Super curly toddler hair - products?

[doadeer]

Turning to all you lovely style and beauty experts for some advice.

My son is 19months - he has type 3B hair I'd say... His dad has tight afro-carribean curls and I have very thick wavy caucasian hair.

It keeps getting really tatty in small sections at the back and he cries when I try to tease them out. I'm using a small amount of cantu leave in conditioner after washing it which we only do about every 5 days as he just hates it. I'm not sure what to comb his hair with?

I'll attach a pic - let me know what you think would help!

Wide tooth comb when hair is wet and loaded with conditioner, use more than you think! Best to use a silicone free one
If it gets tangled you can use a spray with a mix of the conditioner and water and the wide tooth comb

Some helpful stuff here

https://curlspecialist.com/2017/09/29/curly-kids-hair-care-routine/

Thank you! I don't know why I feel apprehensive about using lots of product on his hair... Maybe I need to use more. I'll check out the link 👍

We use a childs farm conditioner, the childs farm detangler spray and the L’Oréal kids pear detangling spray on DS and it works brilliantly.

Ok, first things first - you need to untangle it. Put a LOT of childs farm conditioner on his hair and then comb it through first with your fingers then a wide tooth comb. Use CBeebies to distract if he hates it. When you get him out of the bath and his hair is wet, pat it with a microfibre towel, don’t rub it with a normal towel or it will encourage it to matt. Then spray the hair with the pear detangler. Once the hair is dry, you just need to spritz morning and night with the childs farm spray each day and it should hold a tangle free curl to the next wash.

By the way I was apprehensive about loading his hair with products too but I make sure I use child friendly, suitable ones.

I like the childs farm conditioner on my own hair definitely don't worry about using loads of conditioner, you're rinsing it out anyway and no harm if a bit left in, as I often do that

On my daughter's hair I use conditioner first to detangle, then shampoo and then another conditioner and try to detangle as much as possible in the bath. I use a wet brush and wide comb to detangle and only wash once a week.

Your son's hair is gorgeous!

Thanks everyone I think I'll go for a spray bottle I can use on dry hair too and tease his hair when he is watching Disney. He absolutely hates having his hair washed it's very upsetting

Beautiful hair!

My daughters have hair like this. The trick is to use less shampoo than you think. Condition in the bath and comb with a wide-toothed comb. Rinse out gently and then put a small amount of conditioner in your hands, comb it through his hair with your fingers, but don’t wash it out.

Squeeze out the water really gently with a microfibre towel or a tea-towel but don’t rub it, and then just leave it...should dry into lovely curls. Sprout products also help but you shouldn’t need them.

In the mornings just gently comb through with your fingers...if you want to then spray his hair with a bit of water and then take through a little more conditioner.

Rake through that should say...

I’d advise only detangling when wet. Leave in conditioner is your friend here. Also you may not need to wash with shampoo as frequently as you do now. Perhaps alternate with a co-wash (‘washing’ but just using conditioner).

Childs farm detangler (lots) and a tangle teaser

Or dilute some Kinky Kurly Knot today in a spray bottle

@PonDeReplay

I’d advise only detangling when wet. Leave in conditioner is your friend here. Also you may not need to wash with shampoo as frequently as you do now. Perhaps alternate with a co-wash (‘washing’ but just using conditioner).

Less than every 5 days with shampoo so once a week or so?

His hair looks great condition and the curls are defined so I don't think it needs lots of shampoo.

Do you like the Cantu leave in conditioner?

My Little Coco by Rochelle Humes for Boots.

@Runkle

My Little Coco by Rochelle Humes for Boots.

Fab I'll try that

I just use moogoo conditioner on my daughters hair. A very occasional shampoo wash but maybe every couple of weeks.
I use a tangle teezer and I do find if you don't wash and brush through every day, it gets very knotty.

@BammBamm wash every day?! Oh my goodness is a traumatic experience doing it every 5 days. What sort of hair does your daughter have? Does she like it being washed?

I would say 3b.
No not particularly, however she accepts it's happening, like teeth brushing

Styling cream....

Try aunt Jackie's knot on my watch (it's a detangler, moisture and curl definer in one. Wet the hair first, apply and brush through. AMAZING

Essential styling tools...

You need a tangle teaser, water spray and an afro comb. Amazon also sell imitations if the EZ brush that are great for detangling.

Wash day....

Creme of nature argan oil detangling sulfate free shampoo is excellent, and for conditioning slip I still haven't found anything that beats Moroccan oil hydrating masque (still looking for a cheaper alternative).

If the knots are very bad I use African pride pre shampoo.

Additional info...

Wash his hair no more than every couple of weeks, giving the scalp a really good scrub and squeeze the lather through the length.

I still get the usual tears and screeching on wash day (you know the struggle), but nowhere near as bad as before I found these gems.

Hope this helps.

My hair is like that. Don’t use a comb. Really saturate the hair with cantu (or coconut oil if you want something organic) and pull the knots apart with your hair, finger combing until the knots are out. Do this every other day / as needed. Don’t use shampoo to wash hair - use conditioner every 2-3 weeks. His hair will be amazing

Pull the knots out with your hand I mean

Just to add with brushing you have to section, piece by piece and start at the ends and working from the bottom to the scalp.

If you're using an afro comb don't hold it tight in your hand you have to grip it loosely and allow it some give as you comb (if that makes sense).

My son has extremely curly hair. We use masses of conditioner, comb it through in the bath then rinse thoroughly and blowdry with some extraordinary oil. We only use shampoo every week or two.

It’s gorgeous hair and I understand wanting to keep it long. However I don’t understand why you would put him through all that just so he can have long hair? Loads of expensive conditioner, time spent washing and combing which he hates... just cut it short for crying out loud! It’ll be hard on you the first time but bath time will be so much more pleasant for everyone concerned.

My DD2 had a stunning mop of copper curls and I cried the first time it was cut but oh my god we were all so much happier come wash day and there were no mats to clear out.