Dear Cozy: My daughter will be 10 at the end of this month and I want to start teaching her to care for her hair. I have on occasion let her rinse her deep conditioner out while she was in the shower (actually once “> and she has been begging to keep doing every since. So my question is 10 to young? I will of course be assisting her, and I’m not sure that I would actually let her do her weekly co-washes alone, but maybe rinsing her DT’s and showing her how to detangle.
A: I think it’s wonderful that she wants to take an active role in her grooming, and by all means you should allow it! There’s no reason that you can’t do a quick check when she’s finished, just to be sure she rinsed thoroughly. I would seize the moment and take this opportunity to teach her about proper grooming. Enjoy — this is special time between a mother and a daughter that you will both remember for the rest of your lives!
Dear Cozy: My daughter is 2 and has curly, wavy and even some hair that seems straight. Almost her entire canopy is straight/wavy but her hair underneath is very curly. I really have no idea where the straight hair came from, but there it is! Anyway, she is due for a trim soon and I was debating whether to let them give her bangs. It isn’t something I’ve ever thought about before, as I haven’t had bangs since I was a teenager in the 80s, but a few people have mentioned that she would look cute with them.
I get her hair trimmed every few months so the ends stay healthy, but am letting it grow out so I ask them not to cut more than 1/4″ off at a time (unfortunately, the last person who cut her hair cut off way too much and now it’s back to the length it was 6 months ago–UGH”>. With her curl/wave pattern being something I have no experience with, I don’t really know what would be a good cut for her. So I just have the ends trimmed and that’s it.
A: It’s difficult to make a recommendation as to a hairstyle without actually seeing her hair, but I do have some advice. First, you should know that a variety of hair types is quite common for young children. This is because baby hair is growing out and new hair is growing in. Very often, children’s hair type changes as they age (same with adults”>. My guess is that the “newer” hair growth, is likely to be the way her hair will be for the near future. A great option that is very in-style right now is side bangs. You can see on TV and in the movies that it’s the new, hot style. It’s not as drastic as cutting bangs, as they are longer and not as blunt and thus easier to grow in if you aren’t happy with it.
Dear Cozy: I need to find some products that might work for my 3-year-old daughter. I don’t know what is worse — the summer with the pool or the winter with the heat on. I have stopped shampooing and have been braiding to keep it so it doesn’t mat up. What’s your routine? From shampoo and product to second day hair? What leave-in should I use. I haven’t been using any. Suggestions… I am open and willing for anything right now.
A: I definitely recommend using products that are formulated specifically for children’s hair. You are absolutely right, it’s hard to say which is harder on your hair—summer or winter?! So Cozy Hair Care for Children has products that will address all of your child’s needs. Try the Green Apple Swimmer’s Shampoo in the summer and the Sweet Strawberry Conditioner in the winter. Use the Fruity Delight Detangler & Leave-In Conditioner all year round. Sleeping with a loose braid or pony will help prevent matting, but for heavy duty detangler, try combing out her hair with a wide-toothed comb in the tub with So Cozy Lucky Lime PreDetangling Cream.
Dear Cozy: My daughter will soon be 6 yearss old and she is starting to lose her curls. I just started the shampoo free method one month ago. She is still losing curl definition in the back by the end of the day. She also has back-of-hair frizz. I figure hair weight may be an issue. She is a 2b, 2c, 3a parts with thick medium/coarse hair. She use to be 3a-3b. Her last hair cut almost left the back in a barely 2a, with loss of ringlets even in the nape area. Ideas?
A: There are 2 possibilities as to what’s going on with your daughter’s hair. The first possibility is that her haircut is lacking layers, which means it’s weighing down her curls. The more likely possibility however, is that her hair texture is changing and she won’t be a curly girl for much longer. It’s quite common for a child’s hair type to change as they get older, which is usually much harder for parents to face than the kids!
