We just got back from a 4 day camping trip on the river and unfortunately I did not wash my 3 yr. old daughters hair while on the trip. Her hair is so matted and tangled in the back now and wondered if any of you mama's had any ideas or products you might know of to help with the detangling other than conditioner or detangling spray. Thanks mama's!
So last night after washing her hair, I put on some thick conditioner and detangling spray and using a large tooth comb, I just patiently combed a little section at a time. She kept busy playing with her bath toys, and I got all the tangles out, then rinsed her hair and all was back to normal! Thanks for all the ideas mom's!
Use an adult conditioner, not childrens, with a teaspoon of olive oil. Let it sit for 5-10 minute then comb sections at a time with a wide tooth comb. That always works for us. Next time braid her hair in small braids to keep it from getting matted. That is what we always do for my daughter when we go camping. Have her sit in front of a favorite movie so that she sits still for you.
Good luck!
Try the Pantene once per week treatment. It comes in a square twist top. It's basically heavy duty conditioner. Good luck!
Hi T.,
My daughter just came back for a river camp too. Her hair was a nightmare.
I gave her some of the treatments that came with my hair color, I use Clairol but I think most of the treatments that come with hair color work very well for this emergencies.
my almost 3-yr old daughter's hair mats terribly at night. her hair is long and very fine and has a natural wave. first i sit her down with something that will engage her for ten minutes like legos or a small bag full of bracelets. i spray on a layer of california baby detangler (it's gentle and has calming stuff like lavender in it) and use a cricket static free volumizer hairbrush. the boar bristle brush doesnt work well for matting. i start at the ends and work my way in. often it can be divided into smaller matts. don't dig the brush into the mat and pull, or grab sections of hair and try to pull them apart, that can just tighten the knots. rather, catch just the very end of the matt and tease the tangle out very gently. the worst ones I work out by separating the clump between my fingers. not by pulling or tearing but rather buy rubbing in the detangler and rubbing the tangles out. this morning only took 5 minutes because she actually sat still for it. that particular type of hairbrush really helps.
This might sound kind of gross... but twice I had gum stuck in my hair when I was a child... My mom used Mayo and peanut butter. Peanut butter might be a bit much for matted hair, but I think the mayo would do a good job. Then just wash it really well afterwards. Good luck, just remember start from the bottom so you have less breakage.
Why don't you want to use conditioner or detangling spray? If they aren't a part of your regular routine I suggest you borrow some for this one time. A detangling spray works well. If she's allergic or sensitive to the perfume, using it once won't hurt her, especially if you shampoo her hair again after using it.
I don't know of any natural thing that would help. My maiden aunt used vinegar on her hair. I don't know if detangling could be a part of it's conditioning affects. You could also smear her hair with a grease. I think that might help but it would be very difficult to wash it out of her hair.
My granddaughter has naturally curly hair that tangle easily. She also has eczema. They use water and a large tooth comb to gently ease the tangles out.
My daughter has a ton of really fine hair and it constantly gets matted into a big fat "rat's nest" on the back of her head...just from sleeping on it! The only way I've found to get it out is to LOAD it up with a ton of conditioner after you wash it and take a brush and gently brush through the matting & tangles with the conditioner in there until the knot is gone. Then rinse the conditioner out. I have yet to find a detangler or anything else that works better. Hope it works for you!
i would wash it and then see if it got any better. My daughters' hair gets SO tangled, every day, but after I wash it it combs nice!!!
My assumption is that you're already using conditioner & detangling spray. Those work best. (Actually straight glycerine works the *best* but it's difficult to get ahold of unless you're a chemist) Then it's seriously, just patience.
I have naturally curly hair, so it "locks up" (aka mats) in about 24 hours. In middle school I'd spend the summers on the beach... dreadlock my hair intentionally... and then come fall it was 3 days of sitting on a stool while my mother tested the limits of her vocabulary as she combed them all out.
A BIG trick, while combing out mats is to braid them as you comb them out. Keeps the other little hairs from getting lonely and joining the mats.
So:
- Wash (breaks up the oils and dirt which create a bit of a mud that also helps to hold the mats together)
- Condition (with a THICK conditioner, like Tres Seme, L'oreal, any non-cheap and non-kids conditioner)
- Get out before washing the conditioner out and wrap a towel on your shoulders
- Comb and braid, comb and braid.
I tried baby oil once and it worked fine with my hair, but I left it in to long once and my hair looked nasty for about a day. Also maybe google natural detangelers and see if anything pops up... or something along the line of that!
