by Cherryse Velez

Created on: October 01, 2008

The first thing to think about when you think of caring for your child's hair is caring for their scalp. It is extremely important to make sure that your child's scalp has protection from the sun, since your scalp does not see as much sun as the rest of your skin it is more sensitive. Healthy scalp equals healthy hair! In boys that keep short, close to the head cuts, don't forget to apply the sunscreen to their heads! For girls, any type of up-do would be the best to keep them more comfortable. I know I hate walking around with hair touching my neck in the summer, and children stay active in the summer. Also, any style that is the quickest to do is usually the best over the summer, when the kids just want to play!

If your child is going to be doing a lot of swimming over the summer, the best thing to do is to wet their hair before they get into the pool or ocean, because their hair will absorb the fresh water, and not allow as much of the chlorine or salt water to be absorbed. Also give a fresh water rinse as soon as you can, try not to let the chemicals or the salt dry on the hair, that itself can cause the hair to break.

During the summer, you also have to rethink your shampoo. If your child has fine hair, it might end up actually looking "oilier" during the summer. For this type of hair the clear shampoos are the better choice, preferably one marked gentle. For a conditioner, if you can comb through their hair without using a conditioner, you could skip it all together, or just try to avoid the scalp. A great natural alternative that you can use instead of conditioner is plain yogurt. The hair will be left feeling soft and because it is natural, it rinses off a lot better than conditioner. If the hair closest to the scalp is still looking oily, you can rub a little bit of cornstarch onto the scalp and it will absorb the oil and keep it from looking so oily.

Coarse and curly hair tends to dry out from the sun and humidity. For this hair type, the creamy, moisturizing shampoos are the best. Shampoos with wheat germ oil, nut oils, or Shea butter in them will coat the hair keeping it moisturized. A really great natural choice to put in your child's hair is Aloe Vera. You can find it in a gel form in a lot of stores or you can just buy the plant and apply it to the hair. It conditions, softens, adds shine, and can be used every day. If their hair is already looking dry, you can use honey and olive oil to bring the moisture back to their hair. All you would have to do is put about 2 tablespoons of honey mixed with 1/4 cup of olive oil, put their hair in either a shower cap or just a bun, and leave in for 20 minutes.

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