Advice for 3 year old's baby fine hair??

[marimara]

My daughter is about 3 years old and has really fine hair. I estimate her hair to be at this time about a 2b-2c, it's about her shoulder length. Her hair is straighter on the top layer, especially on the sides of her face, and curly in the back, as in if it is conditioned and left to dry naturally, it will form spiral ringlets in certain areas. But the sides by her face are more straight.

Anyways, those of you who have little girls, I'm sure you know their hair looks crazy when they wake up from rubbing on their pillows or after a car ride from the carseat. I have always had a problem with the back or her hair, the curly part, becoming VERY tangled and she has a lot of breakage and split ends back there. It's very difficult to comb it out.

For logistical reasons, it's easier for small children to bathe at night, to get them clean before bed and all, but it makes her hair crazy!!!

Currently, I wash her hair maybe 2-3 time a week, with a gentle baby shampoo (natures gate baby shampoo). I use Suave Brilliant Shine conditioner (with cones) on her hair with every bath and I use Giovanni leave in (no cones) every morning when I try to comb out the rattiness and after her bath. I have tried no cones with her but then her hair is impossible to comb (I found I needed to use something with some slip in it). But I'm thinking of switching her to Giovanni 50/50 conditioner (what I use, it's really great for no cones). I will need to clarify her hair first then condition it really good.

Any other ideas on how to help her hair? I want to let her beautiful hair grow out but it's so damaged in the back. I occasionally snip of the split ends when I see one but no that often.
I can take her in for a trim but the hair stylists never want to trim up the back since there's so much breakage they would have to really layer it to get all the split ends off. I really don't know what to do.

I don't think I can post pics yet, since I'm still new. Thanks!!!!

[florenonite]

What about braiding it? It might not be long enough for a single braid, but two braids (French or English) are cute on wee girls.

You could also try and get a detangling spray. My mum had to use that on my sister who had incredibly fine hair when she was little and it was always tangling.

[girloctopus]

My two year old son's hair sounds fairly similar. The best way I have found to untangle it is to use a Tangle Teezer (http://tangerteezer.com (http://tangerteezer.com/)). It glides through the snarls that accumulate at the back of his head very quickly and with a minimum of drama for each of us. I wash his hair, but I don't really condition it because it is so fine that it weighs it down with even a little, and the Tangle Teezer just goes right through it anyway, even without the slip of conditioner.

I feel your pain about the snarls at the back. :(

[marimara]

That tangle teezer looks like it might work. I'm gonna look on Ebay for one. Her hair is def. not long enough to braid yet, but I will start doing that at night when it gets longer. Thanks!!!

[jasper]

I wonder if a satin pillow case would help.

[Fractalsofhair]

Braids would help a lot. That's what my parents did if my hair was tangly.(I still have very fine hair, and it was worse when I was little). Have you tried combing her hair out when it has the conditioner IN it, before you rinse it out?

[YoginiCelestial]

I wonder if a satin pillow case would help.

I use a satin pillowcase to help keep my tangles at a minimum.
I bought mine at Sally Beauty Supply. They also offer it online.
http://www.sallybeauty.com/pillowcase/SBS-260122,default,pd.html
:)

[frizzalot]

hi, my two year old has 2c hair. I have only shaved her head once when she was two weeks old and since have let it grow naturally apart from cutting a fringe so she can see. The side bits reach shoulder length and the back is midback.
I oil it a medium amount (because it is so fine and this helps to keep it in braids) and then either section her hair in to three braids (small ones each side and then a big one on the back) or french plait on either sides. I braid right to the ends and then roll up the ends and then secure with a hairband.
When i braid her hair the next morning, i undo and re-braid one section at a time.

shes a crazy sleeper, she rolls about eveywhere, and the braids pretty much keep her tangle free. The oil attracts quite a bit of dust but this can be combed out easily.

I use johnsons baby shampoo mostly and CO wash occasionally.
she has no split ends that i can see of or any visible damage.

hope this helps :)

[Masara]

You could be describing my dd's hair in your post. She's 8 now, but I had the same problems with her hair and it's still very fine and tangles if Im not careful. I found braiding it before bed really helped.
I second the suggestion of a tangle teezer. It's the easiest thing to brush her hair without pulling half of it out. The other thing that works very well on her hair is panacea hair salve from nightblooming on etsy http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38059562 I just smooth a small amount on after her bath

[marimara]

Thank you guys soooo much! I have been keeping her hair at chin length due to me not knowing what to do with her hair. I am going to Sally's today to get that satin pillowcase!!!! I had no idea where to find them. I do comb her hair in the bath w/conditioner in it, but in the morning, when it's dry, I find it really hard to untangle. What I've been doing is brushing it as gently as I can while it's dry and then spraying it down with the Giovanni leave in to reform her curls and calm down the frizz. As soon as it's long enough I will be braiding it at night.

[klcqtee]

Braid it at night, while wet. This makes it easier to deal with in the morning. In the morning, brush it out if it needs it, then style however you want. Night is when kids get the worse tangles. Low pony tails are a no go. I used to get horrible tangles with low ponytails. Her hair may get less fine as she gets older. Mine did. Just have to grin and bear it until she can take care of it, or until it becomes coarser.

ETA: I almost forgot! The best way to get out really really bad tangles (I used to always get them at the nape, where the would become matted), is to get some detangler spray, and soak the hair in it, then gently comb out from the bottom up. You can also coat the matted area with conditioner and then comb out. Mine used to be so bad that I'd sit on my dad's lap for two or three hours (the length of a football game usually), and he'd detangle it that way. Otherwise, I'd just cut them out, and no one wanted that! Herbal essence is so coney, my hair didn't tangle with it. It helped, and smelled good.

[Sheltie_Momma]

I use Suave Green Apple kid's detangle spray on both my children in the mornings with great results, it is very economical and I am not noticing any residue or build up. (They shampoo with California Baby)

[motormuffin]

I use Suave Green Apple kid's detangle spray on both my children in the mornings with great results, it is very economical and I am not noticing any residue or build up. (They shampoo with California Baby)
I use this too, good stuff. It's got cones but cones aren't all bad. I've used my chi and it worked well after a shower.

[SunshineHair]

I would actually not use that baby shampoo unless it is really needed. I have found that those baby shampoos and conditioners actually do a lot of damage. They almost ruined my daughters hair before I realized what was doing it!

[GuinevereMay]

I would actually not use that baby shampoo unless it is really needed. I have found that those baby shampoos and conditioners actually do a lot of damage. They almost ruined my daughters hair before I realized what was doing it!

I don't use that baby shampoo on my 4 year old's past tailbone hair. I found it really dried her hair out.

I shampoo, condition, then, when she gets out, I take a palm-full of conditioner (I use Lush's American Cream) and finger comb it through her hair. I finger comb until the major tangles are out, then use a wide-tooth comb. Once that's done, I use a smaller tooth comb and french braid her hair. Her hair is gorgeous and people are always commenting on it.

[florenonite]

I would actually not use that baby shampoo unless it is really needed. I have found that those baby shampoos and conditioners actually do a lot of damage. They almost ruined my daughters hair before I realized what was doing it!

Yeah, baby shampoos are designed to be the pH of tears (roughly 7.4) so that they don't hurt the eyes, but hair in general prefers more acidic shampoos. Some people's hair can handle it, though, it all depends.

[marimara]

Crap, I had no idea about the baby shampoos!!!!! I'm switching her shampoo too I guess!!! Thanks for the info. Her hair is doing better with the satin pillowcase so far though! :)