Curly Hair – Detangled

I get loads of questions about dealing with children’s curly hair, whether it’s at hairstyling classes or on Naturally Curly.com How do you keep it from frizzing? How do you get the tangles under control? What products should

you use with curly locks? As someone who has finally embraced her curly hair after years of attempting to keep it straight, I can help!

Taking care of curly hair properly will make a huge difference for your child, letting them embrace their curls, instead of wishing it was straight. If I had realized earlier that my curls could be really nice, instead of a frizzy, out of control mess, it would have saved me hundreds of hours sweating in my bathroom trying to blow my hair straight in 96% humidity! Keeping your kid’s curls beautiful is much easier and better for their hair than attempting to straighten it, and don’t forget how much better it is for your child’s self esteem.

So for starters, NEVER, EVER brush curly hair! Brushing the hair will unsettle the cuticle, causing frizz. Then how do you deal with knots? Instead, comb your child’s hair in the bath with a wide tooth comb while they still have conditioner in their hair. With the hair in one hand, start at the bottom of the strand, working your way up slowly but surely, one inch at a time, holding the hair at the bottom to prevent from tugging on the scalp. For very knotty hair, try SoCozy Boing detangler and leave-in conditioner.

Now here’s my secret weapon-do NOT rinse out all the conditioner. Leave in a little (mostly on the ends) to maintain little extra moisturizing, and then wring out all excess water. After bath, scrunch-in an alcohol-free styling gel or light styling cream into the hair to enhance the natural curl. The alcohol free formulation won’t dry out the hair and will help maintain beautiful curls without looking wet or sticky. You will need to experiment with the amount of product needed to see what works. Start with a nickel-sized dollop on your palm and try to evenly distribute it through the hair while scrunching.

For detangling at other times of the day, always use a detangler and use the same combing method described above. This makes it possible for you to comb through the tangles. To prevent tangles, try putting the hair back in loose styles during active times and at night for bed. They can wear their hair down for less physical activities and special occasions.

Last but certainly not least, definitely get a great haircut that will help to enhance the curls. Oftentimes, if there aren’t enough layers or the layers are too long, it will drag down the hair creating those straight hair sections on top. Ask for a stylist who’s experienced in making curly hair look its best!

As always, send me photos of your child’s new hair styles and I’ll post them on Facebook!  Good luck!