fine, curly hair

[no5no5]

DD has this fine, blond, curly hair that works itself into ringlets all on its own. The problem is that it takes about twelve hours after I brush it to do that, meaning that it is perfectly adorable every night as she goes to bed, and every morning just before I brush it...but it's a big frizzy mess every day, because I brush out her curls every morning. I'm clearly doing something wrong. The other day I didn't brush it at all and everywhere I went people were complimenting her.

The obvious solution would be to brush it at night, but it's hard to convince her to let me brush it at all, and usually the only reason she does is because I say we can't leave until it's brushed. I've googled, but apparently the mainstream way of dealing with this issue is to put tons of product in, and I'm not up for that. She's 4 years old, for heaven's sake!

So, is there a solution? I mean, I think she looks awesome with frizzy hair too, so it's not the end of the world if I stick with our current routine. But I do get the feeling that if I wasn't so ignorant about curly hair I'd be doing something different.

[sunnysandiegan]

I recommend grabbing the book Curly Girl at your local library and reading it. Get it by interlibrary loan, if need be. It contains a wealth of simple information!

[no5no5]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

[Masel]

I have that book. One of her big things is to not use a brush. Use a comb or a pick for curly hair. It makes a big difference. I didn't even own a brush until recently. Somehow I ended up with a girl with straight hair. Mine is curly. There is also a website called Naturally Curly which has some good info
http://www.naturallycurly.com/

[provocativa]

i also do coconut oil treatments on our curly fine hair, i don't brush mine, and only brush the girls' when it starts to dread up, not daily.

[JessicaS]

I am using the curly girl method atm. It does seem to help with split ends.

[no5no5]

Curly Girl just blew my mind. Thanks all. I think we'll try it, though I'm totally terrified about it.

[Marni]

You're describing my hair -- so I can tell you firsthand : )

* Wash or rinse IN THE MORNING (sleeping on curls wrecks them)
* Comb while conditioner (or ACV) is still in hair (no-pooing is GREAT for curls, btw)
* Rinse (after combed out) with COLD water (this is very important!!!!)
* Pat soflty with a towel, to get out excess water. DO NOT DRY with towel. Have her shake it out too.

NO PRODUCT NEEDED AT ALL!!!! (Sometimes I use a touch of moose -- but I usually don't need it). A few minutes with a diffuser will make curls really stand out, but most days I don't bother and it looks just fine.

Honestly, cold water (AND NO BRUSHING) is the key to maintaining fine curls! I wish I's discovered that when I was young!!!

[Isaac'sMa]

Maybe try a silk or satin pillow case. That should help some.

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by Marni

NO PRODUCT NEEDED AT ALL!!!! (Sometimes I use a touch of moose -- but I usually don't need it). A few minutes with a diffuser will make curls really stand out, but most days I don't bother and it looks just fine.

I do actually need product on my hair.

[Virginia884]

Throw away the brush! I have curly hair and haven't used a brush in years. Instead I use a wide tooth comb and comb through my hair when it is wet and full of conditioner. Would that work for your DD? If you can teach her how to care for her hair at a young age, she will thank you when she's older. I didn't figure mine out until college and I'm still working on it....

Also, try www.naturallycurly.com. They have tons of info and a good message board section that has a specific 'parents of curlies' board.

HTH!

[sunnysandiegan]

Originally Posted by no5no5

Curly Girl just blew my mind. Thanks all. I think we'll try it, though I'm totally terrified about it.

You'll be okay! I recommend starting with the most basic ideas and getting comfortable before moving to the more complex ideas. A four year old doesn't need a complicated hair routine, KWIM?

Length of hair makes a difference for me.

Until earlier this month, I had long, fine, curly hair (below my bra strap). Showering at night was awesome for my curls and brushing was only good if I did NOT want curls. (My hair doesn't frizz, so I am fortunate.) A ton of conditioner was absolutely necessary (for healthy looking hair) and the only way I could get rid of tangles. Product wasn't necessary at all, but the diffuser did pump up the volume (I rarely bothered).

A couple weeks ago, I gave 10+ inches of my hair to Locks of Love. Now my hair is chin-length. I still use the same shampoo and conditioner, but only need a dab of conditioner and I can finger comb my hair at any time. I haven't bothered with the hair dryer once, but it has so much volume without it that I'd probably end up with a big fluff-ball if I did! Granted, the lady who did the cut didn't seem to understand curly hair at all and pretty much gave me a straight-across bob with a form of razor cutting (made me cringe), which isn't usually the most flattering cut for a curlyhead. (Big misunderstanding and I have the attitude that it is just hair and will grow.) I will get a better cut next month.

The haircut for a curlyhead is pretty important for ease of care! Ask questions when selecting a stylist (even at the low-cost salons). Layers of some sort are almost always best for curlyheads who want to show their curls.