(1) Self-inflicted haircut and (2) carseat tangles

m_and_d_in_fl

Hi. I am new here - can't believe I didn't find you all earlier! My daughter is 4 yrs and has (as best as I can determine) 3b curls.

When her curls are clean and tangle free, they are beautiful - bouncy tight ringlets. I get the tangles out by spraying her hair with water and maybe a kids spray conditioner and combing it out in little tiny sections with a fine comb against my hand - holding the roots so she doesn't feel the process that much. She has become quite patient with me doing this but it is not a daily routine. I don't use any special products - just "No Tears" shampoo maybe 3-4 times a week at most.

That is one question - how can I keep her hair from getting so tangled when she sleeps and when she is in the carseat? It seems like the hair in the back of her head gets so tangled so quickly. It looses its curl and looks very messy. The front, sides, and underneath don't fare as bad.

The other question is what to do about her self-inflicted haircut about 4 mths ago. She did it with her cute little round-tip preschool safety scissors. I still am surprised that she would do that!! She pretty nearly scalped the sides of her head - cutting upwards right near the scalp from her cheeks to her ears - on both sides. She also took some chunks out of the back. Thankfully, with her curly hair, no one has probably even noticed her hack job. (I can't imagine what it would have looked like if she had straight hair!) Thankfully, the top was pulled back in a clip so she didn't give herself a full mullet.

So, now that the sides have grown back somewhat (still not enough to pull into a hairclip), I am wondering if I should get the back layered a bit to make the transition less noticeable. I also wonder if cutting the top layer of the back a bit shorter would make the tangle problem easier to cope with. As her hair has grown longer, the hair seems to straighten at the root and curl on the ends - especially if not freshly combed out. Yet, I don't want to cut her hair so that she looks like a poodle, either.

Any suggestions on either problem?

By the way: The picture is not very flattering. Her hair is beautiful when clean and combed, but this is probably the way it looks most days. Bed-head tangles, flat at the crown. The gap is partially due to the tangles and partially due to the hack-job she did on herself. You can really see how short the sides are in this picture.

Thanks, Dianne

Riot Crrl

Her curls are very cute. I cut my hair when I was 4 too.

I'm not too sure about the haircut part, except that layers do seem the best choice to transition it back.

I also wonder if cutting the top layer of the back a bit shorter would make the tangle problem easier to cope with.

Any lessening of bulk or length at all, including layers, should make tangles easier to cope with, to an extent.

As her hair has grown longer, the hair seems to straighten at the root and curl on the ends - especially if not freshly combed out.

A lot of us have this, me included. It is just the weight of the hair and the natural pattern. If you dislike it, then shorter layers should help. (For myself as an adult, layers, lots of products, and heat help.) But I can also wear mine natural like that and I do not think it is too strange of a look, especially for a little girl.

For the tangling that is taking place in bed and car, a bonnet or nifty hat should help. Silk/satin is said to be best, because it's not absorbent like cottons and pulls the hairs less. But any may be better than nothing. When it is long enough, maybe only updos will be needed.

m_and_d_in_fl

Thanks for the reply.

For the tangling that is taking place in bed and car, a bonnet or nifty hat should help. Silk/satin is said to be best, because it's not absorbent like cottons and pulls the hairs less.

Has anyone had success getting a 4 yr old to suddenly start wearing a "nightcap" to bed? And where do you find a silk/satin hat to sleep in?

(It makes me think of Little House on the Prairie where the girls always wore a nightcap to bed. I wonder if it was to keep their hair from tangling, but it just covered their head not the length of their hair...)

Thanks, Dianne

crimsonshedemon

Noticed a couple things...
a fine tooth comb? Ouch! I find that a fine tooth comb will only break the hair. I always detangle with a wide tooth comb or pick.

Detangle- I always combed my dd's hair out while she was in the bath and conditioner in her hair.

Bed time- I braid my hair and my daughter's hair into a loose, low placed braid. The hair doesn't tangle and saves a lot of time in the morning.

Sleep bonnet- http://www.tenderheaded.com/genhairbrus.html

Car seat- Is it possible to put a satin/silk pillowcase on the area that her head hits? Somehow tack it on, slip it over? If not, the bonnet or even a scarf/bandana tied loosely over her hair.

My daughter's hair was all one length and the tangles were horrible. (She donated 12 inches to Locks of Love.) I had some long layers cut into it and what a difference. (she quit getting headaches all the time too). Fewer tangles.

HTH

subbrock

my daughter sleeps on a satin throw/blanket to protect the back of her head at night. and both me and her dad are curlies and we sleep on satin pillowcases. i cant imagine sleeping in a satin bonnet...

Curly939Redhead

My hair used to be like that! the bottom near the nape of my neck would be extremely tangled.

Also if she sleeps on satin pillow cases her hair will be less tangled

bbbecca

m_and_d_in_fl wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.

For the tangling that is taking place in bed and car, a bonnet or nifty hat should help. Silk/satin is said to be best, because it's not absorbent like cottons and pulls the hairs less.

Has anyone had success getting a 4 yr old to suddenly start wearing a "nightcap" to bed? And where do you find a silk/satin hat to sleep in?

(It makes me think of Little House on the Prairie where the girls always wore a nightcap to bed. I wonder if it was to keep their hair from tangling, but it just covered their head not the length of their hair...)

Thanks, Dianne

I think you can find them online. The best way to get her to do it would be if you wore a satin nightcap as well because that might influence her. It's also great for curly hair of all ages.