Teaching Your Child Healthy Hair Care Habits

When we have kids, we want them to look good and first of all to be healthy. Health is not just washing our hands and eating fruits and veggies. There are a lot of things that kids should be taught from an early age and that habits will show in their adult lives as well.

One thing we’ve learned as adults is that no matter how much money you spend on a good stylist if your hair is not healthy, it will not look as good as you want it to. Because of this, we need to have good habits, inside and out to have healthy hair.

In this article, you can read some tips on how to teach your child healthy hair habits. If you are not doing these things, it’s not too late to start now, both for you and your children.

How to properly wash the hair?

Even though it sounds like there is no right or wrong way of washing the here, there actually is. If you are not washing your hair properly and if you don’t teach your kid how to wash their hair in the right way, that can lead to damaged hair or one that does not look good, even after washing.

Here is what your kid should do so they have a nice looking, clean and healthy hair.

• Wet the hair with warm water. Make sure it’s all wet and the temperature is not too hot or too cold.
• Put a quarter-sized drop of shampoo in the palm. This will teach the kids that even the smallest amount of something can go a long way.
• Show them how to properly scrub their hair. They should use their fingertips and not the fingernails. There should be foam everywhere! Massage the whole head.
• Rinse and rinse some more. All the bubbles should be washed away from the head. If there is shampoo left the hair will feel sticky and it will look oily.
• Decide if the hair should be washed with shampoo twice. For toddlers, this is not necessary, but for kids that are older and have a specific type of hair, it may be needed. This also depends on the season and how clean or dirty the hair is.
• Decide if a conditioner is needed. If your child has long, curly or dry hair, you should teach them how to use conditioner as well. The conditioner adds shine and it softens the hair.
• Teach your child that the conditioner should not be rubbed into the roots of the hair. And it should be left a few minutes on the hair before washing. You can sing a song while waiting or learn something new.
• After the proper washing of the shampoo and the conditioner, the hair should be wrapped in a towel. This will absorb the excess water and the hair will stay glossy.
• If you brush your child’s hair when it’s wet, tell them they should use the big comb (wide tooth comb).
• If it is possible, it’s best to leave the hair to dry naturally. If you use a hairdryer, tell your kid not to use the hottest air setting. Even though it will take more time when the air is medium heat, the hair will stay healthy and it won’t get damaged in time.

If you are not sure how to treat your child’s hair, it’s better to consult a professional. Hera Hair Beauty suggests that proper hair care is not just about the shampoo and conditioner. You should also pick the right types depending on the quality and type of hair.

How many times should the hair be washed per week?

Depending on the type of hair your little one has, you need to teach them how often should they wash their hair. However, these needs vary with the child, shampoo, conditioner, weather and type of hair. You may also need to change the shampooing frequency from time to time, depending on age.

• Toddlers should shampoo their hair about 3 times per week.
• Straight and oily hair should be shampooed every day or every other day.
• Straights and non-oily hair should be shampooed about 2 times per week.
• Curly, dry and African-American hair should be shampooed once every 7 to 10 days. This type of hair should be rinsed and washed with conditioner after swimming or after heavy sweating.

Tips for common issues

If your kid gets a pack of gum stuck in their hair, tell them to put peanut butter on the spot around the gum or some type of vegetable or coconut oil. This way the gum will just glide down without pulling or damaging the hair.

If your child manages to put glue in their hair don’t panic. Just get the hair wet, put a considerable amount of conditioner on the hair and let it soak for 20 minutes. Use a comb to remove the glue. If this somehow doesn’t work, use baby oil.

What should be avoided?

When it comes to the soft and fragile hair of children, there are some things that should be avoided.

• Hairstyles should not be painful – if your kid complains that the tight braids, ponytails and barrettes are making their head hurt, loosen the hairstyle. Tension hairstyles may damage their hair and make its fall-out.
• Teach your kid not to dry their hair with extreme heat. The same goes for hair straighteners.
• Avoid chemical treatments.

You should teach your kids to have good hair habits. But it’s not just about the things your kid does to their hair. A proper diet also leads to good hair care.

If your kid eats too many sweets or if their diet consists of oily foods, that will reflect on the hair as well. Teach them that it’s important to eat their fruits, veggies and try to avoid things that will make them gain excess weight.

Healthy habits are important for every aspect of the body. With good habits, teach your kid that they will have glowing skin, amazing, soft hair and that they will look like little princes and princesses.