To stop my 4 year old using hair bobbles

[Kiddiewinks2008]

Basically my 4 year old DD has very fine hair- baby hair really- but is obsessed with putting it up and playing with it.
I have noticed since our holiday to france that she has lost loads of hair. Shes got a bit of cradle cap that we struggle to get rid of but this seems unrelated - aibu to stop her using bobbles etc? Is hair loss common in little kids? My DS has got thick hair so was never an issue but DD seems to still have baby hair. Can bobbles damage kids hair?

Try to encourage softer bobbles, colourful slides etc. Pulling hair up too tightly too often at that age can cause damage.

Thanks- is it common to lose hair though? Has really worried me!

Do you mean broken hair or falling out at the roots? Alopecia?

Do you mean there are patches which are thinning or it's broken OP?

She hasnt got bald shiny patches like alopecia but underneath at the back there is a patch that looks like its been shaved- and its all gone very thin

I noticed my dd had quite a few broken hairs from hair bobbles. She also has very fine baby hair.

We have had her hair cut short. She wanted it cut but since it has been cut I have noticed it is in better condition. Would your dd consider that?

It's also eliminated the morning hair brushing and tying back stress.

If it's falling out in patches though I would book a gp appointment.

When mine have had cradle cap the hair always comes away with the cradle cap unfortunately. I don't know a way around that.

I think the easy thing to do would be to visit a good local hairdresser and get their advice. A good hairdresser knows far more about hair than most GPs.

Like PP, mine have lost hair with cradle cap too.

Some hair bands can be quite harsh on hair even for older children, DD2 has got quite fine hair and can only use soft/covered ones otherwise when she takes them out a clump of hair comes with it.

Would she be happy with Alice bands and that sort of thing? Or a plait so the band it at the bottom and doesn't pull the hair so much?

Its the cradle cap that makes the hair come away sadly get her terry toweling baubles they are softer. Oil on her scalp over night will help with her scalp but she might need something medicated if it doesn't clear up

You need start getting regular cuts which will help thicken it out !!!

It does need a trim but as she hasnt got much hair I was hoping it would grow a bit in france but the opposite has happened. She desperately wants long hair and is getting very upset about not being able to put it up

Getting regular cuts won't thicken it out - if you trim ratty ends, it will look thicker at the ends though. but thaty's not going to help with thin/short patches. Have you taken her to the doctor? Thinning hair can be a sign of vitamin deficiencies.

If it is fine baby hair then yes its common for this to drop and new hair to grow in - DD has similarly v fine hair and we had two clear phases around 4 to 5 and 9 ish when she just grew a new batch of hair - you could clearly see it coming through slightly thicker and a bit richer in colour. She was a baldy until about 2 ish and struggles to grow her hair although at 11 she has fine long hair now its still quite thin but seems much stronger and she has learnt to treat it with care to stop it falling out. She also had cradle cap until our first bout of nits and the medicated stuff brought it all off and it hasn't really come back at all. I would suggest after a warm bath and hair wash a fine comb through on a regular basis until its gone - I know people that use a bit of olive or veg oil on it as well

She was playing with her hair a lot on holiday, constantly brushing it and getting it plaited etc. so I dont think that has helped at all.

Does she have her hair in bunches or a ponytail?

Mine was thin in the middle from bunches!

We had the same happen with our youngest DC DD8,she's the only one of our 5DC that had cradle cap past being a baby and she had the worst cradle cap I'd ever seen,it was bloody horrible.

We tried the shampoo but it did nothing so we tried olive oil and it worked,it took a few weeks but it did work and really well.

Our DD was losing hair as well with the cradle cap,once the cradle cap was gone she did stop loosing hair.

She's 8 now and has lovely thick naturally wavy hair that's almost to the middle of her back,everyone comments on her hair.

Like others have suggested start getting her to use softer hair ties for her hair and treat the cradle cap.

We put the oil on our DD's hair every night,I'd put it on leave it for about 30 minutes the first week we started doing it and then I'd gently massage her head and then rinse of with mild shampoo.
The second week we'd leave it on for 10 minutes then massage her scalp and then rinse it of with the shampoo.

You should find once the cradle caps gone that she stops losing lots of hair and it should start growing better.

If she wants to use pretty bobbles and clips then try teaching her styles where the bobbles sit nearer the ends of her hair so it's not pulling away or snapping higher up. Plaits etc! I think it would be unrealistic to never have it in bobbles, especially if it's hot!

Dd was bald until 2 1/3 then had this thin wispy dark hair until school.... Where her hair just exploded into thick chestnut curls - which she still has 7 years later.

Can you get her lots of coloured Alice bands?

I have very fine hair. Back in the 90's I wore my hair in a french braid (it was expected in our jobs in the travel industry). It meant lots of pulling at my fine hair, grips, slides, bobbles etc. One part of my hair has never been the same, it's weakened it (a hairdresser told me this). It might be worth toning down the tougher, tighter bobbles for now.

For the cradle cap , put some baby oil all over the scalp (does look awful as hair just looks greasy etc) but just have an afternoon at home and my dd head was completely cleared of it in 24 hours. We had tried all the medicated shampoos etc but found that really works