Daughter's Hair...HELP!!!

[Studentchef]

My hair is stick straight, flat. My daughter's is thick, coarse. wavy some places, straight in others. I have no idea how to help her care for it. She wants it long, but it snarls up in knots almost immediately after it's brushed. How do I let her love it as it is, without letting her look like no,one cars what she looks like?

[bte]

The most obvious answer is to braid or multiple segment ponytail immediately after brushing. That should help.

[furnival]

Hi and welcome to LHC! I can't give you much advice about curlies but I'm sure the folks on the wurly and curly thread will be able to help you- http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=369

[EndlessSunshine]

You came to the right place for help!

[Madora]

It could be there's too much buildup that's causing the problem.

Try clarifying (Neutrogena Anti-Residue clarifying shampoo has good reviews here).

Then condition afterwards.

Wearing it up will certainly lessen the opportunities for tangles! Braiding is the way to go...so many ways to braid, and styles to try!

[ariesfairies]

My hair is stick straight, flat. My daughter's is thick, coarse. wavy some places, straight in others. I have no idea how to help her care for it. She wants it long, but it snarls up in knots almost immediately after it's brushed. How do I let her love it as it is, without letting her look like no,one cars what she looks like?

Curls naturally like to intertwine with themselves so snarling up in knots after a brush doesn't sound anything unusual to me :) That's why most curly haired ones prefer to "finger brush'.

If she wants her hair long as a curly, she'll need to put a bit more time and attention into maintaining the shape of curls - namely putting moisture treatments, make sure the curls have some shape otherwise you'll end up with the dreaded tangly puffs! I remember that was me when I was in elementary.. couldn't have my hair too long like this because it was too much effort to maintain as kid. If she's older though, and she's willing to maintain the upkeep for long curly hair, she'll be fine for growing it! But brushing it with a paddle brush alone is a problem. My hair curl type is 3a, and I use a BBB (Boar bristle brush) to keep the static down and control the curls a lot easier from the tangling. But finger brushing is the best - I just find it more time consuming.

If that's not solving anything, how do you fair the condition of her ends? I find those the most likely place for unruly knots, because the hair tapers to get more dry and "velcro" like.

[Amber_Maiden]

Get a Tangle Teezer!

[SpinDance]

Oh dear, I have some personal experience with this. :) Conditioner or something to help give your daughters hair slip is going to help a lot. Use fingers or a comb with long, wide apart teeth, not a brush, at least until you and she learn how to handle her hair. It may be that a bbb will help her, but it may not and may cause damage. To start I recommend sticking to wide toothed combs and fingers.

Try a little oil or leave in conditioner on her ends and lengths while it is still wet, but not dripping, after washing. Consider diluting shampoo or trying CO. Depending on her age, the adventure for learning how to handle wavy/curly hair may appeal to her, so you can make it a fun joint project to learn about how to handle it. It is her hair, and it is important that she learn how to handle it, and to appreciate it for what it is, uniquely hers. The rule we have in my home with my kids is that they can have their hair any length they want, but it must be kept clean and neat. Clean doesn't have to mean daily washing, it means not nasty and dirty, and neat doesn't mean straight, it means not matted, snarled or tangled.

Best of luck, I think it is great fun that your daughter wants to grow her hair long, and kudos to you on helping her do that!