To ask for your advice for curly haired daughter

[Barnybrown]

My 5 year old has beautiful curly hair - the bottom curls in ringlets that sit just below her shoulders. The top can be quite frizzy and I struggle with the best products, accessories and styles (plaits etc) . Do any parents of curly haired little ones out there have any tips to share ? Thank you for any help !

Have a look at the curly girl method, though beware of the big Facebook group because they are militant and slightly scary. A lot of them have turned having curly hair into their only personality trait

There are tests you can do with a strand of hair which will tell you what her hair needs, e.g. more moisture vs more protein. My hair likes moisture and goes very stiff and coarse when I use too much protein or even coconut, which mimics protein. The CGM will encourage a lot of products like gels, creams and oils but kids don’t usually need them.

Make sure you’re only ever brushing her hair when it’s wet. I wish my mum had known that when I was little; I could have avoided spending the 90s and early 00s looking like Hagrid!

I have a wet brush for in the shower, a denman for styling and I like the plastic spiral bobbles for tying my hair up.

I have curly hair. In terms of caring for it I only brush when wet using a paddle brush or tangle teezer. I then finger through products such as leave in conditioners & leave to air dry - this stops the top from getting dry and frizzy.

Some of the brands I use have ranges specific to kids like cantu, mixed chicks, twisted sistas etc.

There is also a subscription service called treasuretress which sends out a monthly box full of hair care goodies for around £15/20. They do a kids box if you're interested.

In terms of styling - same again for plaiting, I do this when hair is wet/damp. Obtain a spray bottle which you can put water in and spray onto the hair to dampen it if you don't want to constantly drench in the shower/bath

Never brush dry, wide-tooth comb when hair is wet and covered in conditioner. Don’t rub with a towel, squeeze out the water with a microfibre towel or old cotton tshirt. A little leave-in conditioner squished through when damp should be enough to style her hair.

My toddler has curly hair, we only wash with a sulfate free conditioner and only brush with a wide tooth comb when wet :) we also use a leave in conditioner and curl creme in between washes to keep her curls from frizzing!

The 'As I Am' range in Superdrug is good. Sometimes on offer - not especially cheap but a little does go a long. Mainly natural ingredients too, like sugar beet. I am currently using the smoothing gel - not sticky/crunchy when dry. Good for a natural looking curl and less frizz. Wide toothed comb and don't use hair dryers, curls are prone to dry and brittle so lots of love = deep conditioning.

I sometimes put an oil in mine and wrap a towel whilst watching a film etc as a treat for hair. Coconut oil/monoi, olive oil, or argan.

Curly hair is the best. Though I may be biased.

My best tip would be find the correct hairdresser. My dd9 is the same - she has such curly hair but a good cut makes all the difference in how manageable it is, especially now she’s a bit older and loves wearing it long - it was easier short!

Also a good cantu cream or leave in conditioner combed through followed by French plaits or Dutch braids depending on what her hair is like plaited.

Another benefit to a good curly hairdresser is that they’ll tell you which is the best cream/product for your specific hair type, or your child’s hair. I struggled originally as my daughter has very thick, long and curly hair from her dad while mine is so fine and thin, I had no experience of caring for curly hair.

There are quite a few ranges designed for children with curly hair: Curly Qs (still pssibly the best product I ever used but I hated the fragrance), Curly Ellie.

There are a lot of online shops for curly hair products with loads of choice unlike the supermarket where there is none.

Products - sulfate free shampoo, silicone free everything else. Far more conditioner than you think is sensible. Don't be afraid of just leaving it in her hair.
Styling - Wide tooth comb or fingers only, microfibre towel (or old T-shirt), let dru naturally or use a diffuser - never a standard hair dryer.

I wish I had known all of the above before I was 35.

Look up curly girl method.
I have heard good things about olew curl cream

Find mummy show hair care page on Instagram and Channel on YouTube, lots of tips and advise there

Put her outside when it rains! My daughters hair turns into beautiful ringlets whenever she’s been out in the rain.

Use an Afro comb on it =.
And I suppose she’s not too young to have a silk pillowcase.

We use the curly girl method for dd8. Have done now for 5 years and swear by it. I use nothing but conditioner to wash, rinse then leave in, refresh by spraying with water each morning then run some conditioner through and leave. Never brush, no other products. Our latest favourite and best yet is the garnier hair food range. DD's hair is never greasy no matter how long we leave it and never frizzy. I tend to tie it up in a bun or high pony so it's not always in her face but looks lovely when it's down. It's easier said than done finding a good curly hairdresser and I live in a city. I've learned to trim DD's myself. You cut it dry curl by curl: everyone wants to try and washing it and cut it pulled straight even if they claim they know what they are doing

@bluebeach

Put her outside when it rains! My daughters hair turns into beautiful ringlets whenever she’s been out in the rain.

See also swimming pool and sea

@amusedbush - do you have any details of the protein/moisture tests? My hair is wavy/frizzy, but the front is very different from the back and I can't work haven't found anything which really works on it - a test sounds just like what I need.

[quote Selford]@amusedbush - do you have any details of the protein/moisture tests? My hair is wavy/frizzy, but the front is very different from the back and I can't work haven't found anything which really works on it - a test sounds just like what I need.[/quote]
I would recommend watching some YouTube videos on the tests as they can be a bit confusing just reading from the page (or maybe I’m just dense, which wouldn’t surprise me )

One involves dropping a strand of hair in a cup of water to see if it floats and another is a snap test to check the elasticity.

My Little Coco curling custard has been amazing for my daughters hair which sounds the same as yours OP. I was really wary of putting any product on her (she’s also five, it just felt a bit wrong) but it’s amazing and so light, just melts into her hair but defines the curls and tames the frizz on top.

@amusedbush - thank you, I'll take a look!

Bookmark for my David Luiz looking daughter

I have ringlets and so do a few of my kids. I use Cantu products leave the conditioner in abs brush it through then wrap it in a t shirt (not a towel) then a bit of the activator on the ends.
Also layers on the top keep it in better condition.
Then use the reviver spray on day 2 washing more than 3 daily makes my hair very dry.

I use function of beauty . You do a simple online test and build your own products. They seem expensive but last ages and work out reasonable. My hairdresser is so impressed with the conditioner.

Never dry brush , use your fingers.
Creightons do a curl spray and a serum. Both semichem and very reasonable.
Find a good hairdresser who knows her hair.

My dd (5) has waist length curly hair. We only use conditioner- never shampoo. Only wash 2/3 times a week and brush with a wide tooth comb. I make up a spray bottle with squirt of conditioner and water. In between washes spray with this every time we brush. Spray, comb and plait hair every night before bed to stop knots in the morning. Spray, comb and re-style in the morning.

I wash dd's hair with Cantu co wash and squeeze just enough water out so it's not dripping, never rub it with a towel. Then apply plenty of Cantu leave in conditioner and comb with a wide tooth comb. Once it's dry I just comb my fingers through it. Only wash it twice a week too. She has it in a plait or a bun on top of her head for bed because she's a fidget and if she sleeps with it down she wakes up looking like she's crawled through a hedge.

Thank you all for this fantastic advice - it is really appreciated !

• Moroccan oil is great. If too pricey, try a leave in conditioner.
• ignore all the people who tell you not to blow dry curly hair. I’ve been told this so many times. Everytime I tried letting my long hair “dry naturally to enhance the curl” I caught a cold :(
• dry it with her leaning forward so hair is kinda upside down, and gently scrunch it while drying (or better still use a hairdryer witb a diffuser attachment)