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Original poster

2 year old has awful curly hair

104 replies

buildmeabuttercup · 19/03/2015 11:02

Okay I know I sound mean but I'm not honest. My dd has curly/wavy hair. Some of its beautiful tight curls, some of its wavy. It looks gorgeous when it's just been washed but after about an hour its frizzy and out of control.

Its always messy and she just looks like she's been dragged through a hedge backwards, and the more I brush it the more the curls go and its gets more frizzy and looks worse. Argh.

Any tips?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
KissyBoo · 19/03/2015 15:36

Would she suit a pixie?

RockMummy · 19/03/2015 18:11

52 years of curly hair here. Please do not brush it. Brushing causes frizz. I often find a cold rinse after I have shampooed/conditioned my hair helps reduce the frizz. Your DD might not like that though!

fixedit · 19/03/2015 18:22

DD1 had awful unruly frizzy curly hair but it grew out into long beautiful ringlets Smile

DD2 has the same sort of hair now but we don't mind that she loooks like a shaggy dog a lot of the time because

fixedit · 19/03/2015 18:23

Because... it will grow out Smile

GlitzAndGigglesx · 19/03/2015 18:46

My dd is mixed race so has very thick tight curls. I wash it once a week with shampoo then conditioner and when the conditioner is in I comb through starting with the ends with a wide tooth comb and rinse. Once it's washed I lightly towel dry (DO NOT RUB WITH THE TOWEL AS THIS FRIZZES THE HAIR!!) and apply leave in conditioner and again comb through with the wide tooth comb. I leave it a good hour or so to air dry without touching and it goes soft silky and super curly. Before bed I apply a small amount of oil and plait it to avoid it kinking up into a beehive by morning. I use a hair moisturiser most days for styling. Curly hair is beautiful!

Original poster
buildmeabuttercup · 19/03/2015 19:01

Her hair is so gorgeous when its been washed and dried it really is. Its after that it goes pete tong!

Its clear my mistake is brushing it too much. I brush it lots to try and make it tidier but clearly its having the opposite effect! Will try shampoo once then conditioned, spray in conditioner then brush with a wide tooth comb rather than a brush. Is that right?

I just worry that people will look at her and think god her parents could have least put a brush through her hair!

OP posts:
WrappedInABlankie · 19/03/2015 19:09

I use to condition mine, slap on carrier bag and wrap a towel round it leave it for 30 mins then jump back in the shower to rinse it off

That may help

lostscot · 19/03/2015 19:14

I feel your pain dd is 8 and has curls too. I wash, condition and comb then squeeze hair in a towel. Once she's out shower she shakes ahead upside down to separate curls and wee use one squirt of serum and mousse or curl cream. Before school we spray with water and add a bit more mousse to separate again. Since we ditched the brush it's been much easier!

herecomesthsun · 19/03/2015 19:18

My daughter has very curly hair. I brush it with a tangleteezer maybe once a week after washing and conditioning it, and tie it back. Very simple. She rocks the "messy updo" look with various clips and flowers and little wisps of fair curls escaping round her face. She gets lots of compliments on her lovely hair. She is 3.

Artandco · 19/03/2015 19:19

I always brush it when it's wet so its first get knotted and then dry naturally or blow dry and just use hands. In between no brushing

StayGoldPonyBoy · 19/03/2015 19:20

I have curly hair and so does DD. She's almost 3, and if she's been running about and made her hair go fluffy and crazy, I give her a quick spray with a little water bottle I carry round. I finger comb it wet and it dries quickly and beautifully. It's high maintenance and some mums at soft play and places with their perfectly straight haired daughters look at me likeHmm but I don't like her looking like she's been dragged through a hedge backwards!

Original poster
buildmeabuttercup · 19/03/2015 19:21

I will swap the tangle tease for a wide tooth comb. I will be trying everyones ideas, really appreciate them. Her curls are so beautiful she gets lots of compliments on them but I clearly need lessons in curl care!

OP posts:
Skivvywoman · 19/03/2015 19:25

My dd curls are so much better since I've started "plopping" her hair basically wrapping her hair in a cotton teeshirt to soak up water after it's been washed

Then I comb it through (this is the biggest pain ever) let it air dry for a bit then I "pineapple" her hair after she's shook it a couple of times and it's just tying it up in a high pony loosely with a scrunchie

In the morning she just takes scrunchie out and shakes her hair

I only use products sometimes as her curls are quite defined and not really frizzy

When she was a baby I used to use a product called original little sprout or something like that its products for baby curls it was fabby you can buy it in john Lewis now

killthewiseone · 19/03/2015 19:38

Thanks for the thread, my daughter has curly hair and like you I had no idea that brushing made it worse. I really do think this hair type is gorgeous, though didn't realise how much work there was in store for me...

KissyBoo · 19/03/2015 19:52

Not all curly hair does look great. Some people have mixed patterns where it's partially curly and extremely prone to tangles. One of my friends has a child who is the image of Art Garfunkel.Nit inspection time has been traumatic to say he least.

I think short hair is really underated on girls. Curly hair can lend itself to the most lovely short styles like Audrey Tautou's pixie. Might be worth considering with the faff involved trying to get it to look reasonable.

BatonRouge · 19/03/2015 19:57

All good tips here which I've tried on my DD's hair however the best thing we did was getting it trimmed regularly. Keeps it nice and neat and tangle free for the most part.

lostscot · 19/03/2015 20:46

Meant to say we've just had dd's hair cut, she actually asked as it was a absoloute nightmare every morning as she's got sensory issues and I'm sure neighbours thought I was killing her! It's gone from shoulder blades to jaw length and we are loving how much easier it is and looks brilliant as opposed to looking unkept!

tyaca · 19/03/2015 20:53

My Mum used to send me to school with a hairbrush, hissing at me to remember to brush my hair during the day Hmm.

Please don't go short - my Mum also tried that with me and my sister and we looked like grannies. Pixie crops with curls need very good hairdressing.

Grow it out and start reading curly girl forums. Lots of great advice out there - there's no need for your daughter to suffer like the curlies of yesteryear ..

If it makes you feel any better, my hair rocks nowadays Wink

puds11isNAUGHTYnotNAICE · 19/03/2015 20:56

Ah yes, brushing is not a good idea! DD has curly hair, so I had to do some research as to how to care for it.

I only brush her hair in the bath when it has conditioner on, with a wide toothed comb. If I ever brush it dry, I put it up in a bobble. I have found that putting it in french plaits makes it come out lovely.

Patatas · 19/03/2015 20:59

Leave in conditioner is your friend.

TinkerbellaPan · 20/03/2015 01:20

I speak as a curly girl when i say please do for your daughter what my mother never did for me - work out how to style her hair and get it looking nice.

I had awful hair throughout my childhood and teens. My DM would brush it and I had a fringe, both of which are terrible ideas!

Read (and read and read!) up on the curly girl method, once you have a styling method down you'll find it easier.

As previous posters said, don't brush. If you can get away with it, don't even comb it when it's dry.

I disagree that shorter is more manageable. If it's too short to ponytail it, then every night it will get fuzzy against her pillow and it will look a mess in the morning. If its long enough to tie then you should pineapple it up on top of her head each night with a scrunchie so the curls stay intact.

If you can get away with not washing/fully wetting it each day, then don't.

As a word of warning, most hairdressers know nothing about curly hair and how to cut or manage it.

In the off chance you live near Birmingham, Matthew James is a specialist curly hairdresser and well worth the visit.

Sativa · 20/03/2015 01:26

As well as adding to the 'don't brush' advice, there are lots of tutorials on You Tube for curly hair care. I'd also recommend Mixed Chicks or Mixed Kids hair products. Smile

Pumpkinette · 20/03/2015 06:40

You might also want to try a satin / silk pillow case for her, cotton ones dry out curly hair and cause frizz. Failing that you can get a satin sleep bonnet for her, you will have to get one online as nowhere stocks them. Finally if her hair is long enough you could try putting her hair up at night using the 'Pineapple method' it's great for stopping tangles and frizz.

My mum never knew how to look after my hair when I was young and it was always brushed out curls frizzy mess. Once I took over my own haircare my hair looked so much nicer. Biggest rule is to never brush it. Finger comb out any tangles and tugs (with some leave in conditioner spray). I know others have said to only wash once a week which is generally good advice but it will depend on her hair. I need to do mine twice a week. The website linked further back in the thread is full of great advice for curly hair.

Original poster
buildmeabuttercup · 20/03/2015 08:29

tinkerbella thats all I'm trying to do, work out how to make the most out of them. I'd never give her a complex, shes the most beautiful girl in the world to me but surely we all want our kids to look presentable Smile.

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Nolim · 20/03/2015 08:39

Watching with interest, thanks for all the tips.