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Have you ever looked over at your kiddo and all you can see is a nest of knotted hair? Yikes!
Children are more active with sports, swimming and restless sleep with their growing bodies, so their hair can take a beating. It may become frizzy, knotted or develop tangles. To top it off, children often have more sensitive scalps than adults, making brushing even more of a challenge. Luckily there are some things you can do to minimize this problem. If you follow these steps, your little one will be tangle free in no time!
1. Conditioner
As your child grows, if you see more and more tangles, you may opt to use a little natural conditioner. If you are not already using it, now might be a good time to try. Try using a small amount during bath time. If youre child will tolerate it, try brushing the hair with the conditioner in it while your child takes a bath. Longer hair will be more likely to tangle since it is more likely to catch on another strand. Once several strands do this, you will have a knot. Combing through it in the tub might be a little less time consuming since dry, coarse hair tends to become more difficult to brush when it is tangled. Instead of washing the conditioner out completely, leave it in the hair and pat dry or try a leave-in conditioner. Leave-in conditioners can usually be sprayed on following a shower. Many parents find that regular leave-in conditioner works well for their children’s hair.
Pro tip: Do not rinse the conditioner out of the hair. It will help bond to the hair to make combing easier. Whether you use regular conditioner or leave-in, conditioner will almost always reduce snags.
2. Style Before Bedtime
If your child usually gets knots overnight, he or she may notice that putting it in a ponytail or braid to sleep minimizes the tangles. We recommend a tighter braid, if possible as it keeps the hair from moving as your child tosses and turns. If it is more stable, it is less likely to hang up on surrounding hairs. Stability of the hair naturally prevents tangles. Many stylists also recommend braid, as it prevents tangles and creates wavy hair the next day. If you are good at braiding, some parents will tightly braid their child’s hair at night and let them wear the braid through the next day.
3. Time for a haircut?
Not short, necessarily, but a trim to rid the hair of split ends will help minimize tangles. Since dry hair catches on other hairs and creates a knot, it is essential to keep the hair as healthy as possible. Split ends and damaged hair are far more likely to become knotted than shorter, healthier hair. If your child has extremely long hair (past mid-back), a quick trim to rid the dead ends may be beneficial as well. For some children, shorter hair also tangles, so this is not a cure-all, but it can help.
4. Tools Matter.
We recommend using a wide-toothed comb, damp brush or a hairbrush specifically made for detangling. Start with the hair wet and brush or comb your child’s hair slowly and gently. If you are trying to work with hair that is already dry, you may want to add a natural product to wet it before attempting to remove the knots.
5. Find the best tools.
Have you ever tried to brush and accidentally snagged a knot, leaving your little one in tears?
Often, the problem parents have is the way that they brush their child’s hair. Brushing from the roots down can make tangles more challenging to remove. Gradually getting them out by ends up brushing can help remove even the nastiest knots. It is a good idea to use a leave-in conditioner or at least some water as well, but starting by brushing or combing nearest the ends and working your way up will often alleviate any tangles. Combining this method with other methods is the best way to do this. Wet, conditioned hair with a wide-toothed comb or detangling brush is the best way to brush the hair, and if you do it from the bottom up, you will rid your little one of the worst knots more quickly.
6. Use Product.
Using hair detangling products is sometimes the best solution for your kid’s hair. T is for Tame has some of the best products on the market. Their line of taming products are specially formulated for children’s fine hair. They use “safe, clinically tested ingredients including coconut and jojoba oil,” according to their website. Coconut oil is often recommended as a natural detangler. This spray will help manage frizz and flyaways.
Final Thoughts
Whether you use T is for Tame alone or pair it with other methods, be sure that you are caring for your child’s hair. Healthy, smooth hair has less tendency to tangle and knot. Your child’s scalp is far more sensitive than yours and you want to use products on their hair that is designed for use by children.