Trouble Free Hair Care for Little Curlies

Need some hair help for your curly hair kids? We got you covered!

Keeping a high-energy toddler in one place for any length of time is challenging at best. Add detangling, tugging, and pulling of hair, and you have a recipe for frustration (and lots of tears). So what is a parent/caretaker to do?

Here are the 12 best tips to take care of little curlies:

Never or Rarely Use Shampoo

Shampoos are harsh and drying, especially for baby/toddler hair. Instead use a specially formulated conditioning wash (Cowash), conditioner, or at most, a CG-friendly low poo. Do not wash their hair every day unless it is truly dirty from rolling around in the dirt. One to three times a week is plenty.

Use LOTS Of Water

Teeny tiny ones only need water and a little finger detangling. Saturate the hair with water and use a CG-approved cowash with a lot of slip. If finger detangling will take too long, try using a wide tooth comb. If you use a specially designed wet brush, such as a Tangle Teezer, please be gentle and only use the brush while the hair is saturated with both water and a CG-friendly conditioner.

Section The Hair

If you are detangling low to medium density curls, you can simply divide the hair into 4 sections after applying conditioner to detangle. The smaller the sections, the least amount of pain for our little ones. If high-density-thick-hair, section into quadrants, then divide each quarter into 3-4 parts for detangling. Mist the sections often to keep the hair wet and add more conditioner if needed. Each hair section you detangle should feel slippery and make a quacking sound (Yes! Just like a duck – you can even turn this into a game!) when scrunched or squeezed. Follow the same steps with a leave-in conditioner.

Start From The Ends

Especially when detangling with fingers or a detangling brush, always start from the ends of the hair and work up toward the roots. This will keep the pulling and tugging to a minimum.

Avoid Creating Frizz

Don’t use a bath towel or hair dryer to dry their curly hair – it damages the cuticles and causes frizz. Instead, dry hair with a cotton T-shirt, T-shirt towel, or microfiber towel.

Close-up portrait of a curly african american girl.

Never Brush Curly Hair When Dry

Say it louder for those in the back, because it is important! In addition, definitely do not mess with their curls until they are dry to prevent frizz. Simply use your fingertips or a soft pick to fluff up the roots.

Do Not Use Styling Products

At the end of the day, little ones’ hair is likely frizzy and tangled up, necessitating another wash day or a refresh. Once the kids are old enough, you can introduce styling products, like a gel or a mousse, but not before.

Trim The Ends

Regularly trimming their ends will cut down on tangles. Baby hair is fine and tangles easily. Until the baby’s hair grows out and gets thicker, keep the hair shorter or shoulder length. Do the same for toddlers and children.

Ringlets Or Finger Twirls

Do have fun with their hair and try forming ringlets by gently wrapping several curls around your fingers to form ringlet-like curls. See these helpful videos by Tiffany Brown and YoshiDoll.

Use A Silk Pillowcase

If their hair gets especially frizzy at night, consider getting them a silk (or satin) pillowcase. Regular cotton pillowcases are good at rubbing against the hair and creating a lot of frizz. A silk pillowcase will cut down on frizz.

Use A Protective Hairstyle

Before bedtime, and if they tolerate it, you can contain curly hair into one or more braids. Braiding their hair cuts down greatly on tangles during the night and can make the morning routine a bit easier. Another option is using a buff or a bonnet with a nice kid-friendly pattern over the hair.

Praise Their Curls

Last but not least, tell your little ones their curls are beautiful. By praising their hair when they are young, they will grow to love their curls as they get older. Curly hair kids whose parents constantly nag and complain about the knots and tangles, often grow up hating their curly hair wishing it was straight. Embrace their curls so they will too!

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