I’ve finally found a way to get GlitterGirl’s hair to keep a curl. I gather the hair for one curling iron’s worth and spray it with Garnier Fructis Curl Defining Spray Gel
, then curl it. Then prepare the next section, spray it, curl it. I don’t comb it out afterwards, I just use my fingers to separate each curl, and I wait for the curl to completely cool before I touch it. And it holds all day. I pointed to a picture of it so you can see what it looks like, clear in a green tinted bottle. Technically it’s supposed to be used on curly hair to better define the curls, but I don’t care: bottom line is it works on GG’s very straight hair to make it hold a curl. I’ve also used it with hot rollers, BTW, and that works, too.
While I’m giving hair tips, the only way I’ve found to keep a ponytail (or dog ears, or anything else) in all day is to put a rubber band
in first, and then put the normal ponytail holder in over the top of it. These are the tiny rubber bands designed for hair, so they don’t hurt it. Again, I’ve pointed to a picture of some so you can see what I mean. I have no idea what brand I have, but the ones I like the most I get at Sally. I’ve got them in different sizes, teeny tiny for TT’s hair and bigger ones for GG’s much thicker hair (though if GG just wants a single braid on the side then I use TT’s teeny ones). I’ve got a small pair of scissors at my vanity so I can just cut the rubber band out at night and then throw it away, it’s much easier (less painful) to cut it out than to pull it out. Do not buy the clear, they practically glow on black hair, if you want them to blend in you should get the black. You can also buy them in colors.
I’ve got some colors, but we usually just use the black and then put a pretty ponytail holder over the top. I even use one of the small rubberbands to hold hair before I use a barrette, since barrettes just slide right out of both girls’ hair. GG doesn’t really “do” barrettes anymore, but I still use them in TT’s hair some.
If you’re trying to grow bangs out, they are practically impossible to do anything with at first. The way to keep them out of little eyes for those first couple of inches is to put them into one of the small black rubber bands, right at the front near the face so it’s sticking straight up. But, you put the rubber band maybe a half inch higher than the head, not snug up against it. Then you reach from the back and put two fingers in the middle of the the hair that’s between the scalp and the rubber band, just make a little hole and stick your fingers through. Then you use your other hand to bend the ponytail part down between those fingers, and then you pull it through. Hard to explain, but it works. And it holds all day, without annoying your child. Or you.
For buns, you can’t beat the Hairagami.
Yes, it sounds cheesie, but it works.
For tangles, I use Pantene Detangler/Conditioner
. We’ve tried a variety of detanglers, but this seems to work best.
That’s all the hair tips for little girl hair I can think of at the moment. Does anyone else have any tips or tricks they’d like to share?
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December 4th, 2008 at 11:40 am
With an LID of 2/24/06, only hair talk could distract me from referrals today. :) The Goody Girls Stay Put character barrettes are the only ones I’ve found that hold my daughter’s very fine hair. You can get them at Target, etc. Love them!
lucyin09.blogspot.com
December 4th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Here’s one:
Wash or comb out the hair completely (no tangels) before bed time. Put her hair in a pony tail at night. Just a low one, not very tight.
Makes for a tear free morning the next day when you go to brush hair before school. A friend told me about this, and I am forever in her debt.
The neighbors have stopped giving me dirty looks as we leave for school. Oh My God, the wails that would emerge at the sight of a hair brush! The Horror!
December 4th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
LOL. As the mother of 2 boys, I have often thought the reason I didn’t have a girl was because I would mangle her hair too badly. Thanks for the tips! Hopefully, we will someday get her referral.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I use Suave’s apple scented detangler. It’s been great. My dd asks for apple for her hair all the time. She likes how it smells. I originally had the old J&J version. It was horrible.
I also use the small hair rubberbands. Nothing would stay without them.
The other thing that works for me is a good haircut. Her hair will fall right into place. I keep her bangs trimmed and it’s slightly layered down the sides. This way her hair looks good even if she won’t wear a barrette or bow, which is most of the time.
December 4th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
If all you want are nice waves, work styling gel or similar product into damp hair at night. Then, braid hair and go to sleep. This has the added benefit of preventing long hair from getting tangled over night. The next morning, take out the braid and gently comb with an extra wide tooth comb, vented brush or finger style. All hair braided into a single braid will give loose waves. The smaller and more plentiful the braids, the tighter the wave. Regular braid will leave the hair at the scalp smooth and only the part that made it into the braid will be wavey. If you want even the hair at the scalp to be wavey, try a french braid.
December 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
John Freida’s Secret Weapon stuff is perfect for when Maggie’s hair is full of static and will not lie down!
We use the Suave 2 in 1 smoothing shampoo and conditioner and it smells so good and makes her hair so soft! We have the Cowabunga Coconut scent.
December 4th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I use Paul Mitchell, Baby don’t cry Detangler. I thought I liked it, but I am noticing her hair coming out more than usual. This happen before to any of you? I still use J&J shampoo. It could be it, too. It is funny that when I logged on, it was on hair and I have been wondering what other moms use on her dd hair. Any suggestions?
December 4th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
we used HairSoNew when i was a kid and it worked great–is it still around? it was in a pink bottle. And then came conditioner so I never used it again.
December 4th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
The ponytail at night thing puts rings into GG’s hair so it doesn’t lay smooth, so that’s out. We don’t let hair get so long that there is trauma when it is brushed. GG’s hair currently comes to about the top of her shoulder blades, much longer than that and it becomes too much to handle. Nothing is worth tears every morning, especially not long hair.
We have done the braid-at-night-waves-the-next-day thing as an experiment on the weekend and it doesn’t really look right on GG, neither she or I liked it the next day. It might work okay on TT though, her hair texture is completely different. We should try it one night. It’s a good idea, it just didn’t look right on GG.
As for static, the Pantene detangler/conditioner handles static, so we don’t need an extra product for that. I’m all for keeping the number of products needed to a minimum.
December 4th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
This is a little off topic but still about hair…my daughters HATE washing their hair because the water gets in their eyes. This has in the past caused me to worry about whether the neighbors will call the police due to their pitiful, horrible screams if ONE DROP gets near their eye. Bathrooms also echo and I have been worried about my hearing going bad over this ordeal.
I solved this problem when I ordered some rubber-like shampoo visers that causes the water to cascade off and to the sides of their faces. I am not sure if Savvy makes them or not. I can’t remember. The visor has mostly solved the problem. I also made up a game that when we wash our hair we look at the sky…imagine the birds, the trees, the moon, etc. They look up and that further helps the water problem. But, I still have a dry washcloth handy just in case a small molecule of H20 happens to sneak by and cause them concern.
December 4th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Our daughter was 13 when she came home and all the years with not the best shampoo and water had really taken a toll on her hair. The ends were actually a different color shade. Having very dark black, shiny hair was something she had wanted for a long time. So we went to a hair salon and had her hair trimmed to take off the dead ends and then dyed jet black. She was the happiest kid around! Just a thought for those of you with older adopted girls. It really helped Sarah feel better about herself and gave her a “fresh start” for her new life in the US!
December 4th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
I was really just making an attempt at being funny. I guess it didn’t read that way. Seriously, I am not the kind of mother that causes unnecessary trauma on her child for the sake of vanity. Sorry if I came off as insensitive. I was only trying to be helpful.
December 4th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Okay…I have NOT A CLUE about Chinese hair…so this has been interesting and enlightening! I myself have very thick, coarse, very curly hair, so I have perfected how to work with mine. I didn’t even think that Taryn’s would be an issue! Arn’t they all different? Like some have thick, some have fine…heck, I think I have even seen some loose baby curls in pictures (or maybe people were just using your tricks RQ). Thanks for the advice!
December 4th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
BTW…LOVE the “Cowabunga Coconut” Suave…my boys use it!
December 4th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
We use Loreal detangler, but she is just finally getting enough hair to use need it.
Those little plastic bands are life savers. They can be found at dollar stores from time to time. Last time I got 750 of them for a buck. Less painful, to toss……………
For keeping growing bangs in place, those tiny snap clips work well to keep wrapped hair anchored down.
December 4th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
We have discovered that we can curl Caitlin’s hair with a straight/flat iron and the curls actually stay in. You roll the iron towards the head and then pull the hair through. Also, we use Static Guard sprayed on her hair brush before brushing and it helps with the static in her hair and doesn’t cost too much.
December 4th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
chickensoupforchina if you aren’t the kind of mom to make little girls scream over hair-brushing, then you aren’t a bit like my mom! My lil’ sis and I used to get a whack on the noggin with the brush if we made a squeal while she visciously pulled out the knots each morning!
Didn’t everyone’s mom do that in the 70s? And then apply those highly uncomfortable pony-tail holders with the big glass balls? If my mom lost her grip they would whip around the hair and whack me in the head too. It’s amazing my brain still works!
Anyway, I don’t think anyone thought you were being mean. :)
Personally, as a little girl, I hated having my hair curled or pony-tailed, and I had that long Marsha Brady hair. I just wanted it down and straight, or braided. My plan is to let my little girl choose. I just couldn’t do to her what mom did to me! LOL~
wBw
December 4th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Aw, Thanks Waitbaby! I have a habit of typing the way I talk. Sometimes tone doesn’t register over internet. Something you mean to be humorous can come off as really awful!
And yeah, those glass balls! Can I just say, OUCH!?!?!?
I remember those. Are they still legal?
December 4th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
I have hair issues. a) My daughter has very fine, CURLY hair that totally frizzes. She looks like Gene Wilder or some mad scientist! I’ve used all kinds of product on her (my hair is very curly too, so I’ve got plenty), but nothing really tames the frizz. b) Her hair is growing so slowly! She was shaved at about 6 months and now at 2 1/2 years she has a little length in the back but not much. The big challenge is that the hair above her forehead just refuses to grow! I guess it is growing….I remember when we brought her home the hairs there were so short you could almost not see them, so there is some progress. But I’m wondering if they will every fully grow out or if she’ll always have this really big forehead and really short hairs there. Anyone else in this boat? She’s cute as can be, but without some more hair around her face she’s going to be really limited later in life as far as hairstyles.
m5
December 4th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
WBW!!! OMG – we must have had the same mom!!! Seriously – my mom did the exact same thing – in fact I decided to cut my hair short in 5th grade and didn’t grow it out until I was a Senior in H.S. – I haven’t had it short since.
I haven’t attempted to do anything with my daughters hair yet – she hates the bows I bought, so much for that cute little girl with the big bow look… Thanks for all the great ideas – I can’t wait to try them!!!!
December 5th, 2008 at 12:22 am
I’m with RQ on the Pantene detangler/conditioner spray. I have some for my own hair which seems to tangle so easily. I tried it on my girl and it works great!!! Always start at the bottom and work your way up to comb out tangles–and a wide tooth comb works best for this part. I use a finer comb and or brush (depending) when we do any little girl hairstyles. Mostly she likes to keep it down–so bangs and a pageboy style seem the easiest option–but she is just 2 so that may change.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:32 am
The #1 absolute best is Catwalk leave in conditioner/detangler.
After washing hair, spray w/ catwalk and comb (bottom-up).
I have 4 girls with 4 different hair types. All of them benefit from this product and so do I!
December 5th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I am having ‘Flashbacks’. I have thin, baby fine, stick straight hair. My mother was constantly trying to get curls or waves. I will be 40 in one month so we did not have all the products and appliances we do now. I remember those curlers w/ the pins that stuck into your scalp and mom telling you to sleep, but try to sleep w/o moving your head so you can have curls. I remember the Oligilvie home perms..and then mom wanting perms…my hair does not hold a curl and so in the 80′s I did not have the “big, Hoosier” hair, or feathered hair…Dippity Doo was to heavy and Aqua Net was dreadful. I tried growing my hair out long, but my ponytail was so pitiful, it could not hold a scrunchi as it was so fine….I am so glad when short hair became vogue and perms went away….(a little funny for morning)
December 5th, 2008 at 11:50 am
marythefifth, we must have the same daughter! my 6 yo has always had slow growing, very fine and curly hair. She has only had 2 haircuts – ever!! But that said, her hair is growing and she has a great curly hair but the little hairs that you see on her forehead just take forever to grow!! My hairdresser said that the little hairs will grow – it just takes time!
For the frix, I use a curl creme (Biolage) that works well. I condition her hair once a week and only wash 1-2x per week in the winter. The dry air makes her hair too dry to wash any more than that. Our soon to be 3yo from China has beautiful hair that needs to be cut at least 1x per month – go figure!
Kathy
December 5th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Thanks for the tip, Kathy! I’ll try the Biolage!
December 5th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
…..here’s an old fashioned remedy to hold curls….use “dippidy do”…the old fashioned green coloured gel…use on wet hair and frame the curl around your finger with the “dew”…it cheap, works and doesn’t damage hair..
December 5th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
So funny mom2be! I also used to go to bed, and wake up with 25 sponge rollers in my hair. It’s gooood sleepin’ on those sponge rollers, oh yes. You don’t notice them poking into your brain at all, ’cause of the sponge!
;)
Di
December 6th, 2008 at 12:12 am
I cannot get a ponytail in my daughter’s hair. It only goes one way–straight down. It looks flyaway and messy if you contain any of it in a ponytail. So before her 4-year-old pictures I went to Cool Cuts for Kids to get her hair done and they taught me that if you spray her hair with spray hair gel for kids, and then comb it into a ponytail, it works much better.
December 7th, 2008 at 6:45 am
My daughter’s hair is finally long enough to do things with. I have learned to use a lot of clippies in her hair because of all the fly aways she has. Black hides well on black hair. ;o)
December 7th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Anyone have any tips for super fine hair and giving it some “plump” for lack of a better word. My dd’s hair is very very fine and lays flat on her head – it looks like thread! She needs some volume but I don’t want to use strong products on her hair.
December 8th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
‘Glassmaker’, I have super fine hair and without a good cut and certain products it will lie flat on my head. I usually have to have my hair ‘texturized’ at the crown. I can not grow it long as it just looks stringy. Certain products can actually be too heavy for fine hair. The best shampoo was made by Wella, but I can’t get my hands on it. I must admit the best hair products is by Sebastian, specially formulated for fine hair. It is a bit drying and so others can’t use it, but it held my hair without it looking greasy. I stopped using it as is does strip hair color (I am trying to keep the grays at bay).