school hair styles for an extremely scruff-prone dd

[dinny]

whatever style dd goes to school in, she comes out in a right state

have had to do loads of nit combing lately and it's really damaged her hair so need to treat it as gently as possible too

it's shoulder-blade length, straight and fine with a growing-out fringe (down to her chin nearly)

thanks!

Would she wear an alice band or one of those bull over the head bands? That's what I used to have and then either bunches, plaits, ponytail or bun.

Dinny - This is exactly what happened last year when dd got her first (and touch wood last) infestation of nits. The combing really damaged her hair. She too tends to take out or lose whatever clips, elastics or scrunchies I put in her hair at the beginning of the day, so we went for the chop (from shoulder length to chin length bob).

It's been a great success. An alice band is enough to keep her hair out of her face and washing and brushing is much easier now too. But she says she wants to grow it again .... ooh err.

nappyaddict - she'd just come home with no alice band on at all

Bocca - interesting, what sort of comb did you use? mine was nittygritty mainly

now it's been cut I'm hoping the damage will mend - not really sure what to do if she gets nits again though

what about something like this or this

Mine was one we had to buy in France - - as we were on holiday and hadn't bothered to take the comb we bought after the numerous nit scares at school. The comb looks very like the nittygritty, in that the tines are very close together (much closer than in the version bought at home) and dragging it through the hair was very hard. She ended up with lots of broken hairs and split ends.

NA - she has a mesh bag stuffed full of every flipping style you can imagine - the lyrca ones always end up balanced at the back of her head (I prob put them on wrong?)

Bocca - I feel awfully guilty about it, trying to thinkhow many times have nit combed her....not LOADS, maybe 5-6

Well, I guess it's about the same here. If you want to avoid chemicals (which I do) then it means lots of hard combing.

Well when I wear them myself I pull it over my head down to my neck and then back up over head iyswim. If I am wearing a ponytail the head band goes underneath it.

Bocca - if she gets them again am plastic combing!

NA - mmmm, that's what I do - hers always travel backwards considerably! do you have over any part of the ears or behind (honest, I'm not a total useless article, honestly!)

If hair is damaged ie different lengths, broken ends, it really is best to have it blunt cut in an even bob, and then to condition/comb out tangles like crazy after every hair wash to avoid it getting broken again.

behind the ears.

I can't do French plaits at all, so I part DD's hair from front to back. I then take take the front bits (she has no fringe) and plait them until they get to bunches level, then I plait them into the bunches so she gets two long plaits. It holds well.

I just remembered when I was at school my mum used to do this thing where she'd do that thing where you have it half up and half down. then she'd get another bobble and do a pony tail with the bottom half iyswim.

I find longer hair less work than bobbed hair which was a bloody nuicence.
I also make mine have it tidied up to keep it off their face so they can read and to hopefully keep the nits away, we also use a teatree oil hair detangler from sainsbury's to help keep the beasties away.

DD has quite fine hair. She has a short-ish bob. Just below chin. With a fringe. Looks great. Naturally very straight unless grows, so this length really easy to maintain. Sometimes wears hair clips but doesn't HAVE to.

right, dd will be sporting two French plaits tomorrow morning, with a spritz of diluted tea tree to prevent nits (hopefully)

Is there a site where they show you how to do these styles ?
I'd love to have a go at a french plait just wouldn't know where to start.

dunno, but French plaits are hard at first - ask a hairdresser to show you maybe?

I have given up with DD1's hair, it is ATROCIOUS! She insists on doing it herself and the other day she looked like a ginger Amy Winehouse, DH and I were sure we saw toast caught up in it. It is lovely after a bath when I have brushed it but she just loves messy hair.

For school, no matter what I do with it and believe you me, I have tried every hairstyle mentioned here, it is still a disgrace when she comes out.

So my addition to this thread is, give up!

"Ginger Amy Winehouse" has given me my first laugh our loud of the day!

err, that would be out, of course.

pgwithnumber3 - even in a bun or french plaits? in that case yes i think you're right give up!

OHbollox - lots here this is what YouTube was meant for

Thank you Badger that's brilliant.

God, MrsB, you are fab!

dd has gone to school with two French plaits in - will report back what state she is in afterwards!

ps. heavy snow here today - lovely!!