Daughter's Hair Is So Hard - and Breaks Easily

I agree that hair shouldn't be washed evry day. I wash my kid's hair 2x a week.

Is she geting proper nutrition? A multi-vitamin? I would talk with the pediatrician about it. There could be some underlying condition.

A.

Hi - if her skin is dry and her hair is also getting dry, I read and heard that you should try eating about 5 almonds a day - also why not adding some fresh grinned flax seed to cereal, rice, peanut butter etc.... I beleive you will see results.

regards,
D.

One recommendation is to have her thyroid function tested. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is not uncommon and can cause changes in hair and skin.

Hi A.,

Sometimes grandma's home remedies work well. You can try avocado or/and duck's egg yolk. This is how you apply it:

Avocado

Get a very ripe avocado, when the avocado is so ripe that it is not good for eating,(almost rotten) that's the best.

1. Smash the avocado to a creamy consistency.
2. Cover your daughter's hair with it. Start applying it on the scalp, and then cover the hair completely.
3. Massage her scalp, and rub hair for a few minutes (3 to 5 min.) and cover with a plastic cap. Let it on for about 20 minutes.
4. Rinse it out and wash hair with her regular shampoo.
5. Repeat this teatment weekly for about five weeks.

Egg Yolk

Any egg yolk is good, but for some reason duck's egg is better.
Apply it in the same way as the avocado.

Good luck.

A little about me
I am an elementary school teacher and the
mother of three grow-ups children. One girl, two boys. My daughter gave birth to my first grandchild today, a beautiful baby girl, 7 pounds, 12 onunces! I am very excited to be agrandma.

Try drenching her hair in Olive Oil overnight with a cap on it. I have used this myself and has worked. I would do many treatments because it could take some time, her hair did not get that way over night.
An alternative would be to purchase an ethnic hair line called Royal Spa® Soft & Elegant Deep Conditioner, Royal Spa® Soft & Elegant Moisturizing Cream, Royal Spa® Soft & Elegant Moisture Therapy Shampo.
they are all reasonably priced at www.perfectinglook.com in the personal care store.
I have seen all ethnic backgrounds use this line successfully. I have had one complaint, that it made their hair too soft.
Just another thought, have you had a cbc done to see if she is lacking any vitamin?
Don't give up, you will find the right product - but you will have to keep trying until you find the right one. Just think of the stories you will be able to share with your grandchildren some day. :-)

Two suggestions For the Hair:
One- If you wash her hair everyday, don't it may sound gross but her hair may need they extra grease to keep ot healthy.

Two- Try "Just for Me" Shampoo, Conditioner and the Hair Lotion this may help.

For the dry skin:
When you give her a bath squirt some baby oil in the tub with her and try to use only Johnson and Johnson or Aveeno baby bath it's better for the skin.

Hope This Helps

Hi A.,
Let me start by saying that I am a mom of 2 girls and the owner of a medi spa. Hair and skin go hand in hand. Dryness in both can be linked to diet as well as dehydration. I use an all organic line of products on my daughters called Aubrey Organics. It can be purchased on the web or in a health food (green) store. Start using professional products on your daughters hair. There are alot of products out there designed for this problem. I prefer Kolesteral... it is a deep conditioner that is left on for 1/2 and hour and rinsed with cool water. You can also rub grape seed oil on the ends of the hair to soften it. For the skin, I recommend Burts Baby Bee's. There are no fragrances or chemicals that can cause an allergic reaction. My girls love the facial kit and run to the sink every night to wash thier skin. After baths they load up on the lotion and wake up soft and silky. If the problem continues I would recommmend taking your daughter to an esthetician or skin care specialist. Alot of high end salons staff them and they are trained in skin physiology. If this doesnt help then I would look to environmental allergies. Your family doctor can test for allergies or refer a dermatologist. Also, give her frozen gelatin pops, they boost hydration alond with electrolites and kids love them without all the sugar!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I staff estheticians as well as cosmetologists and would be more than happy to talk you thru some great kid friendly treatments.
J. Haberle
Rome Medi Spa
300 N George St
Rome, NY 13440
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Sounds like a fat deficiency!
Read Nina Planck's book, Real Food: What to eat and why
or Michael Pollan's NY Times bestseller: In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto.

Both will give you the heads up about healthy fats and oils.

See if you find anything that you like on
www.carolsdaughter.com
All their products are natural, and they work very well. Each product has a detailed description on what results you can get.
Good luck,

Have you informed your doctor about the skin and hair changes? There are medical conditions that can change both features. Wish I could be more helpful. W.

Hi A.,

Have you thought of talking to your pediatrician about this? The fact that both her hair and skin have become very dry could indicate a deficiency in some vitamins or minerals, or another condition. I'd check with him or her first...

K.

Aussie puts out a conditioner called 3 min. miracle, it works great. Also I've been told that really dry skin can mean a lack of zinc in your system, but you may want to check with her doc.
Good luck.

Sounds to me like she might be lacking some vitamins or minerals. At her age she should have soft hair and skin, check with your pediatrician. S.

I would agree that you should check with a pediatrician, not as an emergency type thing, but it sounds nutritional to me. Also, and maybe you've thought of this, maybe it's culturally natural for her hair to change texture. My caucasian children's hair has certainly changed texture as they've aged. All three began life with beautiful, corn silk blonde hair. My three year old still has it, my 10 year old's has darkened and become curly and my son's is still pretty blonde, but has become very course. But with the breakage and dry skin tied in, I would look to her diet.

As an afterthought, her hormones may be changing too. My daughter is 10, but the first signs of impending puberty began with her at 7. Things really kicked into gear at the end of her 9th year. Perhaps this is affecting her hair texture.

Hi A.,
I'll bet if you check the label on the products you are using on Alexa's hair that you will find a lot of toxic chemicals. Check my website for products that will be good for her skin and hair. L.
www.LiveTotalWellness.com/L.

Hi, this sounds like a nutritional issue rather than a hair issue. I would begin by supplementing with omega fatty acids. Nordic naturals makes great products that are easy to take- liquid and capsules- no fishy flavor. Evening primrose and borage oils too. Add in good sources of omega fatty acids- nuts, wild (not farmed) salmon, and lots of leafy greens. I have no doubt this will help.

A. try taking her to a hair salon so they can treat her hair, get a wash and treatment, whenever I go to the hair dresser I always get a treatment with my hair because it helps to stop your hair from breaking and your hair gets more body and it's healtier, good luck.

Rsoalyn M.

My children are also adopted from Korea, Noah 5 and Jillian 20 months. Noah's hair is thick, beautiful and silky and Jillian's hair is thin and fine. Both have very dry skin. I asked the pediatrician for some suggestions and so far so good. I would call and ask your maybe their is a product you are not aware of. Good Luck!

Hi A.,

Could it be something your daughter is eating? Or something that's missing from her diet? Our hair and skin often reflects what we do or don't consume. Like I always recommend to other moms, check out the book "Eat Right for Your Blood Type." When my daughter gets eczema or dry skin, I know it's something in her food and I have been able to figure out over time which ones are the culprit. Check out the book. Best of luck, A.

Hi A.,

My sons had the very dry skin/eczema and the only thing that helped them are the Arbonne Baby Care products. You can check out the online catalog on my site at http://APerfectMoment.MyArbonne.com. Their skin is beautiful and the wash is for body AND hair.

Let me know if you have any questions. ____@____.com

L.

If her skin is dry as well, maybe she should see a dermatologist? Sorry if that is the "obvious" answer. Maybe it's some sort of condition rather than the right "conditioner?"

I am new to this site and only after writing my response did I see that many have already basically said the same thing. It was too late to back out! Good luck!

Hey, just wondering has her diet changed lately. Asian children and their families have a history of having diets rich in Omega-3. Something to think about!

Diet is reflected in the hair and skin. Excess refined sugar and corn syrup in the diet can cause dry skin. Check the labels on everything! American diets are notorious for both. Adding good oils to the diet I am sure will help. Fish/nuts/olive oil even a cod liver oil supplement. (Flax oil is #1 in my book) Coconut oil in the jar prolly is the easiest to add to a diet of a child though. Remember it will take at least 21 days for a change in diet to really evidence its effect.

Hi A. H,
From what you discribe your daughter lack vitamin E as a child I had that problem my grand parent gave me seven seas cod liver oil tablets, and now you should se my hair it is naturally shinny and is very long as in looooong every one always complement me on my beautiful hair, you may just have to change her diet. Seven Seas is sold on Main St.Flushing NY. if you happen to be in the area.

I am thinking she might be missing something in her diet that is causing her hair to be so course. Is she getting enough protein, hair and fingernails both grow more with more protein in the diet. the other thing is to check into vitamins and minerals and see if lacking something is a problem, you could also use apple cider vinegar, it has the proper ph balance for our system. my hair started to get oily all the time and my hairdresser told me that i am using too much hair conditioner. some people are only able to wash thier hair once or twice a week. maybe it is being washed too much and stripping it of its natural oils. her oil glands may not work as well as her brothers. if you would like to email me privately i would be happy to give you more info on what i have been reading about hair, just respond to this post and i will provide you with my personal email. also putting an egg in your shampoo will not spoil, and will add protein to the shampoo. yes, yolk and all.

Have you tried Length and Strength from Garnier Fructis? It work's well for my Chinese born daughter's thick hair. She too has very dry skin and sleeps with a vaporizer in winter to prevent excessive drying and nose bleeds.

Have you tried a product called Just For Me it is for everyone that has course hair and you should try the Just For Me perm because my daughter is half black and she has very course hair and she will be 1 on march 6th and the Just For Me works great on her hair and i know that when she gets older i will have to perm her hair because it will get worse if you don't take care of it now. If you get that product and it works good on her hair would you please let me know and if you know anyone with hair like your daughter's hair then i would reccommnd that to them.

Hi A.,
Look into her diet. Try to incorporate more healthy oils, water, and vegetables cooked in olive oil. Ususally, dryness is a combination of external and internal environments. Sugars and processed foods tend to make the body out-of-balance and it has to work harder to digest and make use of any nutrients it may contain, at the expense of the natural processes of the body; i.e.- oil production.
Good Luck
N.

You may need to look at what she is eating and drinking , she may need something internally to hydrate her or may have food allergies???
i know that when i take flax seed oil it makes my hair and skin shine also omega3's. i dont know about giving flax to kids but you may want to look into something like that.
also , sugars and white foods can sometimes contribute to rashes .

Hi,
Try to take care of the hair by feeding it.
Have her take flax oil each day and also coconut oil.
She is dry and is probably lacking in nutrients. These will take a few weeks to see the difference. I take coconut and flax right from the spoon, kids might need the flax mixed in juice and you can make shakes with the coconut oil or melt it and add to popcorn. Do some Google searches and you will find more.B.

Just a thought, but you might want to seek out a Asian hair dresser or salon she may have special needs fo her hair. Like people of african descent tend to have dry scalps and need special products and treatments, different from what a caucasion might use. It may not be as obvious with your son, assuming that his hair is kept short than hers. Someone Korean or at least of asian culture may have some great advice to offer. Lots of luck.

A.,

I remember my hair and skin changed radically during puberty and again during pregnancy. 9 is terribly young to be hormonal. I thought diet until you said your 12 year old son's hair and skin do not appear to have changed.

Could she be begining puberty? Is this a normal prepubescent symptom for Korean women?

What else is going on in your daughter's life? Is your daughter expressing any emotion about her hair?

I hate commercial products and avoid them when I can. My all time favorite hair treatment is olive oil. Put a few teaspoons into a small pyrex (custard cup) and warm it in the microwave. Use your fingers and slather the warm oil through clean dry hair. Wet a towel, wring it out and place the towel in the microwave to get it toasty warm. Wrap the towel around your daughter's head and sit for a few minutes enjoying a hot oil treatment. Follow with yoour favorite gentle shampoo.

I hope this works for your daughter!

C. H.

I am a 57-years old grandmother who suffered with Eczema & Dry Skin for approximately 50-years. Upon changing the soap I was using to NATURERICH MOISTURIZING SOAP, which I use to shower & wash my hair (I bathe three times a week in 1 oz. of NATURERICH MOISTURIZING SOAP & 2 OZS. ENERGIZING MINERAL BATH), and applying NATURERICH GEL to my hair & body, I am happy to report that the Eczema or Dry Skin no longer exists! I also use the NATURERICH SKIN MOISTURIZER. You can purchase the products at:
http://experiencelife.naturerich.net

Hi A.,
I would first check with your child's doctor to make sure she is getting all the vitamins and nutrients she needs to keep her skin and hair healthy. Sometimes it can be a vitamin/mineral deficiency.

Best regards,
L. V
Elmwood Park, NJ

You need to get a Juice extrator which seperates the juice from the pulp. You can get one at Walmart. If you have the $, the Omega is the best. Fresh, Raw vegetable juice, and make Carrot(7carrots), 2 stalks of celery, 1 apple, and a cucumber. Cucumber is for the hair. 2 apples for a very sweet drink. It's actually VERY sweet and delicious. Wash the veggis very well, and don't peel any of the veggies. No stems or leaves.You can leave the apple seeds. It is amazingly sweet, and inside a month, you will notice a whole body SHINE. ( Avocado in salads will be good too)not to juice though. L.

A.,
Maybe it is the products you are using. I have helped countless people with this same problem. I'm and independent consultant and sell a completely natural product, no dyes or fragrances. There are hair care products and skin care as well. The best part...all natural no mineral oils. Call me ###-###-#### or e-mail me ____@____.com. I am happy to recommend some products to you and offer a discount to all mammasource members as well. All of the products carry a 100% satisfaction guarantee, with a 45 day return policy. So you can try the products and if they don't work for some reason, you can get your money back.
Call me!
S.

Check this out with your Doctor. It could be a sign of serious problems. My granddaughter had hair problems with lead poisoning. I would also think about nutrition.

Hi A.,
I'm sure someone mentioned this, but I would check-in with your daughter's doctor. Sometimes, changes in hair can be related to vitamin deficiencies.

All best,
J.

Dose your little darling drink enough water? A few of my 4 children have sporatic problems with dry hair and skin (they are blond and red heads of Irish descent). When that happens, it's my clue that I need to give them more water. It wouldn't hurt to give her a children's vitamin if she's not already getting them. I just say to my 4 year old, "boy, I'm thirsty, aren't you thirsty?" Then I offer him a drink of my water. That way he doesn't ask for juice or something sugary.

I know it sounds archaic, but have you thought about cod liver oil? Two of my kids had dry skin & eczema, and a steady diet of good fats was really successful. We did flaxseed oil in yogurt smoothies (probiotics might help, too), walnuts, avocado, olive oil salad dressings (soybean oil in store-bought dressing can make these issues worse), and all these things helped, but adding cod liver oil made a HUGE difference. I take capsules, kids take lemon-flavored.

Hi A.,
I am a nutritionist-colon therapist in Guilford.
It sounds like your daughter needs to include more oil in her diet. One way to get her to take in more oil is from Nordic Naturals Omega-3
oil, they have products that are made just for kids. It taste great. Just go to any health food store in the area.
P. Hartman
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