how to tame "rats nest" hair in the morning for 15mo DD

[meg-momto2]

my DD is blessed with long but thin hair. at 15mo it's at the bottom of her shoulder blades. she rolls around a lot in her sleep and wakes up with some frizzy, tangled hair. i'm affraid to brush it because it breaks so easily. i think a detangler would be good but i haven't found a "green" one yet. it's to thin to braid and if i put it in ponytails it will most likely break off with all the moving around. any ideas on what to do for her?

here's a pic of a less the normal tangles - [IMG]http://media5.dropshots.com/photos/4...027/112517.jpg[/IMG]

[hippiemommaof4]

my friend makes a natural hair detangler...she's a great wahm and we have used most of her products including the natural detangler

her site is www.faceofthewave.com

she is closed right now, I just remembered that they are making a huge move. I am more than sure that you can make your own with a little natural conditioner then add it to a spray bottle with water and let dissolve.

[jocelyndale]

I found one by accident. Not sure it will work in the long run (grime), but my son loves to play with my cocoa butter stick. Once it's warm, I rub some onto my fingers and into his rat's nest. I can comb it out pretty easily after that. It soaks in pretty quickly, too, because his hair is super fine. If I remember to do this after his nightly bath, his hair is usually nest-free come morning. I imagine any decent oil (coconut) or veg butter (palm, shea, etc) would work.

[woodchick]

Have you tried satin sheets? That may reduce the friction on her head.

I had really long hair as a kid and I remember my mom putting me in the bath with conditioner in my hair. She'd work the conditioner through and then comb (with it in) my hair with a big, wide toothed comb. Then rinse. That may cut down on the pain and breakage that comes with dry brushing.

[quietserena]

Does combing before bedtime help at all?

DD has curly thin hair and it ca be amazingly ratnesty in the morning but it seems to help if I comb her hair before bed.

I haven't found a satisfactory green detangler, I just use a regular one but only before bath.

[Juvysen]

I take DD in the shower with me and pour apple cider vinegar (diluted - I pour a couple tablespoons of vinegar into a 20oz coke bottle and fill the rest w/warm water) over just the back. Works like a charm. It might be fine in just a spray, too, I don't know. I have curly-ish hair myself and it does the trick to get out all the knots. I only use it IN the shower though, and rinse it out after. The vinegar smell goes away with rinsing and certainly once it's dry.

[lyterae]

I put braids in dd's hair before bed... Her hair is a little past her shoulder blades and because it's thin it doesn't all stay in the braid by morning but it has made a world of difference for the tangles we've been experiencing.

eta: Sorry, I saw that you already tried braiding...

[TzippityDoulah]

I braid my four yr old's hair before bed or she will wake upw ith a rats nest. if it gets reallty bad I work conditioner through the tangle(s) and use a bristle style brush.

[Contrariety]

Yes, yes. I know this hair do. DS has had it for a long time... every morning. I use Burts Bees Baby wash for his hair and body... BUT the past two nights he's had bubble baths and I just squirted some of my TIGI Bed Head shampoo in the water... and

WOW! His hair is AMAZING now! Not so much natural... but really, I was shocked to see the difference. His hair is silky and beautiful in the morning... I'm thinking about giving Burt the Boot and finding something more grown up for DS's hair, as he definitely has very full head these days.

[meg-momto2]

thanks everyone. i certainly have some options to try.

Originally Posted by lyterae

I put braids in dd's hair before bed... Her hair is a little past her shoulder blades and because it's thin it doesn't all stay in the braid by morning but it has made a world of difference for the tangles we've been experiencing.

eta: Sorry, I saw that you already tried braiding...

i haven't *tried* braiding. i've sorta giving her a play braid and it did not hold well. i guess i could wet her hair down and have DH help hold her still and try again.

[artemis33]

At 3 my DD still wakes up daily with rat hair! LOL

I will have to try the preventative oil at night method, but for detangler, I like Nature Baby's leave in conditioner/detangler. I put that on an gently comb out with a wide tooth comb. Then brush out when it is dry (if I add it to already dry hair this doesn't take long but after baths about a half hour or so).

She still hates to have it brushed, but will negotiate because she doesn't want any rats living in there LOL

[His Own]

Tangle Teezer

There is a new kind of hairbrush available now from England that is simply amazing at detangling. It is called a Tangle Teezer. It's a cheap-looking, hollow, plastic brush that looks like something you might use on your cat. But it works great! I learned about it on a long hair board I frequent. I finally bought one, and have had it for about 5 days now. I love it! : Here is the website I bought it from; yes it is in England, but it came quickly and easily:

http://www.afrocare.com/cart.php?tar...289&substring=

It cost me $18.39 USD. Yes, that is expensive, but that is the cheapest I could find it, even cheaper than ebay. It works so well that it is actually worth the money (to me at least.) I plan to give several for Christmas gifts. I have had long hair my whole life, and know what a pain detangling can be. I have NEVER found anything that detangled so quickly and easily. My first use was right from the shower, with freshly washed hair. It was tangle free in very few strokes, and there were a grand total of 3 hairs in the brush after use. That is pretty amazing for my hair.

Anyway, enough gushing. Just a suggestion for anyone with long or easily tangled hair.

[j_e_n_n_y]

California Baby makes a detangler:

http://www.californiababy.com/calmin...er-8-5-oz.html

[sunnysandiegan]

My DD had super fine, easily broken hair until about a year ago. She's 7 now. I ended up cutting her hair short to avoid the battles and tears when she was around 2-3 years old. I also switched her to salon-quality products for fine, dry hair. BIGGEST MIRACLE EVER!!! Her hair is healthy and shining and MUCH easier to manage now!

We also braid at night, but only when camping. It helps keep the tangles (and dirt!) to a minimum for sure, but it comes with a price of not sleeping as soundly for my DD. She has a very sensitive head.