Summer Hair Care Tips for Kids
It’s almost the season to play all day and ask questions like Does the pool count as a bath? Between sun, surf, and the pool, summer can be a doozy for hair. Managing kids’ hair is already a battle. Then throw sweaty, chlorinated tangles into the mix? You’ll find yourself Googling: “How to give an at-home buzz cut” in no time.
Do yourself a favor and incorporate a few of these simple summer hair care tips for kids into your summer routine (or lack thereof) for more manageable locks and less tantrums for everyone.
Do: Get kids a pre-summer trim
The first of our summer hair care tips is to take your kiddos into the salon for a good summer trim to start the summer off right. This is the best way to combat tangles from the get go. When it comes to managing tangles, healthier hair and the less to work with, the better.
For a DIY option, The Haircut Box is a direct-to-consumer haircutting kit with everything you need to cut hair from your own home. There’s a box for girl haircuts, a box for boy haircuts, and a box for both. There’s even handy haircut guides you can buy or download from the site.
Do: Consider your child’s hair type
Is your child’s hair fine? Is it thick? Is it textured? Answering those questions and figuring out products and a haircare strategy that works best for their hair is key. Knowing their hair type will help you find the right products to keep their hair healthy and knot-free.
Your child’s hair might be a completely different texture than your own, so doing a little bit of research about their hair type will help you know how to manage their hair best while maintaining your sanity, and it can give your child confidence as you teach them how to take care of themselves and love their hair.
There are great resources and media for teaching kids to love their hair, like the Oscar-winning animated short film, Hair Love, available on YouTube, and its accompanying picture book.
Do: Brush out tangles in the bath
For those rare summer days your kids do get a proper bath, brush out stubborn tangles while there is conditioner in their hair already. That will help coat the strands for less breakage and less pain on their end. (And less screaming in your ears.)
Try this Shea Moisture Kids conditioner for hair of all types. And make sure you use a wide-toothed comb or a detangling hair brush like this one from Crave Naturals. Detangling hair brushes are truly a godsend for parents who have gone to hell and back while brushing out their kids’ knots.
Do: Use leave-in conditioner
Whether your child’s hair is straight, wavy, or curly and textured, leave-in conditioner will help manage tangles before they start by coating the strands of hair with conditioner.
This leave-in conditioner from Cantu Care for Kids can be applied after the bath when your child’s hair is still wet. Avoid the crown of their head and start by applying on the ends and brushing it through their hair with a wide-toothed comb or your fingers. You can let their hair air dry or style as usual.
Do: Find the right detangler spray
When knots do appear (and they will), having the right detangler spray on hand is a must. Also from Cantu Care for Kids is their top-rated Conditioning Detangler spray. And it’s at an affordable price point of under eight dollars. This detangler spray will work on all hair types.
Another favorite summer hair care tip is the Honest Company’s Conditioning Detangler spray—every scent smells amazing and it will work particularly well on fine hair types. Another is Sun Bum’s 3-in-1 spray that acts as a leave-in conditioner and detangler, and it also works for adults with color-treated hair.
Don’t forget to check out BinkyBro’s sun hats and snapbacks that will keep heads and hair protected from hot, summer rays. (Yes! Even hair can get sunburned!) And most importantly, don’t sweat the small stuff this summer—keep the tangles away so you can focus on living your best life with your kids!
