Curls
I come from a family with a long line of straight dark hair as does my husband, so we were all more than a bit surprised when my eldest daughter turned out to have a head covered in blond ringlets. She must be some kind of Darwinian throwback. It looks very cute BUT it is such a pain to look after. Every morning she wakes up with a head full of dreadlocks and it is a battle to sit her down to comb her hair. She reminds me of Shock Haired Peter! Her solution to the problem is very simple: she wants to shave it all off and be done with it.
I can see her point but being a little bit vain on her behalf, I would love to find a way to tame her hair before having to resort to such drastic measures. Does anyone have any ideas of what I can do with her mop? Please do let me know! I have tried sprays, lotions and potions but nothing works!
- Emilie
LEAVE A COMMENT
17 COMMENTS - Add your own
I’m in the same boat, my daughter is only two though so her hair isn’t too long.
Basically, I comb her hair out in the bath before I rinse out the conditioner (something I myself do too since I also have curly hair). Then I wet her hair with a spray bottle each morning and comb out the parts that get tangly. Other than that, I try and not touch it at all – the more you touch curly hair, the more frizzy and tangled it gets.
Also, I only wash her hair a couple times a week – we just avoid getting her hair completely soaked in the bath on the nights when we don’t want to wash her hair. It seems to help tame the curls.
I’d love more advice on this subject too. I’ll be checking back for other comments. Thanks!
One of my daughters has very cury hair – it comes from her aunt! The woman who cuts her hair suggested braiding it at night to keep the hair from getting matted. It works very well. I also condition it regularly, but shampoo it only a few times per week. Also, it is much less painful to comb it out when it is wet – or even better – when the conditioner is still on the hair. Good luck!
My daughter and I both have curls (well mine is now more waves than curls). I comb hers after her hairwash (twice a week at best) and leave it alone otherwise. She wears a lot of ponytails and clips and an occasional headband. As mentioned above, curly hair should be left. If you find your daughter’s hair is matted in the morning, I would touch it with slightly wet fingers to lift it up a bit. I find the longer you let it go, the better the curls look. And fewer battles! I’m sure your daughter gets noticed for her curls, yes?!!
Yes, but her hair is sooooooooooooo cute! Perhaps difficult, but very very cute.
I would suggest braiding at night too, but the thing I really want to know is…what is the translation of the text in that picture???
i would just like to say that i had curly hair as a child, and still do! its simple – the more you brush it the bigger and messier it gets !!
all you need to do is get a good quality overnight conditioner (john fredia do a fantastic one!!) use it once every 2 weeks and let her curls do what they want to do ! the more you leave them the better they look, i know it sounds bizzare but its just the way it is !
hi Emilie,
I have very curly, long hair. i use a wide pick comb to detangle, and braid at night. hope that helps.
Hi Emilie,
I have just ordered a Tangle Teezer and it’s absolutely fantastic! My son also has curls and hated getting his hair brushed but now just sits still and seems to enjoy it.
http://www.tangleteezer.com/
Good luck!
Hi Emilie, my daughter’s 7 months old and she has an afro full of curls. I maintain her hair by using medicinal olive oil as a leave in treatment daily. Not only does it help with combing through her curls, which are tighter than tight, but it also leave a great shine to her hair!. If that doesn’t work, there’s a product called ‘mixed chicks’ hair care products which I use on my hair which is designed for curly hair which may help – their leave in conditioner’s great
best of luck
I come from a long line of curly heads and my 3 year-old son (who has quite long hair) has inherited them as well. First and foremost, never comb through dry curls. Not only is it painful, but it also breaks the hair, resulting in even more frizzies. Both my son and I use Burt’s Bees shampoo and conditioner. It safe and gentle and makes your curls shinny and soft. It even seems to work on those very humid days, when curls seem to have a mind of their own. Good luck and embrace those curls.
I have a full head of curls, that my mother had no idea what to do with. Fortunately, my daughter will benefit from my experiences. I have been using Daily Cleansing Cream from Hair Rules on her. It cleanses and conditions in one step and the no run formula won’t drip in her eyes. I run it through her hair with my fingers to start to detangle it. ( It is also sulfate and paraben free, something I am adamant about for my hair and my kids). I gently squeeze any water out of her hair (you do not want to towel dry her hair to much – it actually causes tangles and frizz) and then put in their Nourishment Leave In Condtioner to comb through. Since I started using these products she does not have the amount of knots that she once did. Best of luck to you both – live the curl!
Hi Emilie–I have an 8 year old daughter with beautiful curls. She has a love/hate relationship with her hair, but for the most part, we try to keep things as simple as possible to avoid the frizz. I shampoo her hair twice a week, condition and comb it out, rinse it and comb it through with a big blob of mousse (for curly hair). Scrunch and leave it to dry on its own. No brush or hair dryer ever goes near her hair!
Hey Em,
I agree with all of the above – the less you do the better!
I have curly hair and use ‘wen’ (http://www.wenhaircare.co.uk/) – a shampoo and leave in conditioner in one. don’t see why it wouldn’t work for little ones too.
I’m yet to see if my currently bald 8 month old will inherit my curls… at the moment i’d be happy with any hair!!!
Fleur
Hello Everyone
A fascinating subject and one we get asked about all of the time here at the tantrum salon in London. The advice given so far has been spot on – it’s about trying a few different techniques and seeing which works best. Every child’s hair is different and what is often even more important is what their hair goes through. By that I mean how do they sleep at night? Do they play with their hair during the day? Do they get it messy or are they quite clean?! It is therefore about trial and error. It won’t take long to figure out what the best solution is and quite often it is more about working with the hair than against it – if your little girl or boy has curls then don’t try to make it straight!
As mentioned by Siobhán, the Tangle Teezer is a great product and should take the tears out of the traditional combing method – a must have for those parents who have to do this every day. Detangle sprays do work, but do have to be used regularly – there are a variety in the market, we sell three different brands including our own, and yes you can use adult products but check the ingredients for any over the top chemicals which might be in the formula. Using a leave in conditioner can also tame the curls by adding a bit more weight to the hair. A key point is to try and not brush or comb the hair when it is dry – the friction will cause the hair to break.
I’m happy to answer any other hair related queries so please feel free to email me – lucy@yourtantrum.com – or alternatively by posting questions here at babyccino, I’ll keep checking back.
Best of luck
Lucy
Salon Manager
Tantrum
PS We love babyccino and read it every day!
Thank you so much for the great advice!, guys! It has really helped and I now have a 3 year old who does not want to turn into a skinhead anymore! Katie, the picture is from a famous, old german story cold Struwel Peter (Shockheaded Peter). It is about a little boy who doesn’t want to comb his hair and so he has no friends. It really does not correspond to any modern educational philosophies…..
You have to buy the book Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey. It will change your life if you have curly hair!! She has a studio in NYC that specializes in curly hair and her book is full of wonderful advice.
I have the same with my daughter–very curly light brown hair and both my husband and I have dark brown hair–his straight, mine wavy…
I don’t think I combed Lucia’s hair for the first 2 years! I have found that conditioner, conditioner and more conditioner is the most important. I also make detangler from a recipe I found online…it is great! I use geranium and orange to scent it and add a bit more glycerine than it asks for…It is a great way to freshen her hair as I don’t wash it every day and helps with the frizzies after combing. I also take her to get a good haircut every few months which keeps her hair healthy…here is the recipe:
http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/recipe/recipe.asp?recipe_id=90