Any Suggestions on Toddlers Very Curly Fine Hair

Updated on December 10, 2008
J.O. asks from Orlando, FL
26 answers

Hi everybody, my 2 and a half year old daughter has extremly curly hair. On top of that it ofcourse is baby fine. I have to brush it every night and every morning....if I dont it literally becomes a rats nest, almost dreds. She ofcourse HATES me to do anything to it so I have just resolved to knowing that this is our life for now...twice a day I chase her around the house until I pin her down to comb. ANYWAY, just a little venting..my question is products. I am currently using Target brand detangler. It is a $1.07 a bottle which is my kind of price. But lately it has been dry and I need more..maybe a shampoo and conditioner. I hate to start doing hair gels and stuff at such an early age, we are such slaves to makeup and hair products, I feel like she has plenty of time to have to deal with that ya know. Any suggestions would be great though. Thanks!

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J.A.

answers from Jacksonville on

I use Loreal for kids, around $4 a bottle, but the bottle lasts for a couple of months. My daughters hair is really dry and she hates to have it washed, so the loreal is a one step process that leaves her hair beatiful.

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T.B.

answers from Miami on

I would use Johnson's Baby shampoo. They do have a shampoo/conditiioner variety and it really is the most gentle shampoo product to use for even adults. A big bottle will last you months for a baby!

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M.K.

answers from Melbourne on

I have used a watered down solution of Infusium leave in conditioner (I think Repairologie?) I buy a bottle maybe once year and just add it to a spray bottle of maybe a little more than 1/2 water. Smells good too. Good luck!

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K.M.

answers from Gainesville on

A natural (and incredibly inexpensive) gel alternative is aloe. Just pinch off an end, squeeze the juices out and apply. Moisturizing, frizz-control, completely safe- how awesome is that??
-K.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.A.

answers from Boca Raton on

I keep my daughter's hair in braids and use a very good, natural conditioner by Shikai once a week. It lets her hair sort out the natural oils and keeps her hair healthy. All the chemicals in the other stuff are bad for her health.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.H.

answers from Fort Walton Beach on

Hi J.,

My girls had the same problem! And boy did they scream....
Read labels and be careful what you buy. The scalp, as well as your skin elsewhere, absorbs and the scalp is so close to the brain. Johnson and Johnson and Gerber for example use Q-15 as a preservative which is a form of formaldehyde and that causes cancer. Other products use it as well.

I use a line of all natural products that I get online or you can go to a health store and look around but please be careful with the little one. More and more "baby" lines are putting cheap preservatives in their products and so many are made in China. I've been there; I've seen it; their manufacturing standards are awful.

God bless!

M.

1 mom found this helpful
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T.C.

answers from Boca Raton on

Hi J.,
For one, you have to use a very wide tooth comb or even a pick. My son has the same hair and I love it. Whatever you do, don't ever let anyone ever tell you the curly hair is a bad thing. People nowadays are trying to get hair like that. Anyway, I use a mixture of coconut oil, olive oil and vitamin E and put it in my son's hair every day. Anything you can take into your body is good to put on the hair because it's good to absorb. Anyway, try that and make sure you use the pick. It may seem a little oily but it will soak it. I also use a Shampoo and Conditioner that's ok to put on his hair, i.e., "Say Yes To Carrots". It's good stuff. You can get it at Walgreens.

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V.A.

answers from Tallahassee on

Hi J.,
My daughter's hair is also curly and fine. I have to use an adult shampoo and conditioner extra moisturizing on her. Then I comb through it wet and and then apply a molding cream on her hair. I use the Garnier Fructis Style the fiber gum putty. I finger it through her hair and let her flip her hair a couple of times and it holds a nice soft hold in her hair and it defines her curls and prevent tangles throughout the day, and I don't have to comb it at night. Also, a quick fix if you don't have time to wet and condition, and you're in a hurry to get out the door. I also use the Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum. It looks like an oil in a pump bottle. It smells REALLY GOOD, and it makes her hair super soft and I can comb through it dry. It has a puffier look, but it's still pretty and not frizzy.
I hope this helps. I know we are slaves to the styling products, but some peoples hair need more attention or it's horrible.
Take care and enjoy that beautiful baby!
V.

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B.H.

answers from Miami on

My hair was like that when I was little. Don't know if it's still around - scratch that - just googled and it is. Clairol makes a product called Vitapointe that worked well for my curly-fine-but-a-lot-of-it hair. Mind you - I'm 40 now - so consider this stuff tried & true. ;) LOL A tube is about $4, but you need so little, that tube will probably be around for ages. I would literally put less than a fingertip dab in my hair and be fine. The key is to find a hair dressing creme that won't make her hair oily. You could even pop into a beauty supply store and ask for an inexpensive product. An ethnic hair care supply store will have various products that will fit the budget - just don;t go crazy trying them all! :)

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T.M.

answers from Orlando on

I, myself, am a proud curly hair carrier and I can really say DO NOT CUT HER HAIR. If you do, it gets even curlier.

I know curly hair is very difficult to deal with but the best thing to do is get a detangler. I like the one from Clairol because it conditions at the same time as it detangles the curls. IT is about $4 but is worth it. My son has curly hair too and he used to make me run behind him. I changed his haribush to a softer hair brush and we no longer run around the house.

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P.E.

answers from Panama City on

Hair cut or she puts up with the brushing Alphafa use crisco for his cow lick( the our gang kids)
I had a similar problem my daughter had to keep short hair until she could take care of it herself.

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T.B.

answers from Jacksonville on

I use the walmart brand detangler. i would also use a leave in conditioner for her.

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S.M.

answers from Miami on

Hi, J.. Well, Suave has a whole lot of very good products, and they are very inexpensive. You can usually find them anywhere, but I like to shop at Walmart because they have such a huge selection. I would suggest using a conditioner rather than a detangler if your daughter's hair is dry. If you are still using baby shampoo on her hair, that may be the reason for the dryness. Since she is 2 1/2, she is probably old enough to know she should close her eyes while rinsing off the shampoo and conditioner, so don't be afraid to switch her over to the good stuff.

There are some great conditioners that Suave puts out. Lots of nice, fresh, natural scents. You might try their coconut conditioner if the dryness is really bad. They have different levels of conditioning depending on the ingredients. If the scalp is dry, try a conditioner that also contains aloe vera to soothe the scalp.

Aussie has some really nice products that are not that expensive, too. They smell great and are especially made for dry hair.

I hope this is helpful.
Peace,
Syl

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P.B.

answers from Boca Raton on

I have the same problem myself- I like Aubrey Organics Primrose and Lavender Tangle Go- It's a little expensive, but well worth it for the worst tangles. I use Burt's bees Raspberries and Honey shampoo and conditioner for my children's hair, it works well for their hair.(and I don't have to worry about the chemicals-see Mimi H's post for the details)

T.J.

answers from Fort Walton Beach on

My daughter has the same hair. We buy regular conditioner and shampoo -- I have to make sure she has plenty of conditioner or it looks like a frizzy straw mess. We put pig tails on her since it keeps the frizz down to managable. We do not use hair spray or gels... I feel the same way you do about it.
Try to just wash it every other day so her natural oils can coat the hair. Try to put it in some type of ponytail. And keep it going with the detangler. I also sometimes use Dream Curls by John Frieda (spelling). I think that is good when we don't want to put her hair up.
Also, I tell people all the time (if her hair is just a mess) that she does her own hair. Some people get the joke and some don't. haha!! I think it's funny.

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I.R.

answers from Miami on

Both my daughters (3 and 19 months) have the same kind of hair (I am Puerto Rican and my husband is Antiguan) and I use the same exact detangler to comb their hair and I use a paddle brush instead of a comb since it is less painful. When I wash their hair I leave the conditioner in I noticed that it makes the hair more manageable and less dry. I recently just came back from Antigua and my mother-in-law had a shampoo I tried called Organics Stimulating Therapy Shampoo and it left my daughters hair very shiny. I am pretty sure you if you go to a Walgreen's or CVS you can probably find it. The best products to use so that the hair does not dry out are hair products for African American woman. Do like me trial and error, I buy something try it and if it don't work then I try something else. I hope this helps, I know we all want our girs hairs to look beautiful!

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L.L.

answers from Melbourne on

Hi,

I and my children also have very curly hair. The best advice I can give you is to use a good baby conditioner, I use suave for kids as it is cheap and is no tears, and run your fingers through it while you shampoo to get out most of the tangles. Then use a good detangler when it is wet and comb it out. Then you can just scrunch it a little and let it curl. The best tip is never brush curly hair once it is dry. If you do you end up with a frizzy mess instead of cute curls. I just add a little bit of spray detangler and run my fingers through my girls hair to freshen it up if it is already dry. Hope this helps and ends some of the hair battles.

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A.G.

answers from Mayaguez on

The first time my grandaughter asked to use my detangler I was amazed at how great it worked on her hair.- it had never occured to me to use this on a young child. But it was a blessing to be able to comb her hair so effortlessly. It's Paul Mitchell's The Detangler (not on the same price range, but great)

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D.W.

answers from Gainesville on

My son has crazy curly hair and we love the Suave products-detangler, shampoo, and conditioner. Cheap and they work great for his kiddie hair. We don't use any other products. In the mornings I spray it with the detangler and some water from a spray bottle and use a wide tooth brush and start at the bottom of the back of his hair and work my way up to his head. I also hold the hair so it doesn't pull. Then I let it air dry.

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D.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Have you thought of cutting her hair shorter?? It may be easier!

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J.L.

answers from Orlando on

My little one had hair like that and actually so do i. Anyway, what i did was mix hair condition with water and used that on her hair. Don't comb it dry, it will cause breakage. Usually curly hair is best when left along, but if you must wet it down first (don't wash). Plus, it doesn't leave it oily. I hope this helps! God Bless.

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C.A.

answers from Miami on

Hi J.

My youngest daughter is the same. For bath time we use the Johnson's Buddies shampoo and easy comb Conditioner. This will take away the dryness. And in the morning I use either the Suave Kids Detangler or the Johnson's detangler shat ever was on special that week. When I put it on her hair I soak it, comb it, and then fluff it a bit to bring back the curls. Try these , but please don't cute her hair, I had to do that with my son because you he's a boy. Now he has straight hair no cute curls anymore. My oldest daughter was the same, except we cute it litle by little and eventually we cut all the curls out. That was a sad day when she lost those beautiful curls.

Good Luck
C. :)

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I.Y.

answers from Gainesville on

My son has very curly hair as well. The key is to keep it moisturized. Also a good tip is to not use shampoo. Co-wash or No-poo, which means, cleansing the hair using only a conditioner.

Curly hair is weaker than most anticipate so you should treat it as such, and most shampoos are too strong and strip the hair. Conditioner washing helps the hair maintain moisture and keeps the hair shaft strong, shiny and defines the ringlets.

Great resourceful website on dealing with curly hair
http://www.naturallycurly.com/

A wonderful book, you should see if they have it at your local library
http://www.curlmart.com/Curly-Girl-by-Lorraine-Massey-p-1...

HTHs

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Hi. My daughter's hair is the opposite (sort of)... it is pretty straight. But it is very fine. Runs in the family. I found that the Kiddie shampoos are a little harsher than a quality (not salon, but say Aussie) adult shampoo. I will use a 3 in 1 to shampoo her,then rinse, then use a "good" adult conditioner on her hair. While it is in her hair, I use my fingers to finger comb the conditioner through her hair a little, then rinse with a sprayer. As quick as she gets out of the bath and into clothes/jammies, I get a wide toothed comb and comb out the tangles gently. (Did I mention she has very LONG hair, also?). Start at the ends, then work your way up to the scalp, not the other way around. I don't know much about curly, but I DO know about "fine" strands. They are delicate and very tangle prone.
Conditioner (not detangler) and a wide toothed comb are my daughter's best friends when it comes to her hair. She is 7 now, and the older she gets, the more she needs the conditioner.

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E.L.

answers from Miami on

Hello J.! Both my girls have very sensitive scalps and one has very curly hair too. After years of torture and torment , a genius friend of mine had me take an empty spray bottle , fill about a quarter of it with good conditioner (I use Suave) and dilute the rest with water. I spray and brush. Another thing I do to make life easier is to wash , condition, and then brush hair with conditioner in it in the shower or bath before rinsing. It's easier to brush hair with the conditioner on it rather than having to tackle all the tangles on dry hair. Good luck to you and yours!! Elaina L.

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D.G.

answers from Boca Raton on

J., my son has very curly hair as well. Have you tried spraying it down and wetting it to curl back up instead of combing it out. If you have and that doesnt work, I would suggest a pea size amount of conditioner rubbed in after her hair is towel dried. See if it helps keep it more manageable as well as giving it some body by bulking up each strand. If that doesnt work, have you considered keeping it really short? Good luck

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