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Mearwynna
April 8th, 2008, 11:06 AM
I have a 20 month old with fine curly hair, The problem is on the back of her head she has some weird feeling hair, this is also frizzy and crunchy. This almost felts together in a matt. It started a few months ago. What do you think is going on with it and is there a cure?
Or give me some ideas? Is it some kind of damage?
I rarely use any soap, but have tried a shampoo bar a few times on her. It feels better after that and it's because of the glycerin in the bar, I think. Mostly I just use conditioner on her hair because it seems very fine and dry. Help!

squiggyflop
April 8th, 2008, 11:16 AM
i dont think its wise to use a shampoo bar on a baby because of the stinging of the eyes. conditioner only sounds good.. baby hair doesnt really get very dirty anyway so theres no reason to wash it more than once a week unless she gets some goop in it then i suggest getting the goop out with water only..
my mother couldnt wash my hair often when i was a child because of the constant matting..
have you tryed detangler spray? i say use a tear free formula thats been diluted once a month at most and conditioner only once a week water only in between

Lamb
April 8th, 2008, 11:22 AM
on the back of her head she has some weird feeling hair, this is also frizzy and crunchy. This almost felts together in a matt.
Does she usually sleep on her back? This could partly explain why that spot is so dry and crunchy. (BTW, many people have hair on the back of their heads which is coarser/dryer than the rest, myself included.)
Make sure her scalp is OK!
If I were you, I wouldn't wash her hair too often. You could use a very gentle shampoo diluted (and I mean 1 part shampoo, 10 parts water - I use a foaming bottle for this, very economical. )

ETA: also, if it might be due to her sleeping on her back, you might consider switching to a satin/silk pillowcase.

mommy101405
April 8th, 2008, 11:22 AM
I would try a detangler spray. My daughter is 2 1/2 and her hair has just really started to come in. Just barely long enough for a small clip or barrette now. Its curly and fine and I have NO experience with curly hair so its all new to me. I got a detangling spray and it does wonder to keep her curls soft and springy. I also try to wash it as little as possible. Although she has an obsession with putting yogurt in her hair so thats not always possible.:mad

Eden Iris
April 8th, 2008, 11:22 AM
I have/had a similar thing going on with my kids' hair (now 3 years and 16 months). All I can suggest is olive oil and patience. Olive oil is excellent for every part of a baby from birth on (it helps with cradle cap, diaper rash, and is safe and edible), and the good news is that frizzy, matted back of head hair seems to grow out around age 2 to 2 1/2. Mild shampoo bars are a good idea since they are made of mostly oil, but hair at that age needs very little washing, just enough to get the food out of it.

Hope this helps.

rhondalicious
April 8th, 2008, 11:30 AM
I bet your baby is like my kidlets - they both rub their heads on their beds in their sleep. Basically they are felting their hair! Once they got older, it stopped happening. My son's(3.5) fine hair fell out and became coarse like adult hair around age 2. My daughter's(2) hair is really long and slippery like mine, so it doesn't crimp up any more. I also use Infusium 23 leave in on her hair (detangler gave her nasty flakes, but this stuff doesnt, plus it keeps her hair from frizzing out and tangling up!).

I also really suggest conditioner only, but be careful to keep it out of the eyes - some can really sting (for example, Burts Bees citrus, yes it stings. But their raspberry one doesn't).

My kids get bathed maybe every other night, unless there is an excursion in mud puddles. I only actually wash their hair maybe once a week, the rest of the time it's just water, and then my daughter gets the Infusium whenver her hair gets really tangled, because it detangles just a bit and she loves the smell.

mommy101405
April 8th, 2008, 11:30 AM
I have/had a similar thing going on with my kids' hair (now 3 years and 16 months). All I can suggest is olive oil and patience. Olive oil is excellent for every part of a baby from birth on (it helps with cradle cap, diaper rash, and is safe and edible), and the good news is that frizzy, matted back of head hair seems to grow out around age 2 to 2 1/2. Mild shampoo bars are a good idea since they are made of mostly oil, but hair at that age needs very little washing, just enough to get the food out of it.

Hope this helps.

Do you know of anyone who has shampoo bars that would be good for kids? I worry about it getting in their eyes.

squiggyflop
April 8th, 2008, 11:38 AM
Do you know of anyone who has shampoo bars that would be good for kids? I worry about it getting in their eyes.
any shampoo bar will sting... you will never find a tearless one and it could be damaging to the eyes... think back to your own childhood... how much did it hurt your eyes when you got soap in them... i know i would scream like i was getting murdered.

Eden Iris
April 8th, 2008, 11:39 AM
Burt's Bees has a baby shampoo bar. I tried it, and it's horrible for adult hair, but it's designed to be safe for eyes and baby fine hair. I also use one from Camamu Soap; you can find them in grocery co-ops or health food stores. The rosemary one is very gentle and good for fine hair, but even still I try to keep the suds away from their faces

AutumnLeaves
April 8th, 2008, 11:42 AM
It is common and occurs when the baby rubs their heads on their sheets as they sleep and move around. I used to put a little baby lotion on my hands, rub it in a wee bit, then rub my hands over that patch of hair. Helps a bit and provides some moisture. My babies both had that, as have all my grandbabies. As their hair grows it goes away pretty much. No worries!

squiggyflop
April 8th, 2008, 11:46 AM
Burt's Bees has a baby shampoo bar. I tried it, and it's horrible for adult hair, but it's designed to be safe for eyes and baby fine hair. I also use one from Camamu Soap; you can find them in grocery co-ops or health food stores. The rosemary one is very gentle and good for fine hair, but even still I try to keep the suds away from their faces
really ive never heard of it.. i would think the lye used to make it would sting... but then again it hurts my eyes when i just get water in them

jojo
April 8th, 2008, 11:49 AM
how about just doing a CO wash? i still get this if i dont tie my hair back, we call it candy floss hair! is her hair long enough to braid for sleeping, afterall prevention is better than cure!

Nevermore
April 8th, 2008, 11:59 AM
I'd try conditioner only. Getting partially-sudsy conditioner in my eyes stings less than getting baby shampoo in them.

I second everyone else though, babies don't need too much washing, except to get food off so you might want to just rinse any hair-food out/off of her hair and run some conditioner thru it to make it smell nice.

lora410
April 8th, 2008, 12:25 PM
OK, I had this isssue when my DD was a baby. She is a blonde curly to and the back part was the last area to grow in. make sure its a cone free condish you are using so she doesnt get buildup. also its curly aka knots when sleeping so dampen it and use a slight oil like almond jojoba or any LIGHT oil. Olive oil is kinda heavy.

Mearwynna
April 8th, 2008, 01:13 PM
Well, we'll just wait and see if this goes away. I rarely wash her hair, usually we just co with it and it seems to help. The shampoo bar gives it more slip than the co does. Don't know why. I thought it was the glycerin.
No shampoo goes in her eyes-so don't worry about that. We wash both the girls hair with them on their backs upon the counter and use the water hose, just like in a salon. They love doing that.

this started after I began using cocunut oil on it to improve some of the frizz. I thought of the satin pillow case idea, but I haven't even got myself one yet! She does sleep on her back.