OT: Need help finding a detangler / conditioner for ethnic hair

[cerberus]

I have tried so many things on my DD's hair. I think it is really trial and error. I had so many suggestions and what seemed so great for one child did not work for mine. My dd is adopted. She is AA and I am caucasian. Anyway- we finally found a great detangler called Silken Child. I buy it a beauty supply store. I also use a conditioning cream (it's really thick) as opposed to a regular conditioner. I also only wash her hair with shampoo about once/week. I "wash" it with conditioner the rest of the week.

What helps us keep the tangles out is to comb it out when it is wet. I also use a boar bristle brush to get all of the tiny strands. I use organic olive oil styling gel type stuff and pull it up in piggy tails. At night I use the detangler and comb each piggy tail out, braid it and twist it up. This keeps her from getting matted tangles overnight. In the morning I can just un-twist, take the braids out and her hair is tangle free and adorable. We have fewer tears now than we have ever had.

Good luck. It was so hard finding a system that worked for her hair.

My DD is adopted too The boar bristle brush is what my stylist recommended for her hair too, it is the only thing that helps to brush out the tangles! The thought of braiding her hair gives me a I am not sure I could even braid her hair. What detangler do you use, is it also made by Silken Child?
Here is her hair when she wakes up in the morning, this is after having it washed the night before, brushed out and products put into it

 

[la79al]

As a stepmom of a girl with some really crazy curly/frizzy hair, I would definitely suggest taking the time in the evenings to put it up somehow. Even just doing one big braid would probably make things easier in the morning. You might need to get the ends trimmed off and start from scratch. We have not beat the knot problem completely here because with half custody, my stepdaughters mom uses stuff different from us and it seems like we are always starting over when she's here. My daughters hair looks like it is going to be quite an adventure too though, once she gets big enough for hair products. The stuff we are in love with right now is called Kids Organics by Africas Best. It is a detangling moisturizing hair lotion. For us it has really helped to enhance the curl, maintain the frizz and eliminate the tangles. We also use a very wide tooth comb on the wet hair and then a brush to catch the wispy stuff after it is dry, if needed (she puts hers in a ponytail everyday). It really is a trial and error thing and then after you find something you like, you either won't be able to find it anymore or her hair texture will change and it won't work anymore. Good luck!

 

[cerberus]

Thanks, her hair was up in a pony tail that night I can not get a wide tooth comb or even one of those detangling combs through the ends of her hair, even when wet and when it has conditioner on it...I can only make it about half way down her hair.
I am going to have my friend come over and she if she can braid it and give me tips on how she did it, but it is painful just to seperate it into pigtails.

 

[la79al]

Oh, I also have to say, I have a cousin whose hair looks EXACTLY like that. She (well, her mom) kept it in 2 braided pigtails when she was younger and now that she is older (about 20), I think she has just given up. She combs out what she can and throws it into a ponytail and calls it a day.

 

[cerberus]

I was able to find the Silken Child products while out shopping today.
I used the Silken deep conditioning treatment on her hair tonight. I do have to say this is by far the best her hair has been after conditioning it....while I was still not able to get a brush or comb through it, it was better and her hair seemed softer. Since I love my Wen hair products I just bought, I tried a bit of in her hair as a leave in conditioner and WOW, I could pull a comb through it with only a few tears. I also used the Silken Child detangler and it did seem to help.
Of course the true test will be how it is when she wakes up in the morning !
I will keep the list I have compiled from all your suggestions, but I am going to keep trying the Silken Child and Wen for a week and see how it all goes....THANKS EVERYONE!!