If you’re a Mum (or Dad!) who has a daughter with hair like yours was as a kid, then cast your mind back to what it was like and the struggles your mum had, the tears, the trauma of bath time, trying to get the knots out and the constant battle going on. Then of course if, as a parent you were born with straight hair and your child has inherited curls then, even worse! You have absolutely no idea how to deal with it you may have heard the term “I battled with my hair for years!”

One of the wonderful things about the curly hair communities are the shared stories and the overall understanding and acceptance of curly hair as an enhancement, and not a detriment to your personality.

I am just so happy that curly hair has become a globally accepted and in many cases, preferred style as it has liberated so many girls and guys, who for years tried to conform to those around them.

Anyway… let’s get right into it! Let’s talk about those problems you encounter with curly hair kids, and what you can do to help…

Kids curly hair challenges

    The main challenges a parent will have with their child’s curls will mainly be the tangles! Second to that would be how to maintain and control the frizz, and thirdly, scalp care with such issues as cradle cap, dandruff and oily scalp.

    Prevention

    So, obviously prevention is better than cure; so how to stop it getting knotty in the first place. One of the simplest yet effective ways to avoid knots is to add a conditioner onto DRY hair and use a good quality yet affordable conditioner. By applying conditioner to dry hair, you can then gently rake your fingers through the hair and whenever you encounter a knot, just add more conditioner.

    To make a real deep moisturizing/detangle mix, add several drops of avocado or sweet almond oil to the conditioner. NOTE it is of the up most importance to do a prewash condition in this manner as you need to the hair to be mainly knot free before you wet it. WHY? I hear you ask… because when hair is wet is stretches and if you pull and comb it wet then it can cause breakage. Also, ALWAYS use a leave in conditioner after the wash on the ends as this will cut down friction plus smooth the cuticle and reduce further tangles.

    Put down the brush!

    I know grandma said 100 strokes, but brushing only agitates the ends and causes the hair to expand. If you must brush, make sure the bristles are not plastic, better to be rubber or very soft bristle. I also have to say I am not a fan of the wash at night idea but if it’s must then make sure their hair is in a high pineapple! And also, that there is some leave in conditioner on there. If you can convince your little princess to wear a cute bonnet to sleep then even better!

    Dealing with frizz

      FRIZZ! That dreaded monster that haunts the curly girls dreams and day 2/3/4 reality! Usually frizz is concentrated around the hair line, through the part and at the nape of the neck. So first line of defense;

      • Do not pull the hair back too tight at the front as this may cause minor breakage and result in a second hair line. Be gentle and loosen off the pony once the hair is in place. Then apply either a very light oil or light conditioner to the hands and smooth it onto these areas.
      • Long pins are great to hold the hair line in place as it dries.
      • Do not use the claw type, only use the flat long pins as this will hold down unruly fly a ways and allow the shorter hair line pieces to blend in with the rest of the hair as it dries. In fact, you could almost leave then in and they could wear a few to school!
      • If you must diffuse their hair (or yours!), make sure the air and the heat is on a low setting. And do not aim it directly at the hair line.
      • A really great trick many of the girls use is a refresh spray. Use a small water spray bottle and add just a little conditioner in there, shake it up and spray onto the hair line and ends too.

      Dealing with kids scalp issues

        Scalp issues can be a real challenge! So often with kids cradle cap and flaky scalp is residual product that has not been washed out properly, as some curly hair is so dense, it is hard to rinse free, so you may have to help them to ensure that their scalp is build up or product free before they get out of the shower.

        There obviously is a debate around a low poo or a no poo wash, but sometimes on younger kids those flakes need to go!! There is always an apple cider vinegar rinse which will help not only clean but reduce flakes on a young scalp.

        If you find the scalp becomes an issue and you have to resort to stronger scalp cleanse, ensure that you put heaps of conditioner on the ends prewash and ensure that only the scalp gets the wash, and not the hair ends, as the hair will rinse clean anyway.

        If the scalp is in a dry, red and itchy state, it may pay to apply drops of avocado or sweet almond oil to the affected areas (again prewash). Let them soak in for an hour then continue.

        If the scalp is oily, then it may be a case of being over moisturized, so you may need to use a lighter scalp cleanse or even a beach wave sea salt product on the scalp to help dry some of that up.

        Dealing with swimmer’s hair

          This can be a real dilemma especially if your child swims several times a week. Again, prevention is always better than a cure, so pull the hair into a pony, apply a good leave in conditioner and always wear a cap.

          You do not need to wash out the chlorine every time as a good apple cider vinegar rinse should restore the hair and scalp balance and protect against the impact on the hair. Some mums wet their daughter’s hair first, apply conditioner then put under the cap to make it fit easier

          To conclude…

          When my younger daughter was only 3, one of her books was called Molly’s Hair. It’s about a little girl with crazy wild red hair that she struggles with to the point where she no longer wants to go to school; so the story revolves around her getting to grips with her hair and learning to love it. I highly recommend it for any parents who have kids with wild curly hair.

          At the end of the day, I think if we can teach our kids to love their hair and that they can be proud to identify as a curly girl/guy, then that will serve them well in our vastly image conscious society. If you have any questions that haven’t been answered, let me know!