Straight-haired Mom, 2C Teen Daughter- HELP!

LisaInVA · 10-21-2011, 07:58 PM

My daughter turns 13 this month and she is an amazing, strong-spirited young woman with beautiful 2C hair. She has always wanted it to hang long and it is currently in long layers hanging near armpit-level. She is a beautiful girl, but her hair is a mess. It is big and bushy and frizzy and hangs in front of her face.

She doesn't like to spend time on her hair (it's *that* teen phase where hygeine is not a priority) and I have very short, very straight hair.

I have done some research and have purchased some products for her, but how do I get her to use them? What are the most essential products I should encourage her to use to keep the frizzy bushy hair at bay?

Thanks so much!!!

oh.hi.its.steph · 10-23-2011, 09:41 AM

Oh, my hair was like this when I was 13 and I felt the exact same way! I'm only 18 now so I can still understand lol. Basically, there are 3 essential things she should use:

1. a less harsh shampoo. You want something sulfate-free. I suggest Renpure Organics in the red bottle, called "my pretty hair is parched". $6 at any grocery store

2. a moisturizing conditioner. Moisture is THE most important thing for manageable hair. You want something silicone-free; it's the best for hair like hers and mine. I suggest Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine; also around $6 anywhere!
3. Here's the one she might not like... a styling product. Haha. A gel is probably the easiest way to go. She doesn't need to use much; maybe two or three quarter sizes? Just scrunch it into wet hair, it will keep her hair defined and in place

I really like Garnier Fructis Pure Clean gel.

Hope that helped!! Basically she just needs to keep her hair moisturized, it will help so much with frizz and dryness.

shizzlebeans · 10-28-2011, 09:51 AM

I wish my mom was more like you.

I had the same problem at that age, but my mom was from the "daily clarifying" school of thought and didn't want to spend much on better products that might not work and just sit in in the cupboard. I wish I would have known then what I know now.

Eliminating shampoo saves a step in the shower. And then I add my gel at the end of my shower, scrunch, and wrap it up in a microfiber towel (the plopping method). Then I can brush my teeth, get dressed, eat, etc, and at the end, drop my hair out of the towel. If I want it to dry faster, I diffuse for 10 minutes, but it's not necessary. The whole process is about 45 minutes from getting up to walking out the door, so it might be appropriate for a teenager.

I listed a lot of things in my signature but I could get by on Garnier Triple Nutrition as a conditioner wash, and Herbal Essences Set Me Up as a gel. That's all I absolutely need.