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If your child’s hair has suddenly become unruly despite having a hair care regimen that is usually reliable, it can be a real challenge to determine what to do. Curls tend to protest when they are out of balance, and this protest can take the form of frizz, loss of definition, stringiness, greasiness, scalp issues or any combination of these. Besides products, and possibly product build up, the hair can also be affected by:
- seasonal weather shifts
- hormones
- environmental stressors like chlorine from swimming pools
- mechanical stressors like tight hairstyles
- dry ends that should be trimmed
Before you banish every single one of her products to the back of the bathroom vanity, do an assessment of the hair. Is it frizzy with dryness at the ends, or is it dry all over? Is it also weighed down? Are there scalp issues? Does it look stringy or greasy? Does it feel hard to the touch? Does it feel healthy but just not look its best? After you make your determinations, see below for indications of what is needed.
- If the hair is frizzy, lacks definition, and feels dry all over it needs more moisture. Add a weekly moisturizing masque to the regimen, along with a rich, creamy leave-in conditioner which you would apply after every shampoo. If hair starts to feel dry at the end of the day, spritz it with a spray moisturizer, or a 50/50 combination of leave-in and water.
- If the hair is frizzy, yet feels extremely soft, and maybe even a bit sticky or mushy, clarify it with a clarifying shampoo, apply a protein treatment, and then after rinsing it out use a leave-in that moisturizes and strengthens. Moving forward, ensure that your child’s conditioners contain a small amount of protein in them along with moisturizing ingredients.
- If the ends are dry and possibly brittle, they are not clumping, and you are having difficulty detangling them, a trim is needed.
- If you notice soft frizz, greasy hair, ends that refuse to clump, itchy or reddish scalp (sometimes”> product build up has occurred. Clarify with a clarifying shampoo.
- If the hair feels hard to the touch and is dry, the hair may be protein sensitive, or sensitive to coconut oil (which acts like a protein”>, or protein overload has occurred. This generally happens most often to coarser hair (of any curl pattern”>. Clarify with a clarifying shampoo, and moving forward, limit the number of protein-containing products in the regimen. Focus on using moisturizing products.
- If the hair is dry, straw-like, and possibly faded or discolored, there may be a buildup of chlorine. Aubrey Swimmer’s Shampoo has a gentle formulation that will not strip hair or leave it feeling dry.
- If the hair feels healthy but it looks stringy on the ends and lacks body even after you try to scrunch out the crunch, the styler may be too heavy for your child’s hair. Switch to a light-hold styler like a water-based light hold gel, or a foam.
- If the hair starts out looking great when you style it, but by the end of the day it is puffy and has lost all definition, you may need to use a firmer hold styler.
Do you find that you have to adjust your child’s hair care routine periodically? Let us know the changes you make in the comments. For more great products to care for your child’s hair, click here.
