Toddler with a mass of long curly hair advice please

[sedgieloo]

Dd is 25 months. She has tons and tons of thick hair
Two problems, I need slides strong enough to keep the hair out of her face, and dealing with the tangles.

Her hair is more than halfway down her back when wet. Dry it is but below shoulder length and a mass of curls. First layer wavy then under this falling in ringlets. The very underneath it is tight corkscrew curls. It is soft and fine but enough hair for two or three children. Brushed out it is huge. Constant compliments its a gorgeous nightmare.

Can you picture it. Very difficult to plait unless wet as it goes all lumpy plus I have to bribe her to get her to keep still. The clips I had been using aren't holding. The bend to snap shut type. These have been great until now but her hair is now too heavy I need about six of them in the front and they no longer stay. Alice Bands are not working, kids ones fall out even if i secure with slides. Plus the tangles are constant it needs teasing/brushing morning and night and she hates it. When I brush out the tangles it goes frizzy maybe it's damaged hair there.

Any advice, products or accessories. I shampoo and condition and brush before washing and when conditioning. Also have a tangle tease comb. Thinking serum or leave in conditioner? Quick fix ideas are great I have a newborn at that ' don't put me down' stage!!

[TeaBrick]

Could you cut it until she's a bit older? Or google the curly girl method, which is brilliant for curly hair.

[MadSleighLady]

Hm. One suggestion is don't brush, just comb (and only that once a day or when it's wet). I have similar-ish sounding hair, and brushing makes it foof up to about twice the size - basically, it goes frizzy when you mess with it. It doesn't need to be 100% tangle free all the time, so long as it's not solidifying into dreads.

Styles, the only thing that works for me on a bad day is a claw clip or a quick twisty bun, but I guess those are not really suitable for 25mo. Could you look for bigger/adult versions of what you use? Snap clips are useless on me too, I need proper hairpins. And barrette (sp?) clips have to be huge to cope with the volume of hair.

[sedgieloo]

I have big hair myself tho not so curly and find the shorter it is the more it bushes out and she cant bear it in her face, so I have dismisses cutting it for now but if it would help I would do it.

Tried to read about this curly girl thing but did not understand it, I will loom again, thanks

[fififolle]

I've got one of these... but he's 2.5yrs. Beautiful, uncut tight ringlets. We use a tangle teezer on wet hair with conditioner left in. On alternate days I use the johnsons tangle spray. I use a baby shampoo on him then leave in the coniditioner- any one really but sometimes use an Afro one. He now asks for Moroccan oil in it post brushing !

[mrscrimbobash]

My DD is now 3 and has the same type of hair.

She now gets her hair layered by my friend who is a hairdresser as it takes some of the weight out of her hair without losing it's loveliness.

We used Johnson's leave in conditioner because in intense heat or intense cold her hair goes frizzy.

Accessories wise, it is a nightmare. We put her hair in a pony tail which keeps the majority out of her face apart from her 'bangs' at the front. We do put clips in, they do go AWOL. I don't get her expensive ones anymore

[MadSleighLady]

Yy to the curly method! I'd be wary of cutting it short as a solution though. My mum did this to me and it just made it spring up like a giant frizzy bush

[MincePiesAndBaileys]

If you don't want to have any cut off the length then you could ask hairdresser to thin it out slightly so will be more eatable in terms of styling and combing. Long hair is heavy too so this would make it lighter.

Have you tried the leave in conditioners for children's hair, and also using a tangle teezer?

Ds (27 months) has lots of curly hair, it is normally past his shoulders when straight but bounces up when wet. In the mornings I spray with water then put some baby oil on my hands and use it like a serum and hair is more manageable and less frizzy.

[sedgieloo]

Madsleigh, yes I will look for bigger versions of these clips. I like them as there is nothing for hair to catch on. Although m using largish ones, I don't think I've seen larger. Hopefully they exist. Not sure where to shop for that.

I found if I don't comb out the tangles ASAP they jut build into a bigger ball. You might not find this but guessing you don't rub food through your hair at mealtimes. This seems to exacerbate the problem :D

[MadSleighLady]

Ah, no I don't unless veh drunk

[AmberLeaf]

Be careful of cutting it, a blunt cut will give her a wizadora shaped head and layers can go very wrong with curly hair!

Can you do two french plaits either side?

I brush my hair when dry just before washing, sometimes when conditioner is in too.

Have a look here

Do you live in or near a major city? if there are any black hair care product shops you will find leave in products there that would be good for curly hair, if so look out for 'organic root stimulator-Olive oil' products.

[MadSleighLady]

Yes, most hairdressers don't seem to do layers right in my hair. They expect it to behave like straight hair. Layers don't "give it more movement", they just stick out sideways because they're not weighed down.

[sedgieloo]

Thanks amber. Wow a curl forum. I live in the not very cosmopolitan southwest but do have some friends I can ask for product recs.

Will talk to my hair stylist about thinning it then. He is good with my long thick hair so hopefully can help.

I need this leave in detangler for kids. Johnsons? I will order online, not getting into town much on account of newborn and horrid weather. Someone in a cafe told me about dry detangling spray for between washes but did not know a name. Anyone used it?

[TeaBrick]

It's really worth persevering with the CG method and curly forum to find something that'll suit your daughter's hair. My hair is transformed after using products that suit it

[ScienceRocks]

My DDs both have hair like this. I use adult shampoos and conditioners for them (they are 2 and 6), plus frizz ease serum after washing, and they have Mason Pearson hairbrushes that I use after spraying on Aussie leave in conditioner. Then I plait or do a coiled bun. This recipe means that both have beautifully soft hair in great condition, which means it can occasionally be left down with just a hair band in for a special occasion.

I think you have to try a few product combinations and see what works best for your DD.

[blueberryboybait]

DD has hair like this, we only comb it when wet, never dry, don't use shampoo only conditioner. Where clips failed we used to put a little plait in the front of her hair, it kept the hair out of her face. Now she is at school we wash it on Sunday evenings and comb it through with lots of conditioner before rinsing and French plaiting, it lasts until friday and she wears it down on Saturday. The screaming sobbing snot filled 20 minutes needed to deal with knots in the mornings is so not worth the hassle of loose hair.

[GlaikingAroundTheChristmasTree]

Would a shark tooth hairband work? I used to wear these when younger because I have an odd shaped head that Alice bands won't stay on.

I can't find one right now to link to but I see footballers wearing them all the time now.

[fififolle]

detangle spray
[[http://m.boots.com/mt/www.boots.com/en/Tangle-Teezer-Purple-
Glitter_1189454/ tangle teezer]]
serum
chat to her lots as you're brushing it through and she won't notice the tangles.
My mum used to tell me "beauty is painful" as she brushed my tangly curls in the pre tangle teezer days, which prompted my to say at 5ys after being prettied for a party "Mummy, I look so beautiful it hurts'"! Xx

[GlaikingAroundTheChristmasTree]

here

[Micha54178]

The only thing I have found that works on dd's curls is Aussie shampoo and conditioner for dry hair, before that it was a screaming fit every time we brushed her hair.

[DaySleeper]

My 4 yo DD the same- masses of super curly hair and also very fine hair. The only thing that works is expensive but after a lot of experimentation is Neals Yard Nurturing Rose Conditioner, here

As soon as i put her in the bath, I slather it all over her hair, pile all the hair on top of her head and get a tight shower cap over it quickly. After 20 mins of splashing in the bath, off comes the shower cap, i comb through with the Tangle Teezer, rinse, squeeze moisture out with a chamois towel and then plait it all before curl chaos ensues.

Her hair is soft, shiny, smells divine and tears are usually minimal (ish)

[DaySleeper]

Another good product which we often use in the mornings before school is Mixed Chicks Leave In Conditioner For Kids

[WhereMyMilk]

DD has same type hair.

Can not recommend Morrocon Oil highly enough! I put it on daily, has made her ringlets soft and tamed. Use a tangle teaser brush. Also YY to Aussie leave in conditioner spray. Also I conditioner wash DD's hair rather than wash with shampoo if that helps too.

Goog luck! DD can now nearly sit on hers, is a nightmare daily! But even worse when the nits come visiting! I find with curly hair DD gets them worse than most as her bouffy hair touches others before she dies IYKWIM!

[WhereMyMilk]

Does obviously not dies

[sedgieloo]

Thanks for all the ideas, definitely will try these products starting with the cheapest the Johnson one. Might attempt that hair band if feeling brave ( bit terrified of it getting stuck in the ringlets and will need cutting out )

I use Aussie shampoo and conditioner bit not the spray or serum, will give them a try for sure b

[MadSleighLady]

Going to try some of these lovely recommends on mine. Tears aren't usually a problem when I wash my hair but you can't be too careful.