Advice for little girl with REALLY long, tangly hair

[FreshTressa]

My daughter, 7, has hair that reaches her mid booty.

She does not want it cut, and I'm having trouble finding a product that gets rid of all the tangles...and brushing her hair every day has become a NIGHTMARE.

Any advice?

 

[taekwondo mom]

Fermodyl 619 from Sally's..

 

[2angelsinheaven]

A good conditioner, I even haved used Aussie 3 Minute Miracle w/ good results. I'm 20 something and my hair is long as well, around mid back. Well if I use the conditioner and pick out the tangles it works well, most times the tangles just untangle with use. I feel her/your pain...

 

[FreshTressa]

Thanks! Any particular brand of conditioner?

I have tried TONS of different conditioners....

Joico, Redken, Pantene, Regis olive oil, Lush american cream, suave, herbal essence....I could go on and on, lol.

So far, I can get the tangles out right after the shower, but when she comes back in from playing outside or sleeps on it, it is impossible to detangle again.

 

[2BigKIdz]

I would also try a leave-in conditioner, I use Pantene but I'm sure there are many out there.

 

[crazyme5kids]

My 4 year old has long curly hair, which will turn into a rats nest when left loose. I wash and condition her hair, but comb it out while in the tub with the conditioner in it. The only solution I have for not having to try and brush it out everyday is to put it in a braid or two braids. When she has a bath at night it will be a little messy around the sides in the morning because she is a rough sleeper, but it's easy to just smooth it out a little.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

My DD10's hair is down to her knees--believe me, I feel your pain! She currently uses Garnier Fructis shampoo and conditioner, only recently started washing her hair herself, jsut because it's so thick and really a job, but she's in fifth grade, Mom can't do it forever. We also use the Biosilk (or other brand) silicone product after she's out. This does an amazing job of getting out tangles.

I also recommend that you not let it stay "down" any more than necessary. I do a variety of braids on my DD so it's a different style every day. This keeps it from getting tangled too badly. She sleeps in a braid--when it's wet, I only braid about 6 inches, leaving the rest below the elastic to dry better. It's a rare day that DD would wear her hair "loose" (but even then, still pulled back from her face--it overwhelms her!). But when she does, it's the talk of the school.

 

[Mamu]

There are many reasons for tangles, a few things that will help.

Regular trimming, every 3-4 months to help remove the dry ends.
Regular shampooing and conditioning will help, rinsing well after each. Shampoo residue can cause tangles. This is one area where less is best. Products that remove tangles can also cause tangles too, they build up a residue that can make the hair sticky.
Rusk makes a product called Sheer Brilliance, it a hair polish but works wonders on softening, smoothing and refining the hair. You only need a drop smooth into the hair before combing.
This I can't stress enough regular combing. before you sleep, when you get up and during the day.
Always rinse out pool chlorine. This will cause instant tangles in children.

 

[mudnuri]

both DD's have hair down their back

They both use a wide tooth comb in the shower with conditioner. This sounds funny- but the equate (walmart brand) in a bottle to compare to pantene, is the best conditioner I've found for them. very thick etc.

Also- when they get out of the shower, morning or night, their hair goes in a french braid. If they did not shower at night, before bed, their hair goes in a low ponytail.

Brandy

 

[tkd lisa]

I just posted the trick about sleeping with it in a braid for my DD. So far, that's working so well I can't believe it.

I never realized so many people had this type of hair!

 

[siouxi31]

We use a spray on detangler (even on dry hair) before brushing my daughter's hair. Her hair is about mid back's length, it's curly on the underside and straight on top. The underside gets very tangly so we always have to use something to detangle it. I think we had bought Pantene brand detangler...I'm travelling right now and can't check the cabinet to see exactly what it was.
Regular trimming really does help too.

 

[KimR]

My DD used to have very long, thick wavy hair and I always used Infusium Leave-In Conditioner. You can use it on wet or dry hair.

 

[Chicago526]

I had long hair as a girl that tangled if you looked at me funny. My mom used a de-tangler from Johnson & Johnson's "No More Tears" line. It did seem to help, but that was in the days before conditioners, so maybe there are better products out there now.

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

My DD is 9 and has long hair that she will not part with yet - LOL

I always condition her hair with a good conditioner on the ends only and I always use a leave in conditioner - we use Infusium 23 - I put it is a spray bottle and spray it on her hair and brush through making sure not to get any on her scalp since she gets dry scalp really easy. Also I braid her hair almost daily - it is so much easier to brush out at the end of the day. If she leaves her hair down all day it gets very tangly and she will not brush it as much as it needs to keep it tangle free. So until she learns to brush her hair more often it stays in braids or pony tails most every day.

 

[SC Minnie]

Good conditioner, brush out every night, braid before bedtime, and braid or put up as much as possible. DD has long hair too and it has been a chore but it is so pretty.

 

[C.Ann]

Definitely braids or a pony tail for playing and sleeping.. DGD has very long, very thick, naturally curly hair and if she doesn't do the braids or pony tail, it's an absolute nightmare!!!!

 

[Linnie The Pooh]

Along with a good conditioner, I use a technique I learned in beauty school many moons ago, that I use on my daughter all the time. She has really fine hair that tangles easy. After her bath, when her hair is wet, I do the following.

Use a wide toothed comb. Gather all her hair up in a clip but leave a little section out at the nape. This is the important part: Start combing at the bottom of her hair-at the ends-don't start by the scalp. Gradually work your way up the hair shafts. When you get that section smooth, unclip a little more and do that same. This works great for my daughter and her comb outs are basically pain free. At the end, I use a fine toothed comb and make sure every tangle is out.

I can't tell you how many times I've had my hair done (which is long also) and to comb it out, the cosmetologist starts yanking through it at the scalp. This really causes the hair to tangle even more-and it's painful. Apparently, they aren't teaching the above method in beauty school anymore because it happens to me all the time. I've actually borrowed their comb and shown them how to comb long hair out so it doesn't hurt.

So my advice is to start at the ends and work your way up. And of course, get it trimmed regularly and use conditioners and all the other products people have mentioned. Good luck.

ETA: I should add that I only comb my daugther's hair every other day when she takes a bath. I don't comb it during the day unless it looks ratty. Her tangles come out so much more easily when I do the Ends First method, there's no need to constantly comb her hair.

 

[FayeW]

The only advice I have is CUT IT! My dd HAD long hair, about 1/2 way down her back. She gave me such a hard time about combing it and keeping it neat I had it cut to just around her shoulders. It is still considered long, but not ridiculously so. She uses conditioner, and then I comb it and braid it when it's wet. She will wear it braided for one day, and then loose the second day when it is all kinky from the braids.

There is a girl in her class with hair to her knees. but it is always braided or put up so I really wonder why they keep it that long. I mean really, what's the point? Sadly, that child's whole personality is wrapped up in the long hair. That has become WHO she is, "oh, the one with the long hair".

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

My hair isn't that long but I can sympathise about it being very knotted. I found using Matrix Sleek.Look shampoo and conditioner work really well in my hair. I can go to sleep and wake up and there are very few to no tangles in the morning. Other products I found that work well are The Detangler by Paul Mitchell and the detangling conditioner by Biolage (also Matrix).

I also agree with others and braid her hair before she sleeps. It helps a lot. Get the ends trimmed often and it will help keep the ends from getting knotted. And when combing out the knots start from the ends and work your way up.

Another trick I use is when I am in the shower and I have the conditioner in my hair, I comb it through with a wide tooth comb. It gets out the tangles and works the conditioner into the roots. Maybe your daughters hair doesn't need to be washed everyday? If so, you could be washing out the natural oils that are making her hair dry so it gets easily knotted.

 

[eeyore kelly]

Good conditioner, brush out every night, braid before bedtime, and braid or put up as much as possible. DD has long hair too and it has been a chore but it is so pretty.

I agree. I swear by the braid.