Dear Cozy: My 10-year-old daughter only washes her hair three times a week with a shampoo that contains sulfates. We use all silicone-free products, however. Her hair has been looking greasy (even right after she washes it”> and there are white flakes that stick to her hair. I don’t think it’s dandruff.

A: A few things to consider. Have you checked her for lice? I don’t mean to scare you, but it can happen to anyone, so you should just be sure to rule that out. Also, contrary to popular belief, lice don’t usually like greasy hair, as they aren’t able to hang on to the hair as well, so this probably isn’t the problem.

Next, it sounds to me that the products you are using aren’t agreeing with her hair type if she’s having greasy hair after washing. There are so many products out on the market, you should use a shampoo for oily hair or one that controls dandruff. I don’t usually recommend that children use adult products, but maybe in this case she would benefit from a stronger formulation.

Lastly, if you think her oily hair situation is not quite normal, a visit to the doctor may be a good idea. Especially if her head is so itchy and you are having a problem with dandruff.

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