Back to School Haircare Tips

Here are my back to school haircare tips for children of all ages and curl patterns. Sharing simple tips, techniques and product recommendations that will make a huge difference when getting ready for school. Especially if you’re tight for time in the mornings, and are battling with knots and tangles or tears and frustration. Or you just don’t know what to do or where to start.

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Back to School Haircare Tips

Whether you’re a mom or a millenial, you probably don’t have the best memories of your own back to school haircare routine. Most of us can relate to a wooden paddle brush or comb being dragged through our hair as silent tears rolled down our cheeks. And that brush could just as easily be used to give us a smack if we didn’t keep still while our hair was being ripped and pulled into some kind of submissive style. Mostly because our own moms didn’t know how to look after our curly hair.

Or maybe your hair was cut super short to avoid the tears, anger, frustration (and frizz) in the mornings. So your hair was cut short, making you look like a boy. Which felt more like a punishment than a style choice. And you would wish for long, straight hair that brushes and combs would glide through with ease. And your mom would tie ribbons in it and lovingly braid your hair like it was some sort of sacred ritual and special time spent together.

So this article, and the back to school haircare tips I’m going to share are to make sure those kind of memories and experiences we had growing up, don’t get passed on to the next generation. School years are the most transformative for our children. It’s where they learn so much about who they are and where they fit in or stand out among their peers and friendship groups.

Haircare routines can be a special time between a parent and child. It’s an opportunity to educate them about their hair. What makes them special, what style they might like or want to experiment with. But most of all, it’s an opportunity to cultivate self-love, self-acceptance and self-esteem in your child. And teach them to embrace what makes them unique and special.

I’ve also found that it’s a great opportunity to talk about things, especially difficult or uncomfortable topics. Or just whatever might be going on in their lives. Or what feels big or important to them in their world. There’s the distraction of doing their hair, a limited time frame and no direct eye contact. Which can often help them feel safe to open up. So from toddlers to teens, here are the techniques, tools, products and accessories you need for a great back to school haircare routine.

Tools + Accessories

There’s some tools and accessories you need for all ages, to make the school mornings go smoothly. Firstly, I know this is going to sound so boujee. But getting a silk pillowcase for your child is a game changer. Especially through those toddler years when they wake up all hot and sweaty from a nap with a bird’s nest of knots and tangles. The Slip Silk Pillowcases are my favourite. They’re high quality, come in a wide variety of colours and wash/wear really well. Their silk scrunchies are great too, or the ones from Silke London.

Top Tip: I don’t recommend using Invisibobbles as they can get so tangled in the hair and often need to be cut out!

The second thing you need is a cushioned paddle brush. My favourite is this Denman one. But only brush their hair when it’s wet with conditioner in it, or wet with styling products. Don’t brush their hair when it’s dry, unless you want to make them cry, and cause hair damage and frizz. I don’t recommend the popular Tangle Teezers for anything other than brush styling ribbon curls, which I’ll get to later. As I find they rip and tear the hair, especially if it’s fine. Finally, I recommend getting a flairosol fine mist spray bottle to always have on hand when styling or refreshing your kids hair. This one from Amazon is what I use.

Top Tip: if they can’t keep still while you’re trying to do their hair, put a house plant in front of them and let them use the mist bottle to water the plant. No more thirsty curls, or thirsty plants!

Age 2-6

You always want to use super gentle products on your baby and toddler’s hair. Regardless of their curl pattern or hair texture. So no harsh sulfates or silicones and no waxes, oils or butters. At this age, you can use a gentle shampoo and conditioner. Leave some of the conditioner in (so don’t rinse it out fully) to keep their hair hydrated and moisturized. Making it easier to style and less prone to knots and tangles. This combo is great if your child has fine hair.

If your child has quite dry or coarse hair, or a tighter curl pattern, you can use a co wash instead. Which is a cleansing conditioner that’s more moisturizing than a shampoo. Rinse it out fully and use a little leave in conditioner to prevent knots and tangles. Use the Denman paddle brush to distribute, detangle and define their hair when it’s wet with the conditioner or leave in conditioner. And that’s it, that’s all you really need to do at this age! The conditioner you leave in will create soft, frizz-free defined curls. Product recommendations are listed below, and use code CURLMAVEN for 21% off all of them at LOOKFANTASTIC.

Age 7-12

When it comes to back to school haircare tips, this is when you need to introduce styling products into their routine if they have wavy, curly or coily hair. You need something to cleanse the hair (shampoo). Something to moisturize the hair and prevent frizz (conditioner) and something to define and hold the curl (styling products). Check out this article I wrote on how to take care of your kids curly hair. Which includes more information on product recommendations, washday and styling routines and detangling techniques for this age group.

Game Changing Styling Technique!

This styling technique has been a game changer for me on school mornings! And can be used on long or short hair, for boys or girls. Use the mist spray bottle to wet their hair using warm water, to reactivate any styling product you applied on washday. Or help the product you’re about to apply distribute more evenly and hydrate any dry, frizzy hair. Then take a small amount of Bouclème Curl Defining Gel and rub it in the palms of your (wet) hands and either braid or pull their hair back into a pony tail if it’s long. Or smooth and scrunch it into short hair to redefine their curls.

The Bouclème Curl Defining Gel is one of my favourite styling products for kids hair. Suitable for all ages, curl patterns and hair textures. It’s a super lightweight, hydrating, creamy, almost serum-like gel that hydrates, defines and holds. It’s great for both styling and refreshing wavy, curly and coily hair. You can even use it on straight hair if you want a really smooth, slicked-back look. This is the only styling product I’d use at this age. If their hair is a little dry, knotty or tangled, apply some of the Flora + Curl Rose Water Detangling Lotion to wet hair. Brush through with the Denman Paddle Brush, then apply the Bouclème Curl Defining Gel.

Top Tip: if your child’s hair is quite dry, coarse or a tighter curl pattern, use the Curl Activating Lotion instead of the Detangling Lotion, both from Flora + Curl.

Teenagers

Once they hit their teens, your child’s haircare routine needs to adjust as their hair texture and curl pattern often changes when they hit puberty. Hair can become a little more dry and with that dryness, comes more frizz. Hair texture can become more thick and coarse and their curl pattern can change too. Switching their shampoo and conditioner to something a little more rich and moisturizing really helps to reduce knots, tangles and frizz.

Switching to styling products that give smoother, frizz-free definition and stronger, harder hold will also help. Read this curly hair routine for teens article for more information on the techniques and product recommendations teenagers need to keep their scalp healthy and reduce knots, tangles, frizz and dryness. Here’s some product recommendations for this age group, and use code CURLMAVEN for 21% off all of them at LOOKFANTASTIC.

Smooth, Slicked Back Styling Technique

Continue to use the Denman Paddle Brush to detangle the hair when conditioning, and it can also be used when styling. If they want super smooth, defined ribbon curls then I recommend the Tangle Teezer Curly Brush. For a super smooth, frizz-free, slicked back style, follow the same techniques and tips above for the game changing styling technique. But instead of using wet hands coated with the Boucléme Curl Defining Gel. Wet the hair using warm water in the flairosol bottle. Glaze a little gel over the hair and use this synthetic boar bristle brush from Denman to smooth and slick the frizz down.

You can continue to use the Bouclème Curl Defining Gel if that’s working well. But if your teenager wants more hold, then get the Bouclème Super Hold Styler instead. It’s a little thicker and gives more of a strong, hard hold. They can both be used on washday or to refresh. If you use too much of the Super Hold Styler, it’ll leave little white flakes in the hair. So my advice is to use what you think you need to get the hold you/they want. And if you don’t get enough hold, use more until you do. Or you get those white flakes, then use a little less next time.

The Dreaded Nits

These back to school haircare tips wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the dreaded nits, or head lice. Which are a nightmare at the best of times, but can be really challenging in curly hair. There are many different head lice treatment options available over the counter. As well as home remedies for head lice and nits. But read this article on how to get rid of head lice in curly hair. And my home remedy treatment for head lice which is gentle on curly hair, super affordable and also, the most effective!

I really hope you found this article and these back to school haircare tips helpful! If you have any questions, leave a comment below. Remember, you can get 21% off at LOOKFANTASTIC using code CURLMAVEN. And check out my YouTube channel featuring my DIY haircut for curly hair, which is how I’ve been cutting my daughter’s hair for years!

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