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Original poster

Blow drying daughter's hair - what age?

47 replies

Mayhemmumma · 13/05/2024 09:33

If you have children with really long hair when did they learn to blow dry it themselves?

DD 12 has waist length hair, due to various sports etc she washes it about 5 times a week.

I like doing her hair, it's a bit of a chore but it's beautiful.. but when will she or should she do her own?

It can't air dry as gets too cold and itchy.
She's getting better at brushing and putting it up herself.

I have no clue as grew up with a somewhat neglectful mum.

OP posts:
longdistanceclaraclara · 13/05/2024 09:35

Does she want waist length hair? Sounds like a pita. Dts have been doing their own since around age 10, theirs is only shoulder length though

Droolylabradors · 13/05/2024 09:36

DD had her own hairdryer age 11 but we generally both air dry before school or work so doesn't get used daily.

Original poster
Mayhemmumma · 13/05/2024 09:38

She loves her hair as much as it's chore for me! It's stunning really.

I'm sure I didn't learn how to properly dry hair till I was in my 20s and it was only shoulder length. Want to get my expectations right..

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Beauty
Babybreath · 13/05/2024 09:40

I'm sure she can give it a blast with the hairdryer herself , let her have a go .

SonicTheHodgeheg · 13/05/2024 09:42

If you and her don’t mind then I’d keep on doing it.

My dd has never had hair that long so could style her hair before she was your DD’s age.

By blow dry do you mean use a hairdryer or use a round brush and hairdryer so it’s properly styled? My dd could straighten or curl her hair in year 7 but it wasn’t as long as your DD’s hair so not as difficult

cannotsleep3444 · 13/05/2024 09:45

I was 15... In the end I sat upstairs in my room and just practiced of my own accord - it took about an hour the first time 😂 but eventually I got there. Same with using straighteners and tying it up into a fairly decent bun etc. I didn’t get fully confident styling it nicely until I got the majority chopped off in my mid twenties though.

I never, ever mastered curling with straighteners though.

Comefromaway · 13/05/2024 09:47

Dd went to full time ballet school at the age of 11. All the girls learnt to do their own hair then. Her hair was never longer than just below shoulder length though.

cherryassam · 13/05/2024 09:54

I had similarly length hair as a child and teen, although wavy/curly rather than straight - not sure what your DD has

I could get my hair dry using a blow dryer by 10 or 11 - this was something my DM actively taught me to do (and was somewhat a condition of continuing to have such long hair)

I was able to do my hair as in putting it up into styles, braiding it, brushing it definitely by the end of primary school.

Doing a blow dry as in straightening it / getting it looking properly nice, this wasn’t something I learnt how to do until much later, and only really when I got it chopped to just below shoulder length in my late teens.

kitchenhelprequired · 13/05/2024 10:09

DD had her very long hair cut to just below shoulder length at that age. She did a sport 6 days a week which required hair being plaited and I still did that most of the time. Definitely didn't wash more than a couple of times a week and fortunately lived in a hot country so most of the time it was left to air dry. From having it cut she very quickly learned to do many styles herself including plaiting herself. 5 days a week washing and drying very long hair sounds too much.

Original poster
Mayhemmumma · 13/05/2024 10:17

Ok thanks this is helpful, it's thick so needs separating and drying in sections and I'm sure she'll be fine to get the hang of it quite quick. I didn't want to make her do it if it's still something mum should do.

It's about me wanting to 'look after' her I think, I've always done her hair nicely since she was little to make her experience different to mine.

She swims twice a week and she gets very sweaty playing sport so it does need washing a lot.

Thank you, I'm going to teach her.

OP posts:
cherryassam · 13/05/2024 10:20

I think teaching her to do it is a good idea, just in case you can’t be there for some reason - my DM had to go and stay with my GPs for a few weeks to look after them when I was about 12 and my DF would have had no clue how to blow dry my hair so if I hadn’t know how to then it would have been more stressful.

However, if it’s something you both enjoy and it’s time you enjoy spending together, then I don’t see why you can’t still do it for her some / most of the time.

I’m over 30 and my mum still brushes my hair for me sometimes when I’m staying with her - it’s a way she shows me her love and it does make me feel very loved.

XiCi · 13/05/2024 10:24

I think my dd was 13 when she started doing it herself but she has fine hair and it's quick to dry. Maybe start by doing the bits at the back you have to section off then let her finish it off

TwoShades1 · 13/05/2024 10:27

I think if it’s just basic sectioning and blasting with the hair dryer she should be able to do it herself. Or she can choose to air dry it, or have shorter more manageable hair. If you are expecting to use a round brush and properly style it, then I think that’s a bit unreasonable.

RedHelenB · 13/05/2024 10:30

I'm a bit amazed at this. My dds were 8. Obviously more difficult hairstyles I did but washing and drying hair they did. I can't imagine a NT secondary school aged pupil still having their mum doing it.

Toomuch44 · 13/05/2024 10:35

I've always had waist length hair - I never blow dry it. I wrap it up in a towel while drying myself and put an extra layer over my clothes for a few mins, in winter might be my dressing down, in summer a cardigan. DD had hair just past her shoulders while school age and as I never used a hair dryer, it's just something she was used to.

Concretejungle1 · 13/05/2024 10:47

By 12 i was straightening my hair for school, so about 10 i was drying my own hair.

arghhhhthatisall · 15/05/2024 13:05

My DD is 11 with very thick hair. I ask her to blast it until about 90% done and then I finish drying it, styling etc

TheOchreShaker · 15/05/2024 13:13

mine is 8 and blow drys her own hair.

Fraida · 15/05/2024 14:18

My daughter is 13 and has been drying her hair since about 8 or 9.

If it’s a bonding thing for you then keep doing it if you both like it, nothing to say it has to change if you are happy 🙂

blackheartsgirl · 15/05/2024 14:20

My dd has been blow drying her hair since she was 11 and her hair is pretty long now. She wants the long hair so she knows that she’s the one who has to look after it now she’s older. I buy her the products she needs and give her advice etc or if she’s ill or something then I will do it for her.

shes had to really, I’m lone parenting with other kids and my own health issues etc

crazyBadger · 15/05/2024 14:50

Book her an appointment at hairdressers and ask them to show her how to do it properly ... Saved a fortune in my time and money :)

MrsB74 · 15/05/2024 15:08

My DDs are 14 and have been doing their own hair for years - both have long hair. 12 seems quite old to be still doing it for her. I’ve always encouraged my two to be quite independent, but if you enjoy it and it’s time you spend together - up to you really. I do still help out one of mine with curls - her twin sister is much better at it than me though!

She’ll soon learn if you let her have a go.

elevens24 · 15/05/2024 16:09

My dd12 swims ) times a week so always had wet hair! She's been able to blow dry it herself for about 18 months. She has learnt how to style it thankfully, so depending on how she wants it the next day she might plait it half dried or put in heat less curlers, again half dry. They're good time savers.

Kazzybingbong · 15/05/2024 17:04

My 7 year old autistic daughter has long, thick hair. She can blast dry it herself but very rarely does. She usually just lets it air dry.

There’s a huge difference between blasting it dry and styling it properly with a round brush and hairdryer though.

I’d love to give my daughter a beautiful bouncy blow dry but she can’t tolerate the tugging of the brush and stuff. I say carry on, it’s lovely 🥰

furtherthsnthewest · 15/05/2024 17:12

Blow drying and plaiting hair by 6. My daughter plaits her friends hair in school at playtime because they ask her too. Maybe she's the anomaly for plating but surely she manages to blow dry her hair by the time she was 6. Also she has very long thick hair and she only blowdrys it for special occasions to try and reduce heat damage