2 year old with wild curly hair!

[SqueezyB]

My almost 2-year-old DD has gorgeous corkscrew curls but I just don't know what to do with them! I gave up trying to brush/comb it a while ago as she hated it and it just made it incredibly frizzy. It always just naturally looked lovely, proper little ringlets, but lately she's starting to look like a little urchin as it's going a bit haywire and sections look a bit matted .

Should I brush it? Get a wide-tooth comb? Use conditioner? I haven't got curly hair so don't know what to do with it!

I know what you mean! I used 2-in-1 shampoo, then conditioner as well and finally some magic stuff called tangle tamer - available in supermarkets. That did the trick.

Tangleteezer brush - only way to go. Probably a bit of spray in conditioneer, but mostly just leave alone. DD2 - age 2.5 -is exactly the same - likes the urchin look

My dd is 2 and we have had the same problem. Although when she wakes up, it looks like she has stuck her fingers in a socket (massive big afro). A friend bought her Original Little Spout shampoo and curl calmer and I swear by them now. Her hair is beautiful and soft and she has lovely smooth ringlets. It is gorgeous. I know it's a bit dear, but we have had both for almost 2 months and have barely made a dent in them as you need such a small amount. If you can, definitely give it a try.

Another vote for Tangle Teezer. DD regularly had to have dreadlocks cut out before we discovered it.

DD, 2.5 yrs & mixed race also has gorgeous corksccrew hair, but it is an absolute devil to keep. It can get very matted and brushing is an absolute pain - she screams and runs round the room trying to get away from me!

We wash her hair a couple of times a week and always use lots of conditioner on it. Also, this spray - quite expensive but it works! We also have the Tangleteezer brush, which I do use but this ends up giving DD's hair an afro effect rather than beautiful ringlets!

It's a curse, but a beautiful one!

I eventually realised (well my DM TOLD me)that it was MY vanity that subjected DD1 to torture re her v curly hair. I had it cut to about an inch and a half all over. Result. Still very pretty, like a curly cap, but easy to wash and comb. Once she got past the 'food and paint in hair' stage and was able to manage it herself she let it grow again. I think it is quite cruel to leave a toddler with unmanageable hair that requires lots of painful attention.

wow, thanks for the tips! I will definitely get one of those tangleteezer brushes, sounds like the way to go. AnnieBeansMum, the Little Sprout stuff looks lovely, maybe I will invest in the curl calmer.

Granny23, I do know what you mean, I used to think the same when my SIL insisted on keeping her kids' hair ridiculously long. But her ringlets are so cute I couldn't bear to cut them, not yet anyway, and not if we can find a fuss-free solution!

My daughter has quite mad hair, it literally goes either way, I get around it by simply wetting her hair and putting conditioner in it and combing through with a wide-toothed comb, the curls stay defined and she doesn't complain. I also use the tangle teezer for days when I can't be bothered or we have to go out into the cold before it dries but it does make the curls tighter and definitely needs some type of conditioner or hair cream.

that curl product looks good. we've been using the curly girl method for a while so no shampoo, just conditioner to wash and more conditioner on afterwards but the conditioners have to be silicon ? free. her hair's been a lot less tangly since then. I brush it when wet only with the tangleteaser. it looks ok but I can't wait til she's a bit older and stops screeching

DD and I both have hair like this and I follow the "Curly Girl Method" (which I read about on here!) for both of us. In a nutshell- only use shampoo without any sulphates in it because these make curly hair wildly frizzy; use leave-in conditioner without any silicones in it (most conditioners have these, you need to search for one that is free of "'cones"), and only comb while wet with a wide tooth comb., never brush or comb when dry.

I hated my frizzy hair for 30 years until I discovered this method, now I have lovely soft ringlets. Hopefully one day DD wil thank me for saving her from the frizzy adolescence I had to suffer!

x-posts sanfairyann!

I'm glad I don't look like a lonely crank!

Do you have her hair cut regularly?
My DD has very curly hair, which is very long. Until she was about 2 she never had the length cut properly (just a few tidy-up cuts by me at home) as it looked so lovely as it got longer! However it used to get so knotty.

I found that once I started taking her to the hairdressers regularly, it got a lot more manageable. I now make sure I take her every 6 weeks (even though as its long it doesn't really look like it needs cutting), and it makes SO much difference and keeps the knots under control.

I also use tangle tamer every time I brush her hair, and as she often has a plait in for school, I leave it in over night to minimise the knots.

pendulum

you may find this thread helpful

Google Curly Girl Method, or get the book by Lorraine Massey. One of the DDs and I only use conditioner, no shampoo. We don't brush or comb ever, just run fingers through hair while in the shower, then let it air dry, with a little diluted gel scrunched in. Getting DD ready for school was a nightmare until I discovered the conditioner-only and no-brushing approach.