Visits to the salon can be terrifying experiences for young children: they’re boring, full of strangers and strange-smelling products, you’re told to stay put for a long time, while some idiot does terrible things to your hair that you didn’t want let them happen first. Life is so unfair!

So how can you, as a parent, avoid upsetting the stylist, upsetting your child, and stressing yourself out? Well, this is where your best child psychology skills come into play! Sometimes your child will have unwarranted fears and you will need to help them overcome them. Building trust by taking their concerns seriously is the first and most important step. Promising a treat can also help. Best of all, check your local area to see if there’s one of the growing number of new kids specialty salons available. Salon chains like Cartoon Cuts are designed to make the haircut experience more positive and fun for young children: toys, video games, specially shaped chairs, and specially trained stylists all help make the experience more like to go to a theme park. than a visit to the doctor.

Home Sweet Home

However, if your son is afraid of the barber shop, try cutting his hair at home. They will feel safe and comfortable and you will save time and money. You can do it yourself if you have the skills or the courage. Cutting a child’s hair is basically the same as cutting an adult’s, except that a child’s hair is usually fine and soft like a baby’s. Keep the bangs approx. 1/2″ from the eyebrows. If the child’s hair is thin, avoid short cuts for now until their hair grows thicker. Shape around the face if you are trying to grow it out. If you are inexperienced hair, you may want to look up a step-by-step guide on cutting children’s hair or have someone do it for you.

putting on the style

Whatever you do, remember that today’s media-savvy, celebrity-mad kids want to look good. Children start to be interested in their own hairstyle from an early age; even the kindergarten outfit wants to be fashionable. They want their hair to be like their best friend or even a TV character. Boys who used to be seen only in baseball caps now have bleached and highlighted hair.

Finding the right hairstyle for a boy is usually about finding a cool, fun and easy-to-manage boy’s hairstyle that fits your child’s active lifestyle. But you may experience resistance: As children get older, they begin to have very definite opinions about how they want to style their hair. This hairstyle preference will emerge in early childhood and continues through adolescence and into adulthood. Many growing children will argue with their parents about how they want to style their hair at school. At this stage of development, hair becomes an important identity factor.

hair care 101

The key is to be encouraging; As children begin to take an interest in their own hair and how they style it, it’s time to encourage them to follow a full regimen of good hair hygiene practices. It is important to show a child (when willing) how to properly wash and rinse their hair. You can also teach them how to towel dry, detangle, comb and brush their hair. Help them create a good hair hygiene program so they learn the importance of keeping their hair clean and tidy. Also try to get them to develop good eating habits because healthy hair depends a lot on high-quality carbohydrates and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Good nutrition will promote shine and condition at any age.

Tips for spiky hair

Washing: Use a mild shampoo, preferably in your child’s favorite color or scent. Sometimes kids are more willing to wash their hair with a fun shampoo, especially if it doesn’t sting their eyes.

Combing/Brushing – Try to build confidence and reassurance by allowing her to comb and brush her hair on her own terms. Don’t brush your child’s hair 100 times before bed in the traditional way; this will overstimulate the sebaceous glands and make hair greasy and heavy. Doing a quick brush to detangle should be enough. Blending the hair will promote shine and condition. Remember to use a comb on wet hair instead of a brush or you risk creating static electricity, which causes breakage.

Accessories: Give your child high-quality combs and brushes and teach them the proper way to care for their hair to instill good grooming habits that will last a lifetime. Buy some “hair-friendly” hair clips and ties to help a child keep hair away from the face and reduce the chance of tangling or tangling. Stay away from bobby pins with sharp teeth as they can cut hair and cause potential hair damage.

Tangles: Every parent knows that dealing with tangles is a nightmare for both parents and children. Here’s how to reduce the trauma of removing tangles:

1. Hold the section of hair you are trying to style.

2. Hold it taut so your child doesn’t feel you rip the ends. 3. Spray a good leave-in detangler on the knot.

4. You can also comb the conditioner in while the child’s hair is still damp. Kids need conditioner too (avoid the heavy types and stick with conditioners that are specifically called “light” conditioners).

References:

1. Kids Hair, http://www.Styles101.com

2. Hair styling and hair care tips for kids, Short-hair-styles.com

3. Let’s talk about children’s hair, Lynne Chapman http://www.BellaOnline.com