Healthy Hair Care Habits for Your Child

Younger children don’t need to have their hair washed too often, which is a good thing, because it’s often a battle. But as a child gets older, the hair gets dirty and greasy more quickly, and should be washed more often. How often depends on the child’s hair type and activity level. Usually, 8-year-olds who aren’t too active can get away with washing their hair once or twice a week. But 12-year-olds who participate in a lot of sports or may be starting puberty probably need to wash their hair at least every other day.

To keep hair clean:

• Wet it thoroughly.
• Rub a quarter-sized dollop of shampoo into the scalp, not just on top of the hair.
• Rinse very well. When hair isn’t rinsed well, the shampoo can stick to the scalp and make it itchy.
• Gently dry it with a towel.
• Comb it out carefully with a wide-tooth comb. Yanking on the hair can break it.

If your child has straight hair that tends to be greasy, it may need to be washed more often. If your child’s hair is very curly, it may tend to be dry and get frizzy. Using a conditioner can help.

Some things can hurt hair and make it look dry and unhealthy.

To protect hair from damage, avoid:

• The sun
• Chlorine and other chemicals in pools
• Chemicals that curl, straighten or change hair color
• The overuse of flat irons, curling irons and hairdryers

If your child’s hair seems to be getting too dry, be sure he or she wears a hat when going outside, washes it after being in the pool, and takes a break from over processing the hair.

By the way, because hair is dead, the only thing that will cure split ends is a haircut. No amount of conditioner will make those split ends "heal."

 

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