cornrows have long been a staple hairstyle in the black community. Its origin traces back to Africa and the name itself originated from the rows of corn on plantation fields that the hairstyle resembles.
A head full of cornrows, nowadays, is particularly popular among children. There are so many ways to experiment with cornrow hairstyles. From simple cornrows that flow straight back to braided swirls and intricate designs, the options are endless!
YouTube is a great place to get inspired by different types of cornrow hairstyles that will help make your kid stand out in class.
8. Frohawk
Want to add a little extra edge to your child’s natural hairstyle? Well, frohawks are a superb way to do this! However, we only recommend doing this style when your child's hair is long enough as it requires a lot of hair and tugging to achieve the hairstyle. Tugging too much on hair can cause breakage and we definitely don’t want that!
So, when your little one's hair is at a reasonable length, a frohawk is easy to perform. Simply section the hair into a minimum of three sections, and secure the sections with bands. It's easy as one, two, three!
9. French Braids
French braids are another classic hairstyle that is pretty easy to do if you know how to braid. Simply braid one french braid along both sides of your little one's head. And voila! There you have it! Check out the video above if you need to freshen up on your french braiding skills.
You can either create this style with your child's natural hair, or you can add in some extensions to add extra length, for your teenager, for example.
10. Afro Bun
This is probably the easiest hairstyle on this list! You only need one hair band (a big stretchy one if your child has thick hair) to create an Afro bun.
To prep the hair, ensure it is evenly moisturized. After this, with your hands, gently gather your child's hair in the middle whilst tying the hair into a bun. Use a small toothbrush and your favorite moisturizer or soft edge control product to help smooth out the edges.
11. Braided Bun
A combination of both cornrows and a bun, this braided bun is a cute way to give your child a simple protective hairstyle. You can, of course, add extra hair accessories similar to what's shown in the video above, to add a little extra flair.
We hope these school hairstyles for black hair inspire you to try some new hairstyles on your child's hair.
In order to maintain these hairstyles as best as you can, it's important to protect your child’s hair when she sleeps at night or at nap time.
Thankfully, at Rad Royals, we have a range of satin pillowcases designed to help. Our pillowcases help ensure your little one's hair doesn't dry out so quickly and helps maintain the hair’s moisture for longer.
