Old hair care routine: once a week (or so) take down hair from whatever style it's in and either rinse it with conditioner in the tub or wash with shampoo then rinse with conditioner. While conditioner is in hair I would have her lay in the water while I underwater combed most of it (the comb used to to through fairly easily under the water). Then she'd play in the tub while I parted and combed and put her hair in sections. I'd either finish the style in the tub or do the rest while she watched a movie. During the final styling I would put a heavier leave in conditioner in her hair. Viola, fairly drama free hair (always dramatic fussing leading up to the hair doing, but usually only fussing if I pulled during the hair doing).
These days something is happening. I haven't changed products, well I have but I haven't had one solid product I've stuck with during the years. Now, I take down her style, get her in the tub and when I get it wet it almost immediately sucks up and starts matting. Tonight I tried washing it (it's been awhile) to get the products out, then conditioning it. It took a long long time to coax the mats out of her hair ... and the thing is, the hair was in pigtails and mostly combed out before we started. This is the second time this has happened. The last time, I thought it was because I had let her go a couple days with free hair. That time ended in a funky "trim", that still needs to be addressed by a professional.
Tonights episode was not as traumatic for Lucy. I got the mats combed out and used a lot of conditioner to help, it didn't pull on her too much and she stayed mostly busy playing with water. Her hair ended up really cute in 6 braids. I think it helped that I washed one section at a time after I noticed it was starting to mat up when I got it wet. Once I had the braids all in, I rinsed her hair off really well with water from the sprayer, then I put some olive oil in to condition it.
Anyone have experience with any of this ... any one??? Suggestions?
16 comments:
Stacy, It looks like Lucy's hair is getting really long. Am I right? If so that may be a factor. I can't leave Miriam's hair free at all. Not for any amount of time. It is all due to the length.
Staci, not an expert here but one thing that I read is that there is a chemical in most shampoos that strips the natural oil from hair, good for fine hair like yours and mine but not so good for hair like Lucy's or Emma's...for the past year I have not used any shampoo in Emma's hair! and I've given up experimenting with the expensive hair creams! What I've started doing is only using the Herbal Essence hello hydration conditioner, I use a ton in Emma's hair once a week, while the conditioner is in I divide it into four sections and then comb it out. then after the bath I either put it in braids or twist, or leave it free for a few days. On free days a spray bottle with water and a little conditioner mixed in usually perks the curls back up! Sometimes if it starts getting matted in between baths I have her jump in the shower with me in the morning and I give it another dose of heavy conditioner.
Also, Emma has finally been able to start using (keeping in) a sleep hat so that helps with some of the mattes!
Jess
I find that with Kate's tight curls (Lucy's look softer and more gentle, but maybe they are changing a bit) I do best if I wash/condition/comb one section at a time. Like Dani said, as hers has gotten longer, it is just impossible to keep it from grabbing onto one another and tying itself into a big knot.
She is so cute. I bet she needs a good cut (not just a trim!) and yep, a real one, at a salon, not a braid shop--they take off too little :-) The colder weather and having the heat on in your house (I am in Mpls too) and no humidity makes it soooo much drier. I'd get it cut and then try smaller braids (so you wont need any bands or ponies on the ends) and use some Carol's Daughter Loc Butter when you braid her up next time--it does a very good job keeping it moisturized. I use good (and diluted) shampoo every ten days or so, slather on super think conditioner (like Biolage Conditioning Balm), pick/comb it out with that in, let it sit a bit, rinse by pouring water down over it(not laying down as then it tangles), blot towel dry, then put a little leave in conditioner, loosely section it while wet, and then pick out, loc butter, and re-braid each section after that.
No,no, no....don't cut it. Her hair texture may be changing slighty because she's getting older, the hair is getting longer, there's many reasons "our" hair changes along with the seasons.
My hair is so freakin' manageable (and stress free) when I'm on the East Coast due to the humidity; but it is a funky hot-mess in California where the air is dryer; whereas the high altitude in Ethiopia gave it the softness I had as a child.
Good post by the way!
Can I send you Ava ?
Lucy hair is always so nice. I am having a hard time with Ava s.
"Just for Me" makes a detangler spritz you may find helpful.
I like Circle of Friends for a relatively inexpensive good detangler. Why not get a good cut? Not cut it short (yikes!) but she has lots of hair, and she trimmed it herself :-) I am saying go to a salon, with a black stylist, and get a haircut, a good half inch or even an inch off will make a world of difference and get rid of the ends that have been in chlorine this summer and had rubber bands on them--probably her ends are causing a lot of her "matting" right now. Obviously growing it long and breakage is not a problem for her. My kids all have similar texture to Lucy's and it grows long and stays super healthy with trims every 3-4 months. A couple of my Ethiopian friends trim their daughters' hair more often that I do my kids--every two months or so--really depends of the texture, as Ethiopian hair varies so much depending on ethnicity, but if it is like hers--softer and looser curl--it will really keep it healthier and more manageable to get the ends off.
I use Deva Curl no poo shampoo and conditioner as well as a leave in conditioner. All work really well on Maya's hair. I also use a detangler called Circle of Friends which can be purchased at Ulta. I would never be able to comb Maya's hair without the detangler. I do think some of it has to do with the weather changing as I am noticing a difference in Maya's and my own hair. Everything is more dry. I would maybe take her to a salon to get her hair trimmed and then asked them what they recommend. Please share what you find out so we can all learn from you!
I like this site you should chcek it out its all about hair. your daughters hair is beautiful.
http://www.happygirlhair.com/
Well, i read your post a few days ago and what happens to us tonight- matting! EXACTLY as you describe!Argh!
No advice at all. Lucy is way ahead of my two in the hair department. The big kid only recently lost those baby bald spots.
Hoping for a solution and happy to hear that she is feeling better.
Lucy has beautiful hair. I wouldn't cut it unless you noticed that the ends are in bad shape. I think that over time the hair can become coated from the water source and products. So it MAY help to clarify with a good clarifying shampoo and then a really good deep conditioner. Also, try washing her hair in sections. Give her like four or five pony tails (very loosely twisted or braided). Take one down at a time, wash it, put in conditioner and then braid or twist it back up. Once you have done twist, rinse out the conditioner using the same method, untangle and put back in twists. This way the hair is not all loose at once. This should help with tangles.
Her always looks like velvet to me! :) Seriously, I always think this when I gaze through your blog.
Next time you meet the mats, try brushing it first, before comb, with the cond on. Way easier on everybody!
(BTW, apple cider vinegar makes for good clarifier, although stay away from eyes, ouchy! Maybe spray-in before a wash/conditioner job or something)
I noticed a difference in Habtamu's hair (he is younger than Lucy though) when I had been shampooing it only with the conditioner for a while: a sort of a build up that matted the hair. Then I read some good hair care info and switched the product (no silikons etc ingredients!! that create build up although the hair felt great afterwards until we reached that "builtup point" and started adding a good shampoo wash a bit more frequently to rotate with conditioner washes to "clear the hair".Worked wonders! The softer bouncy curl was back! Also I see a difference in the hair now that climate is changing and he is growing, I moisturize every day, bid even...I like the natural Taliah Waajid products a lot.
Lucy's hair is amazing! My kiddo's hair is very similar but a good bit shorter. I just recently got it trimmed (by a black stylist who is great with children, has two children herself with hair similar to my daughter's) and that definitely has helped, but we still have the matting you described. I do think the 'pooing after a period of buildup is helpful, I use the Africa's Best Kids Organic Shea Butter Shampoo for this, but I have been wondering about trying an even more gentle cleanser like the Curls product line. Have you tried one of those more gentle cleansers by any chance?
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