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Tangle Teezer

How do you help make hair washing and detangling a more enjoyable experience for your child? Share your tips and tricks - £200 voucher to be won

48 replies

MaddyMumsnet · 08/07/2024 11:42

We all know that hair washing and detangling can sometimes be a challenging experience for both parents and children. Whether it's using the perfect detangling brush to make the process smoother, turning hair washing into a fun game, or using special conditioners that make hair more manageable - Tangle Teezer wants to hear your family’s best tips and ideas!

Post your stories/items/challenges/tips in the thread below to be entered into a prize draw

  • One lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice.
  • Don’t forget to vote in our poll below. 

Here’s what Tangle Teezer has to say: 
“We all know that detangling your child’s hair more often than not results in tears and tantrums, but it doesn't have to. Share your best tips & tricks for how you make your child's hair routine a more enjoyable experience for them (and you), because together we can untangle the fear around hair washing!”

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

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How do you make hair washing and detangling fun for your child?

29 votes. Final results.

POLL
Detangling brush
62%
Play games
3%
Special conditioners
34%
Sing songs
0%
Tell stories
0%
Offer rewards
0%
itsywitsy · 08/07/2024 11:50

loose plaits for girls at nighttime really helps with lessening knots, and after washing a rub a little conditioner between my hands and into the hair - but not the scalp and using a wide tooth comb - brush whilst wet.

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DenDenDenise · 08/07/2024 11:56

To save the tears - a detangling spray is a must. And a hairstyle which for a girl you can tie back, and no longer than collar length for a boy.

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littlekipling · 08/07/2024 11:59

It might sound a bit bonkers - but I bought my little boy a toddlers snorkel mask and he wears that and pretends to be "diving in da big blue sea mama" whilst I wash and rinse it. The water being poured over is "big waves" we had so many tears and resistance before using this method.

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MichaelFabricantsSyrup · 08/07/2024 12:00

DenDenDenise · 08/07/2024 11:56

To save the tears - a detangling spray is a must. And a hairstyle which for a girl you can tie back, and no longer than collar length for a boy.

Why can't you just tie a boy's hair back too? Confused

Mine only have hair brushed when wet, detangler and conditioner and brush under water helps too.

Silk pillow and plaited overnight, plaited and looped up for school as it's so long.

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Magicmagician · 08/07/2024 12:03

main thing which helps is ensuring dd’s hair is up at night so it doesn’t get tangled, using silky scrunchies helps there too.

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Stickycurrantbun · 08/07/2024 12:03

My daughter is autistic and very sensitive about washing and detangling her hair. I've tried every trick there is! Currently what's working is her doing it entirely herself so she's in control. She has her bath, brushes her hair herself whilst sat in the bath (she uses a pink tangle teaser), she does the shampoo herself, rinses it herself with a handheld mirror, brushes it again, and tells me when she's done. Bribery with a sweet treat is often needed to get her in the bath in the first place too!

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DaisyDando · 08/07/2024 12:05

We have a Girls World which is used surprisingly often when we have other kids round. She sometimes has pretty messy hair, so we get the Detangling Spray out (Tangle Teezer do our one which is why I’m commenting tbh as it reminded me) and give the willing model a pamper. Helps kids later that evening/week to give it a go. I wish I could find the perfect makeup remover for her though as she is a bit amateur tattooed. (The GW, not DD)

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Secondguess · 08/07/2024 12:11

A detangling brush is really useful. I've had to teach my son how to look after his long, wavy hair-for example trimming the ends, using warm water and shampoo to open the cuticle and wash out the dirt then using a conditioner to close the cuticle and keep hair smooth, tying hair up, and not ignoring tangles and allowing a bird's nest to develop. 😕

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Freshair87 · 08/07/2024 12:13

We use a satin pillow, hair in plaits helps with knots but ruins her curls. A detangling spray and tangle teeze brush in the morning and a good scrunch for the curls, air drying hair seems to help too

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Showmetheelf56 · 08/07/2024 12:13

Loads of conditioner when washing and a wide tooth comb while still wet. Plaiting before bed.

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youareonlyhereonce · 08/07/2024 19:59

for me its a thick conditioner in the bath, a comb, then swimming goggles on and the shower to wash the conditioner off the combed hair - and it brushes easily afterwards.

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Theimpossiblegirl · 08/07/2024 21:52

Keeping long hair plaited at night helps a lot. So does a tangle teaser and lots of conditioner.

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squeakyclean13 · 08/07/2024 21:56

Loads and loads of patience - if you're not feeling it, fake it until you make it! Our tangle teezer brush and detangling spray have been game changing as well.

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Beabeautiful · 09/07/2024 10:47

Leave in conditioner, a detangling brush and doing this gradually - just do a bit at a time, then go back after 20 minutes and do another section -otherwise I found they began to dread the hair brushing - then plaits for bed.

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butwhatabouttheroses · 10/07/2024 06:55

When they were younger we bought one of those jugs with a rubber bit at the front which got pressed against their forehead for rinsing hair. Worked a treat.

As for tangles .. the tangle teaser was revolutionary! My son is now 19, has really long wavy hair and still uses it.

We have several in the house and even my husband uses one. He hasn't got much hair left but I have seen him use it on his beard!

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LittleDeeAndME · 10/07/2024 16:09

Never thought of playing games or singing songs whilst brushing knots out of hair lol - but for us it's a detangling spray (I just buy the cheapest one on the market so have tried many - they are all worth it)
I start with a wide tooth comb, and then a wide brush and sometimes use some leave in conditioner to help knots from forming.

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HanaPales · 10/07/2024 19:13

Tangle teasers every time for my daughter's almost bum length hair. Applying a good conditioner and brushing it full through the hair before rinsing helps a lot with knots.
Plaits for sleeping and windy weather. My DH got put out at how much better my hairstyles were than his so he's been asking my for tips and practicing a lot - he now does a mean normal plait and is planning to move on to french plaits next 😆. Reading books/doing colouring is also a must for her sitting still enough to style it.

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voyager50 · 11/07/2024 07:24

With a boy with short hair it was so much easier but a friend with a little girl would get her to wash and comb her barbies hair at the same time and that kept her distracted.

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JacCharlton · 11/07/2024 10:14

French plaits for school, and brushing with a conditioner in - and applying a detangling spray on dry hair if the hair cannot be brushed in the morning. I have a tangle teezer brush and it's really useful. (so much so I use another for my long haired maltese terrier)

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sharond101 · 11/07/2024 19:22

I bought a Barbie detangling brush and daughter loves it!

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curliegirlie · 11/07/2024 19:32

A decent detangling spray is hugely helpful (we've found the Knightley's Adventures one from Tesco to be the best). We also use two brushes - a "standard" paddle brush to access the deepest tangles (my DD has very thick hair) then switching to Tangle Teezers (which she hugely prefers). LOTS of conditioner at bath time too!

My kids don't have curly hair but I do, and I discovered embarrassingly late (around my mid 20s or later) that I shouldn't go near a hairbrush with dry hair, as it just causes huge frizz, and so the only time to properly comb my hair is whilst damp post-shower, which is also a lot easier on the tangles.

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Iffx · 11/07/2024 19:37

Don’t have a child’s hair so long that it takes too much time to deal with.

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MumC2141 · 11/07/2024 19:51

Plait long hair at night. Use a tangle teezer.

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m0jit0 · 11/07/2024 20:11

Pleating the hair makes it easier to comb out later. Plenty of conditioner. Leave in conditioner after swimming.

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