Hair!

OK - so I have never seen the musical, but lately I have been obsessed with hair. My children's, of course.

Brianna's hairline smells like the sea. Not the sharp smell of the beach at low tide, but rather the scent of a clear ocean on a bright summer day as the sea spray muddles with the sunlight. It is long enough for a little Dr. Seuss ponytail on top, but curled and fluffy on the sides. Caring for it requires a wash with each bath and a comb-through here and there. It is so wispy that it often looks wild, but will smooth easily with the palm of my hand.

Sophia's hair smells sweet - like hay or sweet grass. It is soft and puffy and a gorgeous shade of raven black. It boings out of her scalp like millions of tiny springs. Taking good care of it has taken a learning curve. Books, internet searches, and a salon consultation have brought me somewhat up-to-speed. I'm sure I will need to continue to learn as her hair changes and the styles come and go. But here is what I have learned so far. (Note: If the following information is incorrect or requires further clarification, I hope you will leave a comment. I'm a white woman who has experience with only my daughter's hair. Because hair comes in a wide range of types, textures, and curls, each person's requires individualized, specialized care.) Here is what has worked for my daughter's hair so far:

• We wash her hair every two weeks with baby shampoo unless her hair gets dirty in between washings. (She has a panache for rubbing yogurt or applesauce in her hair.)


• In between wash times, when she has a bath, we wet it and condition it.


• Every day, her hair gets combed through thoroughly to keep it untangled. To make this process smooth, we wet it first with a 4:1 ratio of water:olive oil in a spray bottle. Then we use a leave-in conditioning creme or a spray conditioner and detangler. The brand we like so far is "Soft and Beautiful: Just for Me." It smells delicious and leaves her hair soft, shiny, and easy to comb. To comb out the hair, we use a wide-toothed comb and gently comb, starting at the ends and working in toward the scalp. When that comb glides easily through, we use a slightly finer-toothed-comb to give it a second sweep through, starting at the ends and working in.


• After her hair has been combed through, we either leave it or put it into "poofs." (When she is older and her hair is longer, we will try braids and twists but she isn't - or maybe we aren't - quite ready for those yet.) To do the poofs, we use the end of a rattail comb to part her hair and then a comb to draw it together. We use tiny rubber bands to hold the poofs (keeping careful watch on them because they are choking hazards!). At that point, we either tie a ribbon into a bow over the poofs or secure the poofs with a barrette. (We've found that the barrettes from Gymboree leave ample room for a poof and rubber band but still hold securely and gently.)


• At the end of the day, we take her hair out of the rubber bands to avoid tension alopecia (baldness from having hair tight too often). It is easiest just to cut the rubber band with a little scissor (and throw it away! Little rubber bands are choking hazards.) and then comb through gently.

This is what we've learned so far. Someday I will know how to do braids and twists, but for now my elementary knowledge of how to care for my daughter's beautiful hair is sufficient. I'll be sure to post when I've learned some new styles. And I welcome any advice you may have!