Washing Children’s Hair
We are sure many parents can confirm, but hair washing is often a child’s least favourite activity - the dreaded knots and tangles, plus water and shampoo getting into their eyes are not that fun for a child.
Below we outline an easy tangle-free routine that can make hair washing a lot easier on both parent and child.
Detangle
Use a wide toothed comb to detangle long hair prior to washing. Washing with knots and tangles will only cause more, so it is better to brush these out at the beginning.
Start at the ends of the hair and work gently upwards towards the roots. Continue this until all the hair can be brushed easily from root to tip.
Shampoo
Children up to three years old should have their hair washed with a specialist baby shampoo. We recommend Dr Barbara Sturm Baby & Kids Shampoo (£35). Thoroughly wet the hair before shampooing – this will create a nice lather and you will use less shampoo.
Squeeze a coin-size amount into your hands and smooth this over their hair, then lather gently using both hands working from the forehead to the nape. Allow the lather to run naturally down long hair strands – do not pile the hair onto the head!
A shampoo and conditioner we recommend for children’s hair is Philip Kingsley’s No Scent No Colour Shampoo and Conditioner (£20), or Paul Mitchell Kids Baby Don’t Cry Shampoo (£12.95).
Condition
Condition the mid-lengths and ends of the hair only. You only need to use a small amount of conditioner! Rinse thoroughly.
Towel Dry
Using a towel, gently squeeze out the moisture – do not rub! Once squeezed, use a comb to gently comb through the hair starting at the bottom and working up to the roots. Combs are gentler on the hair and cause less breakage than a brush, especially when hair is wet. Using a detangling spray can also help too. We recommend Paul Mitchell Kids Ouch-Free Detangler (£10.95)
Dry
Ideally, leave your child’s hair to dry naturally. If you do need to blow-dry it, use a low heat setting and hold the dryer at least 6 inches from the hair. Children’s skin and scalp are very sensitive to heat.