DD's hair is all matted...any ideas for tangle free locks without tears??

[Smurfs]

Dear all

DD (2.5)has had Chicken Pox in the last few weeks and had lots of spots on her head so we couldn't brush her hair and now she has a matt of tangled hair at the back. I have tried lashings of conditioner and still no joy. Any suggestions please.

Aww poor DD - mine often get this 'birdnest' thingy (inherited from me ). I use my conditioner on them (Pantene usually good) and am careful with rinsing but I have resorted to cutting chunks out!!

Lots and lots of conditioner on very wet hair, left for about 15 minutes. Failing that olive oil. Had a similar situation with DD2 recently. She has the thickest of thick hair and it took me 40 minutes to untangle it all, but the olive oil did the trick in the end. Did my back no good leaning over the bath for that length of time, though! Good luck!

My dd has really quite long hair and i use johnston's baby shampoo and conditioner but the pinky one which is a detangler and it's fantastic

If nothing works have a word with your hairdresser as i'm sure they would be willing to help you- if you were near me i would gladly help

If you can stretch to it Aveda Sap Moss conditioner works wonders.

If i have big hair issues to deal with then it is lots of conditions, a towel over the shoulders and then infront of DVD or TV so LO is distracted whilst I sort out the nest.

Thanks Sparkletastic......I have been avoiding the scissors up until now but I think the time may have come for an impromptu hair cut.....or may try to turn it into a plait, not very good at cutting hair

Have you got the conditioner with detangler? We use the Loreal one in a fish-shaped bottle. We also have various types of leave-in conditioners and sprays, and a detangling comb (from Boots I think). I try and seperate the tangles with my fingers before going in with a comb or brush too.

But sometimes, once you've got an isolated stubborn little tangle, it's got to be scissors.

Might not be enough, but Johnsons does a spray which seems to just melt the tangles away. Can't remember its name - have run out - but it's in a pink bottle. I also use Pantene conditioner on dd's hair.

...oh SA fab idea...does it have to be extra Virgin first press etc etc or will Co-op Everyday Olive Oil work?

Feeling brave may attempt it now

Can i just say Please donot brush hair when it's wet you will just stretch the hair until it snaps off, would recommend a wide toothed comb only for wet hair

Oh yes, definitely the wide-toothed comb, not a brush.

I'm pretty sure I used extra virgin, Smurfs, but somehow I doubt it matters! She smelt rather like a salad for a while afterwards, but her hair was lovely and shiny!

right olive oil today in front of Cbeebies and failing that off to Boots tomorrow...thanks all DD is starting to look feral so the time has come to act

Where abouts are you smurfs? If you are anywhere near me i would help if you like(i'm a hairdresser btw)

SA...told my DD and DS about the advice from the lovely mummy's in the computer and DS laughed when I mentioned that there was a risk of smelling like a salad....DS is now calling DD salad head and she is loving it....some days it is sooo easy to amuse my adorable children

PP - thank you for the offer but I would be too embarassed to accept as DD has not been to a hairdresser yet and she is 2.5

Dear all

DD has tangle free hair...thank you all for you suggestions, she does indeed smell yummy like a salad

I'm so glad for you and dd that it's all worked out ok

You should not be embarressed about your dc having natural hair they will look gorgeous

When I was a goth, and used to backcomb and hairspray my hair it got very knotted and matted (as it would really.....)

I used to lie with my head back in the bath, and comb it out under water, it all came unknotted very fast. Keeping it underwater was the trick

Appreciate we may be talking different things here, but it might help!

Thanks PurplePillow at one stage I was considering bundling DD in the car and driving at speed to you but instead I poured lashing more Olive Oil on and it seemed to unknot itself....I would not have thought to put Olive Oil on in a million years.....having said that I wouldn't have put porridge oats in a bath to soothe the itch of Chicken Pox either....until the wisdom of Mumsnet

fizzbuzz....snap to the backcombing don't do that now although some days I look like I have

Yes, the bath would be bits of semi-solid hairspray.....not nice

Glad the olive oil helped. I treated myself to a pedicure a few weeks ago and was chatting to the lovely lady and telling her DD1 had just come back from a ski trip and that I had no idea how we were going to de-knot her hair, and she was the one who suggested it.

Had no idea about the porridge oats for chicken pox - mine have both had it so we shouldn't need that trick, but I shall keep it at the back of my mind to wow other people when their LOs get it!

Just a note. I know the problem is now solved, but . . .
Don't buy the loreal detangler/shampoo/conditioner. Tesco's do they're own brand. 48p for shampoo and 98p for detangling spray!!! I am usually a bit snobbish about own brands in hair care, but this is actually exactly as good!! My dd2 has really curly locks (where from none of us know!!) she goes to bed with lovely washed/conditioned/shiny knot free curls and wakes up with dreads (I kid you not, proper matted lumpy dreads!!!) I have to use detangler twice a day else I cannot get anything through it. And the tesco stuff gets through it so it must be good.
I am going to try olive oil tonight though.

their not they're
sorry tired today.

eeek- tesco detangler? Spilled some on a plastic topped table and the laminate melted!!!! .

I now find olive oil less scary.....

Now throwing away detangler. Going to stock up on olive oil (and if all else fails - hair clippers!!)