Small children need gentle shampoo and as they grow it is good to give them a stake in their own grooming with fun, friendly and practical styling products.
Look for shampoos that won’t irritate sensitive scalps and for those with long hair encourage conditioning on the ends only to save yourself a small fortune over the years — especially with girls whom I swear secretly drink the stuff in the shower.
The Tangle Teezer and similar relatively snag-free detanglers are great little devices that can be used in the shower and to encourage brushing without a battle. Good old bristle brushes are also excellent — start with soft ones on smaller scalps and invest in firmer ones as the child grows and hair thickens.
Listen to your child if she complains of elastics snagging. There are plenty of good ones available without obvious joins that snare hair from brands such as QVS. Hair accessories are an inexpensive age appropriate way to encourage little girls to take pride in their appearance without resorting too young to painting nails and wearing cosmetics.
Boys of all ages — case in point the All Blacks — enjoy playing with product, so a tub of wax or a tube of gel will encourage your lads to maintain a slick style.
Remember to provide a heat protection product for any blowdrying and styling and be sure to supervise the use of devices initially. Younger girls enjoy curling, while older ones seem to favour straighteners.
For those older children who want to colour their hair, discourage this for as long as possible — virgin hair is always healthiest. Hair chalks and pin-in extensions may prove party time distractions and if colouring use temporary ammonia and peroxide free dyes.
