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A reader recently emailed me to ask for advice about her pre-teen daughter’s hair. As always, my first question is “What’s her current regimen?” I always start with this question because the answer gives me insight into what someone’s hair needs and why they have certain issues. The reader sounded a little frustrated and contemplated relaxing her daughter’s hair. I advised her to not relax her hair, but instead try to modify her regimen and see if she gets better results.
The reader’s daughter was experiencing dry scalp and itchiness. Her regimen consisted of washing every 2 – 3 weeks, moisturizing once a week, greasing scalp with Dax, and using elastic bands on her hair. After learning about her current regimen, I made the following suggestions:
- Wash her hair once a week. It will keep her scalp healthier and eventually eliminate the dry scalp issue. Her scalp is likely just clogged with the Dax and infrequent washes. I advised her to stop using the Dax and instead consider using a natural oil on her scalp.
- Avoid elastic bands. They will pull and break her hair. Instead try using any of the Ouchless products made by Goodie. I like the mini scrunchies they make.
- Moisturize her hair DAILY along the length and focus on the ends. You don’t have to use a lot of product. I used a quarter sized amount of moisturizer on a daily basis when my hair was waist length. So you can use a small amount, but you need to use it daily because the air dries out our hair daily (think about how air dries clothes, the same happens to out hair).
These tips are based on her daughter’s issues and current regimen. Children like adults have specific hair needs and one regimen doesn’t work for everyone. However, the basic principles of hair care are universal. I didn’t want to overwhelm the reader with too much information, so I think starting with the basics and seeing improvement will encourage her to keep working on a regimen that will keep her daughter’s hair natural (at least until her daughter is old enough to decide if she wants to relax).
What are some tips that work for your daughter’s hair? How do you feel about relaxing little girl’s hair?