Hair question

[mh75]

mamagotchablk (I am wondering if LJ now notifies people when they are tagged in a post

Comments

[mamagotcha]

LJ sent a little notification email to alert me to this post.

Linc had very fine, curly hair that would rat up instantly if we didn't take care of it daily.

Ditch the brush and use a wide-toothed comb (unless you're using a plastic brush like this which is practically a comb anyway

[mh75]

Cool!

She has one of these. She seems to like it alright, but i usually grab my (widely spaced plastic toothed) brush if she doesn't come up with hers. I like mine - it seems easy to use.
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=knot+genie&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=7138294779&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=954606751986593434&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5dor4vipui_e

I can look up biosilk.

I have been talking her into pony tails some, but braids need to be french braids and painstaking to get them to work, and she doesn't often have the patience.

She doesn't shampoo that much, *sigh*

Thanks for the advice!

[mamagotcha]

Wow, that looks like a very interesting device! I've never seen one. The highest positive review says it works best if you don't use it like a brush, ie start at the scalp and work your way down. Is that true in your experience? What will they think of next!?

[mh75]

I don't know about that. Part of how it works is that the bristles bend, so you can just brush down and they will bend around the knots. It might make it so that kids CAN brush their hair from top down and not be completely screwed by the time they put all the knots into one big knot.
(Also, i think its easier for kids to grip the brush head directly.)
But, i still work from the bottom up.
Its also probably why i prefer my brush - i decide when to let up on a knot, not the brush.
The wet brush looks weird to me.

[blk]

Yah, LJ sent me a cute little notice. :)

I don't have as much advice, because when I was that age I had super short hair because of similar problems. It wasn't until I was almost 9 and could brush my hair myself (and promised to do so every day) that I was allowed to start growing it out again. J also went through similar, and he still can't stand to have me brush it, but he's gotten great at brushing his own hair. But his is super thick and straight instead of fine and wavy like hers.

So perhaps try to get her started on brushing her own hair? A lot of tender-headed people I know find that is less painful than having someone else do it, and it gets her in practice for when she is older. It probably won't be sufficient, but it could be a start.

Other than that, I'm mostly in agreement with mamagotcha - experiment with other detanglers, work from the bottom up, and try to work in braids or pigtails. I've personally had more luck with plastic brushes than combs, but ymmv.

Sorry can't be more help!

[mh75]

I suggested to her that if she brushed it, at least at first and just let me finish, it might feel better. (I told her that my friends' kid liked that approach better.) She tried it tonight, but didn't have much patience for it, and i finished. I'll keep after her.

Thanks!

[flasher]

I feel for Madeleine. I had long, super super fine hair as a child and yes, it'd knot in 20 seconds or less. Mom tried everything, conditioners, spray in stuff, everything. Didn't help and I spent most of my childhood in braids (religious family, so short hair on girls was not an option).

Hate to say it but nothing really helped except time. Somewhere around pre-teen, my hair got a little more heft to it and stopped turning into massive rats nests.

[mh75]

Yup, i remember hating having my hair brushed as a kid. But it really doesn't bother me anymore - i'm not sure when that changed.
She had really short hair for a while so we didn't have to brush so much, but she wants to grow it out now.

Good to have support, thanks!

[ef2p]

Not sure if this will help. I have super curly hair that likes to frizz and knot. I've basically stopped washing it. I still condition in everyday, I just skip the shampoo step. Now if I've gotten especially dirty or use a bunch of product, I'll go a head and wash it but that comes out to once a month or so.

[littlepurple]

Brushing long hair and keeping it de-tangled is a frequent topic on my neighborhood moms board. People swear by the "wet brush".

[mh75]

You mean this one?
http://www.thewetbrush.com/about.html

I guess we could try... Her other brush claims to be detangling brilliance, too, but, hey, brushes are cheap.

[eub]

I'm curious what the stress/strain relationship is of an IntelliFlexTM "flexible on one stroke and firm on the next" bristle. Maybe they're thixotropic?

[littlepurple]

I think that's it. It doesn't look all that spectacular or amazing to me. But parents of kids with long hair are always posting things like, "The wet brush REVOLUTIONIZED our lives" "No more fights over hair brushing!!!" It's crazy. So I vote trying it.