As a little girl I recall constantly wanting to reassert my independence in every which way possible. Getting in and out of my crib as a toddler? I could hoist myself up there no problem, don’t even try to lift me. Dressing myself? I didn’t need to be told not to wear my fleece in the rain, I was a big girl, I could wear whatever I wanted, weather be darned. I also wanted to be in charge of washing and combing my own curls.
The washing part came easily, all I had to do was pour out some 2 in 1 shampoo-conditioner ( do not ever use 2 in 1s by the way). The combing part, not so much. Needless to say my parents were horrified to discover that my hair had turned into a thick matted rat’s nest and promptly rushed me to the salon where I cried when they said they would have to cut it all off.
They did not end up cutting all of my hair off and instead were kind enough to spend several hour brushing out the mess I had made. My mother has soft, silky waves and my father is a man who does not spend much time on a beauty regime. I had no guidance when it came to my mane of corkscrews but I wish that I had. For any parents who have found themselves with a moptop child, we have a few tips for you.
1. Do Not Brush: We cannot stress this enough. For adult and child curls, combing is the way to go. If you are timid about possibly causing any pain to your child’s delicate head, finger combing will do in a pinch.
2. Condition Often, Shampoo Rarely: In fact for a small child, you don’t even necessarily have to shampoo at all. A warm rinse is really all you need to get rid of the excess jam that somehow finds its way into all children’s hair. However, since curly hair tends to dry out easily, a regular conditioning treatment is necessary to retain moisture.
3. Frequent Trims: Children are wild and unpredictable creatures. They will come back from being outside for no more than 5 minutes looking like Donnie from the Wild Thornberries. They find the peanut butter in the house even if you don’t recall buying any peanut butter. And their hair will no doubt show the evidence of their adventures. So it’s better if there is less of it to keep clean. Once every month or month and a half is sufficient.
4. Find A Salon That Specializes In Curly Hair: This goes for children and adults. Cutting curly hair is an art. Straight hair can be put through the regular cycle of cutting and cleaning but curly hair requires special attention, especially a child’s curly hair.
5. Try Out Curlisto Kids Products: Our Curlisto Kids Line is ultra-gentle and PH balanced so that your child’s curls will be left, silky, light and manageable. No tears, no troubles.