Children don’t come with instructions and neither does their hair.
-Lorraine Massey, Curly Girl: The Handbook
Curly moms know what to do with curly kids, because they’ve had years of practice caring for their own curls. But if you have straight hair and your little ones are born with curls, you might find yourself pulling out your own hair in frustration.
Here are a few tips on caring for little heads full of curls:
- To prevent or treat cradle cap, rub the scalp with olive oil or coconut oil.
- Just because it’s marketed as baby shampoo or conditioner doesn’t mean it’s as gentle on the curls as it is on the eyes. Try MopTop’s FuzzyDuck line for kid-safe curl-friendly conditioner and more.
- Little heads don’t have as much hair as big heads, and thus need much less cleanser and conditioner. Use cleanser sparingly if at all, and rinse thoroughly. Then smooth the little curls with conditioner and don’t bother rinsing it out — any extra will come off between getting out of the bath and getting dried off.
- Little ones love to be just like mommy, and often want their hair “done” even before it’s long enough to put any hair clips in. Spritz their hair with a spray bottle filled with one of the recipes below and they’ll feel extra special to have their hair all pretty just like mommy/big sister.
Curly Kid Koncoctions
Lavender Gel Mist
frequent use keeps little scalps free of cradle’s cap and gives some loving lift to tousled curls
Boil 1 quart water for 1 hour. Cool slightly and add 5-10 drops Pure Lavender Essential Oil and 1/2 cup gel.
De-Tangling Spray
use anytime to help lessen tangles and encourage the curl
Combine equal parts water and conditioner in a spray bottle.
“My daughters’ curls love the MopTop FuzzyDuck line. We use it for special occasions to make sure their little heads are extra-full of adorable long-lasting curls.”
-Gretchen Acheson, YLCF and GotCurl founder
There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead…-Longfellow
I have a 2 year old grandson with beautiful blonde curls… when I can comb it out!! His mom’s hair wasn’t like this so I’m guessing this course difficult hair is from dad. I have naturally thick curly hair as did my daughter. He runs when he see’s the no more tangles, or leave in conditioner or any kind of comb or brush. We have to do it when he is asleep most of the time but when he wakes up the nest is back in the center of the back of his head. We don’t wash his hair but once or twice a week with Johnson’s extra conditioning for curly hair. We use Garnier leave in sleek n smooth conditioner when we are combing it out while he sleeps. We generally finger comb his hair when he leaves the tub any time he gets it wet.. which he also hates. He has tubes in his ears so we have to be careful with the water. Any suggestions? She is expecting a daughter in 2 months…