How to manage long thick hair on 4 year old. - Stay-at-Home Moms | Forums | What to Expect (2024)

If it's getting unmanageable to the point of needing 30 minutes, I would definitely get a cut. At least get an inch or two.

We use SoCozy detangler. After I shower, I towel dry just to get the excess water off. Spray thoroughly with detangler and them comb it out. Not optional. Doing this helps stop it from getting so tangled and knotted. On the mornings she doesn't have a shower (kids have eczema, so we try to skip a day occasionally when we can) I spray her hair with water before brushing. Or just run the brush under water regularly while brushing. Brushing dry hair is awful, I would definitely recommend you get it wet.

We brush every day, and every time she gets a shower, we wash her hair with shampoo and conditioner. I also found that a shower before bedtime means her hair is worse in the morning. Now she showers in the morning so she isn't going to bed with wet hair.

We use Suave detangler and a wide-tooth comb over my daughter's hair first. Then I'll go through it with a different comb or a brush. I don't like the brush because it doesn't get all of her hair (her hair like your daughter's, is too thick) but she prefers it, so if I use the brush, I'll put her hair up and brush it one section at a time. Then I'll fix it. This process usually takes 10-15 minutes, unless we've missed a day of good combing, then it can take longer.

I also put her hair in a braid after bath to help out, but we only wash her hair once or twice a week. She is an active kindergartener so her braid is usually falling out by the end of school the next day.

avocado oil (a tiny bit) and a wet brush and wide tooth comb will take you so far!

use wide tooth comb with the conditioner in the bath. don't be afraid to let the conditioner soak a few mins.

when her hair is still damp, rub Avocado oil in your palms and put through her hair then brush with the wet brush.

At 4, she’s not going to be able to do a great job brushing it herself. Braiding it before bed is great, wet or dry. It would also help a lot if you can get her to wear a bonnet to bed- can’t take the braids out if they’re under a bonnet, and the hair won’t be rubbing against her bedding and body to get so tangled up. If she hates the bonnet, a satin pillowcase will be gentler on her hair than regular bedding material.

If it’s really super thick, you may also consider having a good hairdresser thin it out. The most common technique is to use a pair of toothed thinning shears to cut some of the thickness out of the hair. It gives the effect of having shed more hair all at once, without losing any of the length.

This was me around her age. I might have been a little older.

My mom took me to get a bob. I have always been more inclined to long hair. It didn’t negatively impact me, but I do remember troubles with tangles.

Chop it off! 😆