What to brush toddler's hair with

[Plarka]

DD is almost 2.5 and wakes up in the morning with her hair at the back knotty and matted. I've been using her baby brush, and the last few days have used my new boar's hair brush on her. But now I just read online that you shouldn't use a boar's hair brush on knots cause it can damage it!

What's the best to use on her hair? Should I stick with the baby brush? It takes a while cause the bristles are so soft, but maybe that's good?

[SeekingJoy]

DD has a ton of curly, super fine hair that turns in a knotty mess if she so much as looks at a bed.

We wet it, comb conditioner through to get out the knots, and then let it dry. This doesn't seem to cause any pain for her or damage.

[LadyCatherine185]

I don't know where you read that about the boar's bristle brush, but that is actually the best thing to brush curly hair with. It does the least damage, doesn't break the hair like combing/brushing does.

I recommend wetting with a little water, and maybe some detangler, and using a boar bristle, or other natural bristle brush.

FWIW, I have been doing hair for almost 6 years and a boar's hair/natural bristle brush was the only thing I used on my curly/tangly haired clients. Anything else and I'd be combing their hair out for hours.

[Plarka]

Originally Posted by LadyCatherine185

a boar's hair/natural bristle brush was the only thing I used on my curly/tangly haired clients. Anything else and I'd be combing their hair out for hours.

Her hair isn't curly, but I'm assuming you mean it would be ok on straight hair as well?

FWIW here's the website where I read the boar bristle brush isn't good to use.

[4Jet]

I use a regular brush from Target. I got the boar's hair brush but it took forever and DD has thin hair. Though I always use detangling spray everyday and let her hair air dry after baths before brushing.

[jocelyndale]

I've battled the dreads in my son's hair for so long. I've used detangling spray, oil, you name it. I finally sat him down this week with extra conditioner (instead of the diluted conditioner I use as detangler) and a cup of water with a baby comb (wide/thin, but not as narrow as an adult narrow-tooth comb) . . . and just worked on them. I bribed him with a lollipop.

Now I make sure to comb his hair every single day and he's starting to let me comb now that it's been three days in a row with no pain or snarls. Keeping the mats from starting seems to be key. I also asked DH to start adding a bit of conditioner to the bath routine. It doesn't take much and we only use it on the back of his head.

This has been the longest we've gone without mini dreads in the back. And I think it's going to work.

[tessie]

I have heard good things about these.

[Llyra]

I use a wide-tooth comb to get out the worst of the tangles, and then brush.

[angrypixiemama]

DD has super fine hair - like candy floss or something. After she sleeps on it, it is always in these tiny, painful mats and clumps. The only thing that has helped is to use a child's hairbrush (not a bristly one, more like the ones with the beads on the end of the bristles?) with California Baby hair De-tangler. That product makes a huge difference in terms of getting her hair untangled without pain.