Challenges

Tangles

Try to brush out dry hair first. Use an old fashioned “comb out” brush (like a boar bristle but the bristle can be nylon/plastic). If the tangles are from food, spray tangle with water first. Spray all the hair with water, then rub in a leave-in conditioner (looks like lotion), use a comb, and section in 3 or 4 parts. Start detangling from the bottom up. My favorite product for controlling tangles is, Paul Mitchell conditioner in Lavender mint. The conditioner helps tangles fall out.

Gum or Modeling Clay

To remove gum or clay from your child’s hair use spray Pam and a fine-tooth comb.

Chlorine

To save your hair from chlorine damage during swim season, wet your hair with tap water before you get into the pool. Shampoo and condition your hair as soon as you get out of the pool.

If you have been swimming and your hair feels like straw already.. use a clarifying shampoo, a build up removal shampoo, or a swimmer shampoo.  Leave the shampoo on your hair for up to 10 minutes.  Rinse out and apply conditioner.  Rinse out and follow the above “save” technique the rest of the swimming season.

Lice Checklist

  1. DIAGNOSIS.
    Your child is scratching head like they have fleas. Check hair for dandruff that only will come off with your fingernail. Early scratching you may see pepper on their scalp. Use a nit comb only to see if anything alive comes out. Lice doesn’t jump. Only hair to head contact. Combs or brushes, hats, or scrunchies, etc.
  2. CONTAIN  INFESTATION.
    Cover your child’s hair with a shower cap until you get the treatment shampoo. Bag up your child’s bedding, pillows, stuffed animals, hair brush, and hats-anything with hair on it or might have had your child’s hair on it in the past 2 weeks. Put all of this in the garage until you can deal with it. Vacuum your carpet and furniture to get rid of hair. Use a lint roller on fabric couches and chairs. Bagged items you cannot wash leave in garage for 14 days. Lice need a human host within 3 days to feed. Eggs or nits hatch in 5-7 days.
  3. TREAT.
    Your choice on treatment. Your doctor can prescribe a shampoo or you can go to the pharmacy for an over-the-counter. There are companies who will delouse your child, you and the rest of your family, as well as sell you products and educate you for the future, with a fee. $$$.
  4. NIT PICK.
    Very important to get all the nits out of your child’s hair. Wrap your hair up first so you can concentrate on the nits. Very time consuming. Have a bright light and reading glasses to see the best a magnifying glass is hard to hold. A good movie will help.
  5. ADVISE.
    It’s embarrassing, but you have to advise any parents of the children your child has been around. Schools also.
  6. NIT PICK AGAIN.
    Twice a day until you are confident all the nits are gone.
  7. RE-TREAT.
    If you find moving nits (tiny hatched lice) 3-5 days after the first treatment, retreat .
  8. PREVENTATIVES.
    Use the nit comb weekly with a baggie and metal nit comb for all human household members. Don’t worry about what you find unless it moves. You can use the leave in sprays for added protection.