Her hair gets trimmed regularly. She just had a really good cut (3 inches)but it still gets stringy not long after I brush it.
What am I doing wrong? Could I be using the wrong shampoo & conditioner? I usually use salon products (Matrix or Paul Mitchell). I also (sometimes) use a spray on conditioner. Her hair only keeps nicely if I braid it or put it in a ponytail.
What can I do so that she can wear her hair down & it not get all stringy & look like a rats nest.
Added: her hair is not real thin, I'd say its medium.
Try a vinegar and water rinse or baking soda and water. Let it sit on the hair for a few minutes and wash like normal. I think you will see a difference. Also, if the conditioner is really thick and gloppy, it may be too heavy for her hair. I like Suave Clarifying shampoo and Pantene conditioner. For the kids, I use Suave products for kids.
Ive dealt with this my whole life. It might just be her hair type. Sorry I wish I could be helpful. To this day I have to wear my hair up almost all the time.
Maybe she needs more than a trim? Sometimes you just need to cut a few inches off. How old is she? If her hair is long and thin, I think it will get stringy no matter what. Is her hair thin?
My daughter is 8 and I was dealing with stringy, oily hair. Guess her hormones are kicking in. What worked for us was to get her hair cut into a long bob, and we use a clarifying shampoo, and a spray on conditioner. That way she can wash her hair in the shower by herself, but I can control the conditioner when she gets out. Good luck!
sounds like she's got baby fine hair - I have lots of ahir - but it's very fine. I can't use conditioner for the most part. I'd suggest that you wash her hair, use a very tiny bit of conditioner only on the bottoms of her hair- and only assuming it's shoulder length or longer. If it's short you don't need conditioner at all. Then I'd shampoo her hair very lightly AFTER conditioning. And depending on how old she is it may be time to shampoo her hair more frequently than you're now doing. If she's 10 or older you may need to shampoo 3 or more times a week.
I agree about the conditioner.. Just use a small amount and not on the scalp.. And yes, hairspray after it is braided and then not washed can make it bunch together and dry out her hair.
Is her hair in good condition? You know hair is waste that our body is pushing out.. It dries out very easily and can break off constantly for some people.
Has she considered cutting it into a shorter style? My niece did this and it was amazing how much better her hair looked.. She wears it to her shoulders or right below it.. It looks 3 times thicker than it did when it was long.
If her hair is fine (not thin, but fine), this may be a fact of life. I have fine hair and I cannot wear it longer than to my shoulders without a ton of work every day, and it looks best at a long bob length (just below my chin).
You might be able to find products to make it work up - I can actually wear my hair longer if I commit to styling products and blowing it complete dry with a round brush every day. But this is too much work for me, and I would think that it's too much work for a child too. I'd go with the shorter cut.
I'd suspect it's a problem with using the wrong product, like maybe overconditioning her hair. It sounds strange, but actually washing the hair less often (not letting it get dirty, but just rinsing with water then using shampoo and conditioner 2x week) has really helped the condition of my hair. Get a natural bristle brush and use it daily to move the natural oils in her hair down towards the ends. Maybe she should carry the brush around, and brush it periodically throughout the day. Trimming it shorter, as other people have mentioned, would be helpful.
My hair gets greasy looking from styling products. With the conditioner use,cream conditioner. Be careful with the spray on conditioner as they make the hair look greasy. Use a paddle brush to comb the hair. keep her hair up since it is long and it will make it easier to manage.
I'm a hairstylist. Which Paul Mitchell is she using? You need to use something very light. Paul Mitchell Shampoo One is very light and could work well for her. If her stringiness if due to oil, then use a clarifying shampoo. Avoid anything too heavy conditioner wise, use a bit on her hair and avoid it on the scalp. Her scalp needs conditioning, but maybe only 2-3 times a week. Or, instead of using conditioner, you can use a conditioning spray. Like Sebastian dangling milk. Also, some people just have stringy hair, they just have to learn to cope with it. Blowdrying with a round brush can help add volume. As can getting a nice graduated haircut. She can comb it often to help avoid the stringiness during the day.
