Salon visits can be scary experiences for young children: they’re boring, full of strangers and weird-smelling products, you’re told to stay put for a long time, while some idiot does terrible things to your hair you didn’t want. that they happened first of all. 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 overcome them. Building trust by taking your 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 is one of the growing number of new specialized children’s salons available. Salon chains like Cartoon Cuts are designed to make the haircutting experience more positive and entertaining 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 child is afraid of the hairdresser, 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 bravery. Cutting a child’s hair is basically the same as cutting an adult’s hair, except that a child’s hair is usually fine and soft like a baby’s. Keep the bangs approx. 1/2″ from eyebrows. If child’s hair is thin, avoid short cuts for now until hair grows thicker. Shape around face if trying to grow hair out. If inexperienced in haircutting hair, you may want to look up a step-by-step guide on cutting kids’ hair, or have someone do it for you.
putting on the style
Whatever you do, remember that today’s media-savvy, celebrity-crazy 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 wearing 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 suits your child’s active lifestyle. But you may experience resistance: As kids get older, they start to have very definite opinions about how they want to do their hair. This hairstyle preference will emerge in early childhood and continue through adolescence and into adulthood. Many growing children will argue with their parents about how they want to do 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 whole regimen of good hair hygiene practices. It is important to show a child (when they are willing) how to properly wash and rinse their hair. You can also teach them 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 neat and clean. 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 the 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 trust and reassurance by allowing him to comb and brush his hair on his own terms. Don’t brush your child’s hair 100 times before bed the traditional way; this will overstimulate the sebaceous glands and make the hair greasy and heavy. Doing a quick brushing to detangle should do the trick. Blending hair will promote shine and condition. Remember to use a comb on wet hair instead of a brush or you risk creating static electricity, causing it to break.
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 out of the face and reduce the chance of it becoming tangled or tangled. Stay away from hairpins with sharp teeth, as they can cut the hair and cause potential damage to the hair.
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 ripping the ends. 3. Spray a good leave-in detangler on the knot.
4. You can also work 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. Hair for Boys, 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