curly kid morning routine -- comb or just wet?

[indigosky]

I'm trying to overhaul and improve what had been our morning routine for my 3 year old DD's curly hair (the kind of curls that form ringlets by themselves).

I've learned to stop brushing it, and we're going to start experimenting with conditioners, detanglers, etc.

My remaining question is: when she wakes up in the morning, her hair looks messy. So I should spray it with water or detangler or leave-in conditioner, or some combination of the three. Should I also comb it, or just spray it, scrunch, and leave it alone?

[PNWmama]

My dd also has very curly hair that forms ringlets.  Her hair is really fine, and if I don't wet it and comb it everyday it starts tangling and forming little dreadlocks.  So in the morning I wet her hair, brush, scrunch up her curls and then leave it alone for the rest of the day.  It usually ends up really messy less than an hour later (but she is only 2 y.o.  ).  Once a week or so I'll give it a good conditioning in the bath, but other than that I don't shampoo or anything.  I'm on the lookout for a good homemade detangler recipe if you know of any!

[LaLaLuna]

Spraying water and a little finger combing can help.  What really helps with my messy-in-the-morning curly hair is using a silk scarf as a pillow case (took one of the kids' old silk playscarfs and just knotted it over the pillow).  It cuts down tremendously on fuzzy hair and snarls.  Don't know why but it does- it works for my friend whose hair is even more prone to tangling too. 

Oyin Handmade makes awesome product for curly hair. 

[teraze]

Originally Posted by LaLaLuna 

Spraying water and a little finger combing can help.  What really helps with my messy-in-the-morning curly hair is using a silk scarf as a pillow case (took one of the kids' old silk playscarfs and just knotted it over the pillow).  It cuts down tremendously on fuzzy hair and snarls.  Don't know why but it does- it works for my friend whose hair is even more prone to tangling too. 

Oyin Handmade makes awesome product for curly hair. 

I wish my mom tried to figure out what to do with my curly hair when I was little...she used to brush it out, YOW!, and it was looooonnggg.  I think the above is really good advice.

Your DD's lucky - ringlets are GORGEOUS.  

[LaLaLuna]

Meee tooooo!!!  That right there is why I cropped my hair short as a teen and took about 15 years to grow it out again! 

Originally Posted by teraze 

I wish my mom tried to figure out what to do with my curly hair when I was little...she used to brush it out, YOW!, and it was looooonnggg. 

[CrunchyChristianMama]

We wash my DD's hair with Beautiful Curls shampoo and then put a little leave-in conditioner from the same line in after she's out of the tub.  In the morning we just spritz with water and finger comb or use a wide toothed comb if it's really a mess.  Her hair is a bit longer now than it was in my avi picture, is really fine, and very curly.