Kids’ hair comes in different textures just like the grownups’—fine, wavy, curly, coily…Like the grownups, parents and guardians need to take their time out to know what works best for their child’s texture to enable it to thrive. If, as a parent/guardian, you’ve been struggling with understanding how to tend to your child’s hair, then you’re in luck.
Today’s article will focus on providing you with regimens specially crafted to your child’s texture needs so let’s get straight into it:
Table of contents
Fine Hair
Image Source: @harunayokota
Fine hair is hair that is smaller in thickness of individual strands than the average hair strands. If your child has this hair texture, you may notice that it is lightweight and lacks volume, even when the hair has density on the scalp. To deal with your child’s fine hair, here are three regimens that can help:
1. Shamwashing
A portmanteau of the words “shampoo” and “wash,” shamwashing is the process of getting rid of dirt, oils, and buildup that have accumulated on the hair and scalp over time by using a shampoo. While it is important to keep fine hair clean, as with any other hair texture, you must not overdo it.
Image Source: @shilohstemple
Shampooing daily on your child’s fine hair can cause it to feel flat and lifeless. You can limit shamwashing to once or twice a week. When washing your child’s fine hair, you should use a volumizing shampoo as these contain proteins that help to lift the hair shafts and cause them to swell, thereby creating an illusion of fullness and thickness as opposed to a look that is flat and lifeless.
For an effective shamwash on fine hair, follow these steps:
- Section the hair into four or more sections.
- Wet the hair and scalp with warm water to open up the follicles for easier cleansing.
- Apply dollops of volumizing shampoo to the fine and rub the shampoo in until it begins to foam; make sure you focus on the scalp where all the dirt and grime are gathered.
- Be careful that you’re using the skin under the fingernails and not the fingernails themselves as you don’t want to create cuts and bruises on your child’s scalp and hair.
- Rinse out thoroughly.
2. Scalp Exfoliation
Image Source: @khalessilithium
Over time, the scalp can be clogged with dead skin cells and dandruff (especially in the case of kids with fine hair which tends to produce more oil). While a shampoo can help cleanse the scalp as already pointed out, a scalp exfoliation goes the extra mile by detoxing the scalp of impurities, thereby allowing oxygen to get to the roots and promoting new growth and thriving hair. Exfoliating your child’s scalp is easy: section the hair and apply the scrub in gentle circular motions. Rinse off afterward.
3. Blowout for Volume
Image Source: @salonbriana
Let’s face it: the flat appearance of fine hair is not always flattering. To give your child’s hair a look of fullness, you can decide to style it in a blowout. A blowout helps to add body to the strands of the hair by creating an illusion of a fuller hairstyle to the eye, and this can be achieved by using a regular blow dryer or a round brush.
To blow out fine hair, ensure your child’s hair is freshly washed and clean. Towel dry with a microfiber towel or a T-shirt and apply leave-in conditioner to make it soft and hydrated. Follow this by sectioning the hair and combing through any knots and tangles. Spray heat protectant on the hair, turn the blow dryer’s setting to medium heat, and blow dry by lifting the roots up. Never blow dry dripping wet hair, as this can cause frizz and heat damage.
Wavy Hair
Image Source: @inthelifeoftayt
Wavy hair is a texture that is not fully straight or tightly curled. Like other hair textures, it also needs to be cared for to thrive. Here are three regimens you can adopt for a child with wavy hair:
4. Trimming
Image Source: @taty_froever
Of all hair textures, long hair is most susceptible to split ends. If your child’s hair is suffering from split ends, trimming is one effective way to deal with them. While you can get it professionally done, you can also do it yourself at home. To trim, you’ll need a pair of hair shears (using regular scissors can cause jagged ends and worsen the splits).
Start with clean, detangled hair coated with a leave-in conditioner for slip and softness. Split the hair into sections and cut half or one inch, depending on how far the splits are. Make sure the cuts are even. Comb and style as desired.
5. Protective Styling
Image Source: @pigs.and.ponies
Protective styles are most suitable when you want to give your child’s hair a much-needed break from constant styling. Not only do they reduce breakage, they also encourage new growth. To prep your child’s hair for a protective style, wash and condition it to cleanse your scalp and hair. Towel dry and leave to air dry or blow dry (use a heat protectant).
Section the hair and massage leave-in conditioner to soften the strands. Comb through each section to ensure the hair is free from knots and tangles. Oil the scalp with a lightweight hair oil to prevent dryness. Massage the oil into the scalp to stimulate blood circulation. Go ahead and style.
6. Taming Frizz
Another common problem with wavy hair is frizz, where individual hair strands spring up in multiple directions, giving the hair a rough look. To combat frizz, avoid using hot water to wash the hair, as this weakens the keratin balance and encourages the unkempt appearance of frizzy hair; use warm water instead.
After washing, avoid using cloth towels to dry your hair as they exacerbate the frizz situation; instead, use a T-shirt or a microfibre towel as they keep the frizz at bay by smoothing the cuticle down while speeding up drying time. When it’s time to comb, moisturize the waves as combing dry hair can result in frizz.
Curly Hair
Image Source: @taiibeauty
Curly hair is hair that has patterns resembling the letter S. When properly cared for, it can be such a beauty to the eye, which is one way every parent/guardian would love for their ward’s hair to appear — beautiful. These three regimens can help you ensure your child’s curly hair is at its best:
7. Detangling
If there’s one thing many parents whose children have curly hair would agree on, it’s that this hair texture is prone to matting and tangles. Separating these tangles and knots requires patience and the right process because it can be painful, and your child may lose hair if you are not careful. Start by spraying the hair with a detangler or water and moisturizing cream.
Image Source: @preslee_jade15
Gently section the hair with your fingers, taking time to separate smaller parts from the whole. Spray more detangler for slip, and gently comb the hair with a wide-tooth comb or a detangling brush from roots to tip. Repeat this process until the entire hair is free of tangles.
8. Flat Ironing
Image Source: @officialqueencocca
Because this particular regimen requires the use of a heat styling tool, you should do it for older kids who can sit still and are less afraid of the heat (of course, you’ll not be using a high heat setting either). Start this process by washing the hair, conditioning and gently detangling it. Towel dry and massage those tresses with leave-in conditioner for moisture and softness and follow this with heat protectant to prevent heat damage.
Leave hair to air dry or blow dry. Never flat iron wet hair, as this can reduce the effectiveness. Ensure the heat setting is perfect, not too high or too low, as the maximum pass for the iron in the hair should be two times. Split the hair into sections and flat iron from the roots to the top. In the end, you’ll get shiny, smooth, silky hair. You can also spray some hairspray for that extra shine and smell.
9. Night Care Routine
Image Source: @alxxandra.xo
Many adults tend to ignore their hair at night, so it won’t be a surprise if parents forget to care for kids’ hair at night. While we are not judging (we get it, parenting demands a whole lot that it’s so easy to forget), we would like to stress that it is important for the hair to be in a nourished state while your child is asleep just as well as when they are awake.
The good news is the night regime does not require too many items or time from you. It basically follows the regular routine of splitting the hair into sections, spritzing with water, applying moisturizing cream and sealing with oil. You can then put the hair in braids or twists if not already in a protective hairstyle. Wrap with a silk or satin scarf so as to preserve the moisture throughout the night.
Coily Hair
Image Source: @etheldiessa
Like all other hair textures, the tightest pattern of all, coily hair requires proper maintenance to keep healthy. Here are three regimens you can follow if your child has this hair pattern:
10. Hot Oil Treatment
This hair treatment provides the hair with many benefits, some of which include nourishing and adding strength to the hair strands, replenishing lost moisture, helping with blood circulation, and serving as a detangler. It can also be used as a pre-poo as it helps as a barrier against the ingredients in shampoos that strip off moisture.
Mix two or three hair oils of your choice in a bottle to do a hot oil treatment. Let the bottle sit in a bowl of hot water for five minutes to warm up. Bring the bottle out and apply it to your child’s hair, which you must have already sectioned. Cover with a hair bonnet for 30 minutes and rinse off.
11. Deep Conditioning
Image Source: @marissa.motivates
Deep conditioning is one effective way of getting your child’s hair strands to absorb moisture intensely. To start with, shampoo the hair. Then, split it into sections and massage dollops of deep conditioner into each section. Cover the child’s hair with a shower cap and leave it for 30 minutes. Rinse out with cool water. The result is softer, defined, well-moisturized hair.
12. The Green House Effect
Image Source: @naijahhairgrowthgal
Many parents will agree that when their child’s oily hair is in a state that does not retain moisture, it can be quite frustrating when it comes to detangling and styling. Here comes the greenhouse effect to the rescue. The GHE helps to stimulate sebum which is needed to keep the scalp hydrated, it also aids in detangling, detoxing and cleansing the hair.
Before doing this, you must understand that it may be uncomfortable for younger kids as the child will need to sleep in it overnight. It is recommended that you do the GHE on older kids who can be more perseverant. To do the GHE, you’ll only require items you already have in the house, such as a spray bottle of water, moisturizer, hair serum, a shower cap, and a bonnet.
Start by spritzing the hair with water, applying moisturizer, and detangling it in sections. Next, apply serum to every section and pull the shower cap over it, followed by the hair bonnet. Leave on overnight and take off the caps in the morning. The result is softer, bouncy curls.
Conclusion
Every child is unique, as are the needs of his/her hair texture. As parents and guardians, knowing what regimen works best for our wards’ hair is key to ensuring their tresses flourish. Thankfully, the simple regimens in this article will make it easier for you to tend to your ward’s hair.
