Anyone have daughters with super long hair you have to care for?

[jhill923]

JUst wondering if anyone has little girls with long hair, and if you have a routine for it ? My daughters are 7 and 9 , too young to care about their hair but im wondering if I should be oiling it and braiding it every nite. Any thoughts ?

[BlueCanary]

Not yet. =) I'm hoping to get my daughter's hair long early and maintain it. Yes, I intend to have to spend 20 minutes or so in the mornings and a bit of time (30 mins-1 hr) twice a week in wash and care.

She's 2 and at APL. It's so pretty. =)

I have to say though. A couple of weeks ago, when I was at work, my husband CUT HER HAIR! I cried when I saw it. It was just bangs, but it was DEVASTATING to me. After being married to me 18 years, you'd think he'd know better. And to his credit he realized he messed up BIG TIME. I'm used to it now, but I can't wait until it all grows out.

[baaaad_kitty]

No kids nor am I married, but I had long hair as a little girl. My mom would brush it for me and always tell me to comb ends first and make sure I used conditioner.

[varintalonguard]

I try to do crash therapy for my little niece who is 7 whenever she stays overnight. She is almost at mid back length with very fine, straight hair. I see her about every other week. Braiding and oiling is a wonderful way to keep her hair from getting tangled and damaged.

[fyredrake]

my daughter is three with hair that is proportionally longer then mine, it comes to what would be her waist, but she hates her hair being messed with so it's really hard to take care of, i'm trying to work with her on letting me condition and comb it everyday, her hair has grown in weird though and has a natural layering effect going on

[picklepie]

My daughter is six, and has 3b curls down to about mid-back (somewhere between what would be BSL and waist). I don't oil it or braid it, but I don't wash it often either. We do CO washing every week or so, sometimes every two weeks. I wet her hair and add a little detangling spray or conditioner, and detangle (using a Denman brush) every day. It only takes five minutes or so.

She really wants to wear her hair down most of the time, but I'm happy when she'll let me braid it. It looks cute and little-girlish, and gets less tangled.

So anyway, I think kids' hair generally needs much less washing, so it needs less moisture replacement. On the other hand, my dd does a lot of mechanical damage to her hair that I don't do (wrestling and climbing trees and whatnot). But I figure, it's her hair, and I'd never make her sacrifice her childlike carelessness in order to have perfect hair!

[SpeakingEZ]

JUst wondering if anyone has little girls with long hair, and if you have a routine for it ? My daughters are 7 and 9 , too young to care about their hair but im wondering if I should be oiling it and braiding it every nite. Any thoughts ?

I'm sorry if this sounds rude at all, but I think 9 is a good age to teach your daughter to care for her hair herself. Maybe this is a good time to start teaching her how to comb gently, oil, and braid?

I don't remember exactly when I started caring for my own hair, but I know I was doing it for myself by at least 7 (I just remembered my mom asking questions about my hair brush). However, I just kind of did it-- no one taught me, which meant I developed some really bad habits. Better teach now while you still can before they hit an independence phase and stop listening.

[Mesmerise]

I'm sorry if this sounds rude at all, but I think 9 is a good age to teach your daughter to care for her hair herself. Maybe this is a good time to start teaching her how to comb gently, oil, and braid?

I don't remember exactly when I started caring for my own hair, but I know I was doing it for myself by at least 7 (I just remembered my mom asking questions about my hair brush). However, I just kind of did it-- no one taught me, which meant I developed some really bad habits. Better teach now while you still can before they hit an independence phase and stop listening.

My daughter is 9, and I do agree that by 9 girls should be old enough to care for their hair BUT I think it also depends on the sort of hair they have! For example, from the time I was 6 or 7 I could do my hair. I self taught myself to French Braid (just from studying someone else's!) when I was about 8 (I never managed to figure out a fishtail though...). My mum wasn't much good with long hair because she always had hers short as a child!

However, my hair was fairly fine and not too thick... my daughter, on the other hand, has very fine but very thick hair. Her hair was a NIGHTMARE! It was sooo gorgeous long, it used to be past her waist, and thick with very little taper...but it would take so darn long to detangle and she'd scream and cry the whole time! I put up with it for several years (from 2/3 to 7ish), and I finally capitulated and let her get a bob at the start of this year (she's just turned 9). Now she's got short hair, I can teach her how to look after it and keep it brushed (she also has an undercut which helps, otherwise it would be sort of boofy cause of the thickness). She can now wash, condition and comb it on her own. Before she just couldn't, as it was too long and difficult and I always had to help.

Now, I think if she grows it, I'll expect her learning to sort of "grow with" her hair, and she'll adapt. Before, it just frustrated both of us. I have never in my life had hair as tangly as hers would get every day, even when I kept it in braids overnight (she'd toss and turn and they'd still get mussed), so she's got more challenges than I ever had! My hair at almost waist would still have less tangles now after a night without braids as hers would even at her short length (go figure).

So, I think teaching kids about hair care and doing their own hair depends a lot on the nature and quality of their hair!

At least my daughter has learned fairly good habits regarding washing and conditioning etc. as she's had to learn just to stop her hair being too difficult!

[BlueCanary]

I know I was caring for my own hair by age 7 as well. I did get help washing it occasionally still at ages 5-6 ish, and that's what I was thinking about for my own daughter as well. I'll help her style it as long as she lets me and help her wash and care for it through about age 5 or 6.

But it was always my Dad who painstakingly rolled it up in sponge rollers and helped me with it when I wanted curls. Until I was in middle school.

[Panth]

I was a daughter with long hair that needed caring for. :P

Bare in mind, we had issues as we had to wash in the kitchen sink (which was very high up) because we were doing building work in the bathroom...

I had long hair until 7-ish when I had it cut to shoulder-length and then long again until 11 when again I cut it to shoulder. Then I haven't cut it since. The methods were ok but some where not exactly LHC-friendly. :P

We would wash our hair with Pantene S&C in the kitchen sink every Saturday or Sunday night - depending if we went to Sunday school or not - so it was clean for Sunday school/school. It was turbaned with a towel, then combed and dried with a hair-dryer before bed. Every morning after breakfast it was brushed by mum, then plaited in two english plaits (almost always) and bows were put on the bottom (I got to chose the bows). The bows were taken off before bed but the plaits stayed in until the next morning. Occasionally, I would have a high ponytail or a single english plait. Once, I remember asking for three english plaits for when I went after school to my neighbour, because her daughter would pretend my two plaits were reigns and say "Giddyup horsey" which I hated...

I guess mum liked looking after my hair. I didn't even know how to do a ponytail until I was 11 and was going away on a school trip for a week. I didn't learn to do plaits (on me) until later than that. I started looking after my own hair after I got it cut at age 11 - but I mostly just wore it loose or in a single english plait until last autumn!

My mum still brushes and plaits my hair sometimes when I'm home. I find it incredibly soothing.

[Medievalmaniac]

My girls are 6 and 3, and neither of them will let me cut their hair. :)

The six year old has fairly thick, wavy hair to her hips, and the 3 year old's is currently mid-back, but baby fine.

For the six year old, I brush it out with a BBB and oil it; no oil for the 3 year old because it just makes her hair limp and greasy. We do use the leave-in spray conditioners for them, because they are both tenderheads and can't handle combing snarls out yet. Wash three times a week with VO5 clarifying shampoo and conditioner. Usually they wear their hair in braids or ponytails/pigtails.

It takes about twenty minutes to do both of them. We love it. It's bonding time. :)

[inty]

My girls are 3,5 (BSL) and 6,5 (nearly waist). Usually it's just comb, braid daily and wash/condition about once in every 2-3 weeks. Very ocassional oiling.
When they get stuff in their hair I just wet the problematic spot a bit to soften and then very carefully detangle. Seems working well.
Oldest one is now swimming twice a week, so I sometimes rinse her hair aftre swimming with club soda with optional conditioner afterwards.... But she's not too keen on it :) Hmm... Need to buy some club soda...

[jhill923]

I didnt mean she CANT take care of her own hair since shes 9, but the question is will she ? Does she give a flip about it ? LoL

Im just thinkin that her being young and having waist length hair, now is the time to instill those habits and such that shes needs to know to maintain it. Knowledge and skill I didnt have at her age. And of course giving support for her having long hair and persuading her not to want to cut it, and to be nice and gentle to it. I know when I was a kid I permed and cut and did everything else, I couldve used a mother who motivated me to natural health and beauty for my hair.

9 year olds at least mine arent thinking about their hair, heck I have to bug her to take a bath/shower ! They care more about computer games and seeing their friends.

I hate to see it neglected because she doesnt care or know to care about it. I could certainly use sitting down and braiding, hair talk, and my own example to try and get her interested. Bonding time with mom always motivates !

[EricaLee83]

9 year olds at least mine arent thinking about their hair, heck I have to bug her to take a bath/shower ! They care more about computer games and seeing their friends.

I hate to see it neglected because she doesnt care or know to care about it. I could certainly use sitting down and braiding, hair talk, and my own example to try and get her interested. Bonding time with mom always motivates !

This is my 10 year old :rolleyes:. She really just isn't into all the hair care stuff. I honestly think if I didn't help her she would have dreads by now!
My 10 year old has waist length 2a hair that is iii (if I could add more i's I would!). I have her wash it only 2-3x per week and I do braid it every night for her or our morning routine would take FOREVER! I do think she will eventually be interested but for now I'm happy with her still being my first baby :)

My almost 2 year old has the most perfect golden ringlets. But the top part of her hair is stick straight. It's really like two different heads of hair on her head. I struggle with detangling her hair but oh well, comes with the territory of "terrible twos".

[Anje]

FWIW, I first learned to even ponytail my hair at about 8 years old. I was at summer camp and suddenly realized I didn't have my mom there to put my hair up, and it was hot. The first couple of weeks, the results certainly weren't smooth on top, but I covered it with a baseball cap and it worked. Pretty soon after I was doing all my own styling, because it didn't hurt when I did it compared to Mom.

[ncgal25]

Yes my daughter is 6 & her hair is to the middle of her back and is blonde as can be! She is a low maintanance girl like her mommy! Brush & go. Sometimes she will wear a ponytail or Barrettes. We wash her hair with Suave Lavendar Naturals head to toe wash and condition with herbal essence hello hydration or giovanni or whatever we have on hand....

[TiaKitty]

I have two girlies, one 4.5 and one 7. they both have waist length hair. The younger is thick and wavy and the older has very curly, ringlets, thick, dense hair. Her's takes quite a bit longer, more in-depth care, but less frequent washings. I do oil hers and pick it out, but I don't usually get to put it into braids or do anything besides ponytails with it.

The younger has a mile-wide princess streak and is constantly dreaming up new and complicated hair do's for me to execute. I am fearful of what the future will hold, because she's already so "three braids here, a rope braid here, wind them together, then twist the tassels, spray it, use matching elastics, etc..." I can see this really taking a turn for the worst at some point!!! :D

They are both tender-headed and I do use detangler... but if they start to fuss too much, I just offer to let my SO do their hair and they get this look of horror on their faces while he gives a maniacal laugh and then they are content with Mommy doing their hair again.

The younger of the two does brush her own, but it's so much easier for her than for the curly girl.

[GeoJ]

My 5 year old DD has tailbone length hair, 1c/2a with some curls at the bottom (leftover from her baby hair ringlets that I mostly trimmed off). Her hair is fine (but not superfine, just slightly finer than mine) and ii (her ponytail circumference is 3 inches).

I either WO or CO wash for her. WO if her hair is just sweaty, CO after swimming or going to the beach. If she's going to swim in a chlorinated pool I completely soak her hair with oil, braid it, then wet it fresh water first. I trim her ends when they need it, oil her ends about once a week, braid her hair for bed, detangle it and style it for her.

She shows some interest in learning to care for it; she will half-way detangle with a Tangle Teezer, and sometimes do a WO wash herself. I taught her to detangle starting from the ends. She wants to grow it long enough that her braid will be classic length (but extends that goal to floor length for a couple of days every time she watches Tangled). I am thinking of teaching her to braid with ropes (easier than hair) and teaching her to make a ponytail/tie the end of a braid, soon.

[angelthadiva]

<snip>I have to say though. A couple of weeks ago, when I was at work, my husband CUT HER HAIR! I cried when I saw it. It was just bangs, but it was DEVASTATING to me. After being married to me 18 years, you'd think he'd know better. And to his credit he realized he messed up BIG TIME. I'm used to it now, but I can't wait until it all grows out.

May your DH R.I.P ;)
I would have killed him, if he were mine.

DD9 has been styling her own hair for at least a year now. Either her dad or I wash it for her just to make sure she doesn't get shampoo in her eyes and she gets everything rinsed out :shrug: She's responsible for keeping her hair detangled. Which she does each night before bed and in the morning. She can do a ponytail herself with good results. She has 3 of those doll heads for tweens that she has practiced more elaborate styles on. She can braid those but has less luck with her own. I let her practice on me sometimes, but not often. She does little clippy styles sometimes which is hair down, side part and a tiny clip off to the side. For more elaborate styles, I do those for her.

Her routine is hair washed 1x/week and is also deep conditioned at that time. Sometimes I air dry and sometimes we blow dry, it just depends. She detangles her hair at night and either her dad or I put it in a sleep braid. Currently her hair is just past her waist, but I cut it at the beginning of the school year from past TBL to waist. Her hair is naturally curly, 3c medium thickness and coarse.

[KLin]

Well, I have a 6 y and my oldest will be 9 next month. The younger has ringlets and almost to waist, the oldest is straight hair. We CO with the curly hair and use a wide tooth comb and a tangle teezer. I oil the ends when damp. The straight hair is CWC and no oil.

By the way we need to cleanse the hair almost every day as they are boys with hair about an inch from waist. They are in karate and need it pulled back and in skateboarding and need helmets. Very active and sweaty boys.

I do most of their hair. They want it long and the rule is it needs to be trimmed and healthy and clean. Even if it is more work for me for awhile.

[mrs_coffee]

My girls had hip-length hair when they were young and I didn't know about LHC or anything like that. I just used gentle shampoo and conditioned the ends, used a detangling spray, and only washed a couple times a week. They kept it in braids most of the time since they were almost always outside running around.