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Style and beauty

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Original poster

Dry curly hair prone to matting

47 replies

QueenCadbury · 26/06/2013 12:48

My dd who's 2 has curly hair. Although this is my first experience of curls as I and other dc have straight hair I was managing to deal with it fairly well. However lately it's become really dry and prone to matting. It's not particularly long as it's seems to grow outwards rather than downwards so I'm not convinced a cut would help.

Any recommendations what shampoo etc to use???

OP posts:

cjbk1 · 27/06/2013 11:32

wallison ditto about the self esteem
funny iv was just remembering yesterday how mum suggested a 'head transplant' so i wldnt have problems with my teeth (crowded) eyes (short sighted) or hair!! and she'd say this kind of thing in public too...she'd always brush my hair wet into a frizz after washing and was always suggesting I get it all chopped offstops self ranting on and it's made me very careful with dd1's hair...by way I'd say freshly trimmed ends really will help x

cjbk1 · 27/06/2013 11:33

stops self ranting on

ohcomethefuckon · 27/06/2013 11:41

Another idea, if the ones above don't work (took me years to find the right products for my mixed race curls) Paul Mitchell leave in conditioner, seems to keep the hair soft, and a tangle teaser as an alternative to a wide tooth comb. I don't comb my hair, i use my fingers but my 4 year old loves her tangleteaser and screams blue murder if I use a comb on her!

IvanaCake · 27/06/2013 11:57

My 3 year old has inherited my ringlets and they are a real pain if I'm honest! They look lovely the day after they're washed and then she spends a few days looking like she's been dragged through a hedge!

I only comb it when its wet and has lots of conditioner on it. I also spray it with boots coconut leave in conditioner.

I can't wait until she's old enough to look after it herself!!

Yy to the self esteem issue. My mum didn't have a clue what to do with curly hair so kept nine cropped short. I looked like a boy until I rebelled and started growing it when I was 11. I felt like a complete misfit in amongst all the girls with their long flowing locks and was so self conscious. It didn't help that other kids would regularly ask me if I was a boy or a girl!

BeCool · 27/06/2013 12:02

Yes keeping ends nicely trimmed makes a HUGE difference.

I dream of the day the DD's can look after their own hair. I talk to women who have similar hair any chance I get and they will often say they never brush it!

I've promised DD1 an ipad when she can wash & brush & de knot her own hair. I can't wait for the day to arrive - sadly I think it is far far away. Still it's really got her trying!

ZolaBuddleia · 27/06/2013 12:05

ohcomethefuckon (love your name!), is the Paul Mitchell one silicone-free, do you know?

celestialsquirrels · 27/06/2013 12:10

I have this hair. The key is to use shampoo rarely and to effectively wash in the shower with loads of conditioner which has enough detergent in it to clean. Then CRUCIALLY towel dry hair briefly to remove excess water and finger through a big blob of conditioner and let dry naturally with the conditioner in it.

Pantene conditioner for normal hair is good - the stuff for dry hair is very heavy and greasy. Aussie brand conditioned are also good - the one called something like daily conditioner.

That's what works for me anyway. Little Miss Shiny Ringlets

Arkady · 27/06/2013 12:17

We use this:

www.boots.com/en/Aussie-Dual-Personality-Curl-Definition-Soft-Feel-Serum-75ml_52534/

It's amazing, and can even get out the dreads that start to form if we don't condition it enough.

We just refer to it as the hair magic at our house, and forget that this isn't actually its name. However we do use about 10x as much at a time as it says on the bottle. A squirt would do nothing for us.

BeCool · 27/06/2013 12:47

Right I'm off to Boots for some Hair Magic!

Wallison · 27/06/2013 13:37

Sorry to hear you had bad experiences too, cjbk1 and IvanaCake. My hair didn't get properly sorted until I was 16! The bloody hairdresser and my mum kept on brushing it in an attempt to make it straight. Not blow-drying it straight properly or anything like that; just drying it and then going at it with a brush. I looked fucking awful until I finally went to a different hairdresser who showed me how to wear it curly. It was a revelation!

Original poster

QueenCadbury · 27/06/2013 14:04

Those gorgeous ringlets she went to bed with looked like she'd spent the night with her fingers in the electric socket by this morning . Still, at least it wasn't matted, just some huge ball of frizz. When she's in the buggy and people can't see the wild mess at the back, I'm forever being told by strangers what wonderful hair she has.

I went to boots this morning and bought the naked stuff so I'll give that a go and if it doesn't work I'll try some other of your recommendations. I'll also try and find a hairdresser that cuts curly hair. I can see they managing her hair is going to cost me a bloody fortune. Thank goodness the other 2 dc are straight!

OP posts:

craigslittleangel · 27/06/2013 16:39

I have also just got back from Boots and have purchased the Custard children's two in one and an adult one - hedging my bets. I forgot to write down the name of the conditioner everyone recommended, however I still have some Mixed chicks stuff leave in that I will use up.

QueenCadbury do you want to report back are success with out girls?

cjbk1 · 27/06/2013 18:34

thanks wallison my hair's always changing so its even harder to get the mastery of it...but it's okay the mo x

Original poster

QueenCadbury · 27/06/2013 19:05

Yes craig I'll report back. Will probably do it tomorrow as it's starting to look matted agin. Sigh.

OP posts:

craigslittleangel · 28/06/2013 09:03

My daughter is due to have her hair washed on Sunday, so will let everyone know on Monday.

craigslittleangel · 01/07/2013 20:10

Well I washed her hair Sunday morning and I think I used to much shampoo because of the lack of suds. I could tell instantly the difference between this and other shampoos as her hair curled beautifully from the root, and not just at the tip.
As to matting, I haven't noticed any difference in that respect. I tend to plat her hair the second or third day after its been washed, which cuts down on the matting.
All in all I like the shampoo. I'm going to look for some other products along the same line.

Original poster

QueenCadbury · 01/07/2013 20:25

I used the naked stuff on her hair and it makes it lovely and soft. It's still frizzy in the mornings but not quite as bad as it was and at least it's not so dry and matted.

I used the naked on my hair too. It's lovely and soft but as I have straight fine hair I think I need some chemicals to give it some oomph!

OP posts:

Drhamsterstortoise · 01/07/2013 23:16

Ivanacake- you are not the only one.My lovely curls were chopped off when I was four.Really affected my self esteem as a child.My daughter has the most beautiful long curly hair .It takes a lot of looking after-use Aussie three minute miracle,mane and tail leave in spray conditioner,some serum and a tangle teaser, tied up at night too.

nannybun · 01/07/2013 23:24

Morrocan oil- one word- AMAZING!!

TerribleTantrums · 01/07/2013 23:36

I found Naked a bit harsh on DD's mixed-race hair. I use Burt's Bees on her and only wash it at most once a week. I always oil it after washing and also wet it, oil it and brush through with a tangle teaser at least once in between washes. I sometimes rub in a little more oil at the back at bedtime onto dry hair. I use Murumuru butter, but one day accidently put this body butter on her hair (it's a similar jar) and it was amazing. It's a little too oily for regular use but I still use it if her hair is looking particularly dry. I pop it onto dry hair at night and by morning she has lovely glossy ringlets.

BeCool · 02/07/2013 09:51

Desperate situation - the girls were with their dad over the weekend and he didn't wash DD2's hair. I'm going to have to do it tonight after work - she will be tired and cranky, and the back of her hair is almost one huge flat dreadlock.

I'm so annoyed with ExP as he didn't do it as he knew it would be tough. He chickened out, he couldn't be bothered - leave the tough jobs for me. But doing it on a weekend morning isn't half as tough as doing it on a week night after work!!

Any suggestions as to what I could do to help detangle before I wash it? I will try putting lots of coconut oil on before I wash it - any other ideas please?

Redlocks30 · 03/07/2013 12:59

Arkady, I have just bought some of this magic stuff on your recommendation!

www.boots.com/en/Aussie-Dual-Personality-Curl-Definition-Soft-Feel-Serum-75ml_52534/

Can I ask how you use it? I tend to wash my hair two/three times a week, put lots of conditioner on and then scrunch hair jelly/gel into it and leave it to dry. On the days that I don't wash it, I scrunch water into the curls to pep them up a bit! What is the Aussie stuff good at-holding the curl in or putting through after you've washed it to get the tangled knots out?

Many thanks!

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