GREAT HAIR DAY!

Feel strand-ed when it comes to styling your child’s hair? Cozy Friedman, founder of the NYC salons, Cozy’s Cuts for Kids, and the salon line, So Cozy, offers tips for parents:

Children’s Hair is Knot Like Adult Hair
   “A child’s hair is completely uncompromised,” explains Cozy. “It has never been colored, permed or processed and that makes it finer than adult hair and more prone to knotting.” According to Cozy, conditioning is not the solution; instead, use a good detangler, preferably a deeply moisturizing leave-in spray that contains hydrolyzed wheat protein and wheat starch to condition the hair and Vitamin B5 to thicken and strengthen strands. After spraying the detangler from root to tip, use a wide tooth comb to work out any knots, starting at the bottom of the hair and working your way up. This technique allows you to hold the hair with your other hand, preventing discomfort. Cozy also advises that young girls with long hair sleep in a loose braid to prevent hair from getting tangled and unruly.

Don’t Dread Bed Head
   “Children tend to sleep better than adults and shift a lot less throughout the night,” says Cozy. “This, coupled with the fine texture of their hair, can equal a real ‘Dennis the Menace’ look each morning.” If this is a problem for your son, Cozy recommends targeting “stuck up” areas with an alcohol-free styling gel rather than wetting your child’s hair. Simply wetting the hair results in a repeat “stick up” later in the day, but using a styling gel will actually mold the hair into place and keep it tame. If you don’t have a styling gel handy, Cozy recommends combining a detangling spray and leave-in conditioner to achieve the same results.

Don’t Forget to Rinse!
   “Kids who take swimming lessons usually have the most damaged hair of any other children at my salon,” says Cozy. “While I encourage parents to give their kids swimming lessons, I also encourage them to keep their children’s hair as free from chlorine as possible.” To do this, Cozy recommends parents advise their children to rinse hair with water right after swimming. Then, once the child is home, they should wash his or her hair with a clarifying shampoo