Now, this is a tricky question. I have the pleasure of working at Walmart, so ya’ll know I have seen it all. You know what I saw not to long ago ? A child (looked about 7 or 8) wearing a bob wig and it wasn’t for play. Really, I’m talking about baby hairs laid with the wig blended with her real hair.
I personally think that weave/extensions are ok for kids, to a certain extent. There are so many protective styles that can be styled appropriately for kids, such as cornrows braided up into a bun or even short kinky twists. I do think that is is important that we distinguish between protective styles that require hair extensions and sew ins. Protective styles such as crochet braids, box braids, twists are very common in black culture. Many times adding synthetic hair is helpful to maintain the longevity of a style, especially when one’s hair is super soft. Sew ins, on the other hand should be installed with caution, as this is a style that many feel should be reserved for adults (or at the very least adolescents).
But the question remains: what is the appropriate age to even consider adding weave/extensions? I think that it truly depends on the child and maturity level, as well as the health of the that child’s hair. Personally, I wouldn’t use extensions on any child under 10 years old. I just think children should be kept pure for as long as possible. However, I do realize that it can be a hassle to trying to maintain your daughter’s hair, so to each his/her own.
There are plenty of protective styles out there that require minimal to no weave/extensions. These include flat twists, two stand twists, cornrows, and the list goes on. If you need extra length for your child’s hair then consider one of the aforementioned styles.
I also think it depends on the length of the style and the amount of hair added as too much of either can make little girls appear to be grown women. My recommendation is that if you are installing weaves and/or extensions on a young child, try to keep the style light weight and medium/short length.
What do you all think ? What is the appropriate age for kids to wear extensions?
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We waited until age 11 and it has been a Godsend as we live in a humid state and she lives in the water. Before that she was content with shorter braids/preservation styles but sometimes was mistaken for a boy and hated that. Her style is light and smaller braids.
I myself believe that the proper age to get any style such as protective and/or extensions to your child’s hair would most likely be 12 or up to wear the one or many styles chosen by you or your child.
I waited for my daughter to become 10 as well. I wanted her to be well acquainted with her hair as is so she didn’t feel insecure whenever she didn’t have extensions. I didn’t want her to feel like her own hair wasn’t good enough just that it’s simply a protective style to protect her own hair and of course allow the style to last longer.
Hi Audra!
Thank you for sharing. The approach you took with your daughter is so awesome!! I am sure that she loves her natural hair in its natural state!
Some kids have really short hair so I think it’s if a parent use minimal amount of a kinky hair to extend a kids hairstyle it’s ok as long as it’s not a hairstyle for adults they r trying to do on the child cause sometimes parent r busy and need a style to last so just don’t over do it r the child hair may get worse
Hi there,
Thank you for your comment! I completely agree with you on this!
My mom waited until I was 10 to and I am still 10 and I think that is the right age for you child to get weave. PS can somebody leave in the comments what color iPhone should I get and case think you
Hi Izzy 😊
Thank you for your comment! I’m sure your hair looks beautiful.