Pre-schooler hair care

[Flossy]

My almost 3 year old has gorgeous hair. :crush: It's probably 3a/M, blonde and just above his shoulders. I REFUSE to cut it! I just don't know how to properly care for it to maintain his gorgeous curls.

Bearing in mind that he is very determined and not always willing to do what Mummy asks him to, what can I do to look after his hair?

Our routine now is shampoo and condition (cones), comb when wet and use a detangling spray (cones) in the mornings to try and neaten the fairy floss that his hair becomes overnight. That's about it, some mornings I can't even get him to let me brush it, so he goes around with a birds nest on the back of his head. He doesn't get a wash every night, but it usually gets wet.

I was thinking about CO washing (I mentioned this to my mum and she was all, it will smell gross!) and I have a Tangle Teezer on the way. Anything else I should do?

[julya]

I avoid using shampoo on my son's hair. I use water only most of the time, and condition a couple of times a month. Sometimes I put a little coconut oil on the ends. I will use shampoo if he needs it, like something really icky got into it.

I find it's easier for us to get the tangles out at night before bed, and then I braid it for him. And he looks acceptably neat in the mornings. I usually do his hair while he sits on the counter in the bathroom with his feet soaking in the sink. Or else while he is watching a dvd so he is distracted.

My son is 5, btw, and has I think 2c midback length hair.

[christine1989]

I think that CO washing would be really good for keeping tangles out of his hair however kids tend to get dirty on a daily basis so I'm thinking that a small amount of moisturizing shampoo would be a good idea. If you really can't get him to brush it daily then you could help it stay neat by running a little bit of smoothing serum over it while it is wet (I personally find that it works better than the sprays and lasts longer). A deep conditioner could also work well if you can get him to keep it in his hair a few minutes before washing it out. I find that deep conditioning really helps control my frizz even with C hair.

[Hotrox]

Ahh, he sounds so cute and very lucky to have a Mummy that cares so much about his hair :-)

I guess the advice for curly hair care is the same whatever the age, and I think the most important thing is to step away from the brush! it will encourage the frizz. Finger comb when damp and then leave alone. Also, maybe try a non cone condish and don't rinse out fully to leave a bit of slip and making combing easier.

[carloota]

When my daughter was a toddler, she did have curly hair. I did a CO routine on her hair. I also oiled her hair with coconut oil and olive oil. To detangle her hair, I didn't bother with those detangling sprays, which are basically diluted conditioner. I would use straight, undiluted conditioner. White Rain or Suave (dollar store stuff). Sometimes I would mix conditioner and EVOO or EVCO and use that as a detangler. She's 6 now and has tailbone length hair. The curls have loosened ALOT, but I pretty much follow the same routine for her hair.

[Flossy]

Thanks for the replies!

Another question, should I go cone free for his curls? I am basically using up all my cone-y products on my kids!

[carloota]

To cone or not to cone? That would be a matter of personal preference, I would think. I, myself, prefer non-cone conditioners since I'm unsure how to go about clarifying my daughter's hair.

[christine1989]

I think non cone is healthier for the hair however cones could really help keep his curls defined and free of tangles- it really depends what the priority is for you.

[Flossy]

I clarified and condished with a no-cone condish, now I'll CO for a couple of weeks and see how his hair goes.

He's got a swimming lesson tomorrow, undoing all my good work!

I'll take a good pic of his hair tonight to type it properly.