To think about straightening dd's hair age 7 ?

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Please be gentle with me, I'm putting my thread in this section because I don't know where to put it and I really need help !

My dd has problem hair. She has it shoulder level. It is really wavy underneath and straight ish on the top and we are trying to grow her fringe. She is feeling really self conscious about it and other children have been remarking on it. After a night sleep, it is full of knots so I brush it in the morning, put it in a pony tail and it really doesn't look pretty, it's half wavy, half straight. I have suggested to plait it but she refused.

What do you suggest me doing ? I'm great and original at hair style ! Should I straighten it ? Should I made her have a bob so maybe it will be easier to manage ? Help please !

I have hair like your dd... Don't straighten it, it will damage it and make it worse. Grow it out, the weight of it will help iyswim.

On the top of writing down your advices, she is going to see a hairdresser who just deal with children. I have also raked my brain regarding activities or club she could do outside school. She is doing choir and swimming at the moment.bi have suggested other things like piano or guitar, or drama club but she is not keen.

plaits at night, get the bullying stopped and help her to...deal better with the other kids. Only one of those is easy!

she can have straightening treatments when she is older and is prepared to sit still for five hours. Meantime try growing it.

I have hair very much like your daughter's. I straightened it for years and it looked fairly ok but for the last year or so I decided to stop for fear of damaging my hair for good (not to mention the time it was taking!)

I would say - longer is better. Whatever you do, don't have it short. When I tried that it just stuck out and looked awful. I've found having longer hair is much easier to manage when it's frizzy. Perversely, I find it better to let it mainly dry naturally, using a hairdryer makes it worse. I give it a quick blast in the morning to get rid of most of the wetness, then just leave it loose. This seems to make it flatter when I do tie it back.

Doing that, it seems to dry into nice waves. I also get it cut every few months but ask them to use the thinning scissors on it at the back (where it's at its bushiest) and that seems to help a lot too.

My niece has hair like this. Its a real pain to anything with that doesn't look messy. My SIL uses some afro Caribbean hair stuff that a friend gave her which tames ultra tight frizzy curls and it works wonders. I will text her and ask her what it is called but I'm sure you could find something similar on Google.

chrome do you not find that thinning scissors gives you awful split ends? I used to have mine thinned a few years back. Now instead of only have split ends at the very tips of my hair, I have them all over due to the scissors chopping random hair at random lengths. I would have to chop my waist length hair into a pixie cut to get rid of them all.

Right I took pictures to show you the top hair, and underneath hair :

She doesn't keep the pony tail all day !

I wouldn't straighten a child's hair, it does damage the hair and can stop it from growing. Of course it doesn't stop it growing from the roots but it breaks and damages the ends preventing you from ever getting that length.

It sounds to me as though short hair and a fringe isn't right from her hair type. If it's curly/frizzy then a longer length will weight it down, it will also allow you to more easily tie it up or plait it.

I think her hair is really cute! I genuinely don't see the issue. Make sure you use good sulphate-free shampoo, use coconut oil as a deep conditioning treatment every other week, keep brushes away from it when it's dry and she shouldn't have any problems with it.

Definitely look on YouTube and Pinterest for curly hair style tutorials. I wear mine in a messy topknot at the crown of my head and it looks nice with curly hair. You can get cute topknot decorations for next to nothing in Primark to make them even prettier, like this: www.newlook.com/shop/womens/jewellery-and-hair-accessories/dark-red-rose-garland-bun-hairband_306384962

Just seen the photos, genuinely her hair is beautiful, a beautiful colour and looks very silky and wavy, I'm not a hairdresser but have wavy frizzy hair myself and honestly a bit of length will help. Fringes are too much high maintenance for curly/wavy hair types and more suited to poker straight.

But really, beautiful hair x

Would she entertain a donut bun?

I think she is perfect myself but I'm going to follow the advices, no more brushes ! Just big comb, sulfathe free shampoo, coconut oil conditioner every other week ! Dd says thank you for the compliments :-)

Oh, a tip regarding coconut oil - don't shell out big bucks in Holland and Barrett or the supermarket for a jar of virgin coconut oil, you can pick it up for £2 or £3 in ethnic supermarkets. I found mine for £2.50 in an African supermarket in the west end of Glasgow, but it's £15 a tub in Holland and Barrett.

It's solid when in the jar. You scoop some out into a tub, heat it for 30secs in the microwaves and then rub it into the lengths/ends of the hair. Put it into a shower cap (Boots do disposable plastic ones three for £1 or something) or stick a Tesco bag on her head and leave it for a couple of hours.

Her hair is lovely what about a hair band the stretchy ones iyswim wavy haired dd always says everything looks better with a bow today she is wearing a flower clip in her hair

I have that hair! Don't brush it use a wide tooth comb. I agree with plaiting it when wet and leaving overnight. The BEST THING EVER for my hair is Pantene dry oil with argan oil. A touch of that and the matted hair underneath goes all nice curly and the frizzy bit on top is smoothed out. And it doesn'take my hair greasy either. So when I plait my hair overnight I get a really nice smooth wave all over. But you can only finger brush it.

Dudley the OP has been advised to use the wide tooth comb when the hair is wet, not just as a general styling tool. We've all said not to brush curly hair at all.

I straighten 7yr old DS's hair because it looks awful otherwise. YANBU.

She has lovely hair.
Hopefully she will make friends, poor little thing.

As the proud owner of "problem hair", I totally agree with Nanny that you need a good hairdresser. You might have to pay extra for it, but maybe not often. As well as a LOW MAINTENENCE cut (wash and wear) that suits her hair type, the hairdresser can advise on cool "hair-up" ideas that both you and she can manage. Try to find someone good with kids who your daughter will admire, to help her buy into the new style.

If her hair is "big", avoid fringes at all costs!

Ooooh... Just spotted the photos: very similar to my hair! I'll tell you what, give it 10-15 years, and her fine-haired peers are going to be so envious, plus it's a great, strong colour!

I am not seeing an issue with that hair at all. It's lovely! It isn't even straight on top, it is wavy. As a curly-wavy girl myself, I say that you need to work with the waves and curls, not fight against them.

This book is the place to start: Curly Girl. Trust me. This book changes the life of a curly haired girl!

I also second a sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner (Holland and Barrett have a range, so does the Body Shop, and there's the Naked Range at Boots). And no brushing.

Have you tried the tangle tease hair brush it is miraculous. Expensive but worth every penny. I was recommend it a few years ago for DD and was very sceptical and have recommended it to many grateful parents. Buy the normal size not smaller version.

My hair is very fine and straight but still gets matted underneath I think it's because it is the same length as your daughters ( who has lovely hair IMHO ) but I get your concerns. It is where it rubs against clothing, coats and pillow cases etc.

I took her to the hairdresser before yesterday ! She now has a bob ! A very curly one !! She looks gorgeous and everyone told her so ! She keeps smiling !