Caring for your child’s hair can be confusing with so many products on the market. As a parent, you may wonder which products to use and whether to go for the latest fad products marketed for kids. Experimenting will help you to arrive at the best haircare routine for your child.
So how do you as a parent, avoid, annoying the stylist, upsetting your child and getting yourself stressed? Well this is where your best child psychology skills come into play! Sometimes your child will have unwarranted fears and you have to help to overcome them. Creating trust by taking their concerns seriously is the first and most important step. Promising a treat can also help.
Best of all is to check in your local area to see if there is one of the growing number of new specialized children’s salons available. Salon chains like Cartoon Cuts are designed to make the hair cut experience more positive and entertaining for small children: toys, video games, specially shaped chairs and specially-trained stylists, all help to ensue the experience is more like going to a theme park rather than a visit to the doctor.
Causes of Hair Loss in Children
* One of the most common causes of hair loss in children includes fungal infections like scalp ringworm.
* In today’s world children of all ages are also put under a lot of stress, especially when it comes to performing in school, which could be the leading cause of hair loss, not just in children, but also in adults.
* There are also certain medical conditions and diseases like typhoid, which can lead to temporary hair loss in children and adults.
* Children who are undergoing chemotherapy as a part of cancer treatment would also experience hair fall. The same reaction may be seen in children who are on certain strong medication.
* In several cases, problems of hair loss in children could be either due to an unhealthy diet or because of the excessive use of hair products that contain harsh chemicals.
* Hair loss problems in children could also be caused by genetic factors.
Instructions
1. Brush your child's hair before shampooing. This will not only make it easier to brush after the shampoo, but will also help prevent breakage caused by brushing wet hair.
2. Shampoo with a mild water-based, sulfate-free shampoo that is less likely to sting the eyes. According to parenting.com, toddlers should have their hair washed at least three times a week, and children that are preschool age and up should have their hair washed every other day.
3. Use a detangling spray. A detangling spray is lighter than conditioner and will allow the hair to be easily combed without being weighed down.
4. Use a wide-toothed comb to detangle hair once the spray has been applied. A wide-toothed comb will help prevent breakage.
5. Blow-dry hair on a cool setting. If the heat from the blow dryer is too hot, it can damage the hair and dry out the scalp. Due to the sensitivity of children's skin, it may also burn.
Whether your child's hair is long, straight and thin, or short, thick and curly or some other combination, it requires care and upkeep to stay healthy. A suitable hair care regime will vary depending on hair type and lifestyle, according to KidsHealth.org. Basic hair care for kids includes regular shampooing, daily grooming and frequent cuts. Learning proper hair care techniques in childhood can lay the groundwork for maintaining healthy hair throughout life.
Washing - wash hair using a mild shampoo that doesn't sting their eyes. When they are old enough, teach them how to shampoo and rinse their own hair. Use conditioner when your child is older and has longer hair. Avoid putting conditioner on the scalp.
Tangles - detangling is best done before you wash your child's hair. Use a wide tooth comb and start at the bottom of the hair, working your way up. Tangles can cause terrible battles between you and your child. To reduce the pain of combing tangled hair, hold taut the section of hair you are trying to comb. For problematic tangles, you can spray in a good detangler.
Combing/Brushing - encourage your child to comb/ brush their own hair. Don't believe the myth about brushing hair 100 strokes before bedtime - this over stimulates the sebaceous glands and leaves hair very greasy. Use a comb, not a brush on hair that is wet. It promotes shine and minimizes hair breakage.
Accessories - use good quality brushes, combs and accessories for your child's hair. Kids love having fun clips and hair ties. Avoid hairclips with sharp teeth, as these can hurt the scalp and cause hair damage. Keeping hair neatly tied back is a good way of avoiding hair tangling.
As your children get older, they will begin to have preferences about the hairstyles they like. This is a natural identity issue that stays with us into adulthood. By teaching your children good hair care techniques when they are young, you will be guiding them to a lifetime of healthy hair.
Shampoo savvy
Babies: Washing hair once or twice a week is usually enough. If your baby has cradle cap, which (despite the flakes) is an oily-skin condition, wash with a dandruff shampoo two or three times a week after massaging a little olive or baby oil onto his scalp to loosen the flakes, says Ari Brown, M.D., a pediatrician and coauthor of Baby 411.
Toddlers: Three times a week is fine (more often if he's got a penchant for mashing bananas on his head).
Preschoolers and up: As your child's hair gets longer, wash it every other day (less often for very curly, dry, or African-American hair; in these cases, you can use conditioner once a week, too).
At any age: Always shampoo at the end of the bath so your child's not sitting in the sudsy water, which could irritate sensitive skin.
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