Has your child’s dry hair left you at your wits end? Wondering what is causing their curly or coily hair to be so dry? You’re not alone – dry hair is a common issue, and the bane of curly and afro hair. Read on to find out the five ways you can solve your child's dry hair issues today. 

Too Much Heat 

Using heated styling tools such as straighteners, curling tongs and blow dryers can zap the moisture out of your child’s hair (not to mention lead to heat damage and frizziness). We recommend going heat-free when it comes to drying, styling and stretching your little one's hair. 

Over-Washing

Another cause of dryness is washing their curls too often, which can lead to hygral fatigue. Every time you wash your child's hair, the cuticle expands as water enters the strand, and then contracts when it dries. Over time, this repeated expansion/contraction can weaken the hair and can cause dryness and brittleness.

The solution? Try pre-treating your child's curls and coils with coconut oil, which has been proven to protect hair by binding to the proteins in the hair shaft meaning that fewer water molecules can bind to the hair and less swelling happens. Follow up by using a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo like Swish. 

Not 'Sealing In' Moisture

Your hydration efforts might be failing because you’re not locking it in! Invest in a rich, moisture-locking oil like Seal. You can use it at the end of your little one's routine as part of the LOC/LCO method to 'seal' in all the hydrating goodness you just applied. Applying oil to hydrated hair slows down the rate at which water escapes from curly and coily strands and hence helps to fix hair dryness.

Not Using Water-based Products

There’s more moisture to be had besides just on their wash day! Only water-based products are truly moisturising, so keep an eye out for that when picking your child’s hair care. 

Water-based products are perfect for helping to maintain moisture between washes. Our afro hair products such as Smooth and Sheen are really great at keeping your hair moisturised no matter what hairstyle your child is rocking.

The Weather

If you live in a cold, low-humidity climate, chances are your child’s locks will be much more susceptible to dryness. Cold, dry air can zap moisture from their hair, and wind only speeds up this process. But you can’t exactly control the weather, so what’s our remedy? 

Our favourite remedy for this is to make sure you counter weather-induced dryness by following the LOC and LCO methods. The acronym indicates the order by which the products (L = liquid O = oil and C = cream) should be applied to your child's hair. Using this method (with our Moisture Surge Set) after you’ve washed your child's hair will help lock in moisture and fix dry hair.

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