A Simple Kids' Hair Care Routine for Fragile Hair

Start by loosening any style and finger-separating the hair before it gets wet. Saturate thoroughly with warm — not hot — water. Cleanse the scalp with fingertips, letting the suds rinse down the lengths rather than scrubbing the ends.

Condition next, generously, through the mid-lengths and ends. Let it sit while you section the hair. Then detangle each section from the ends upward with fingers and a wide-tooth comb, and twist or braid each finished section loosely so it stays put.

Rinse, blot with a soft t-shirt or microfiber towel rather than rubbing with terry cloth, and style while the hair is still damp.

Mist the hair lightly with a detangling and moisture spray before any combing. Re-braid or re-twist loosely at night. Avoid re-styling from scratch every morning — that daily manipulation is where fragile hair gets lost.

This is the whole Little Roots™ routine: Wash Me™ to cleanse, Love Me UnConditionerLy™ to condition, Untangle Me™ to refresh and detangle. Little Roots™ is a cosmetic children's hair care collection from TrichoLogics®. It is intended to cleanse, moisturize, detangle and improve manageability — it is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure hair loss or any hair or scalp condition.

Eight hours of friction against a cotton pillowcase undoes a lot of careful wash-day work. A satin bonnet, scarf or pillowcase reduces that friction and holds moisture in the hair. For children who won't keep a bonnet on, a satin pillowcase does most of the job on its own.

Loose braids or twists at night also keep the hair from tangling into itself while a child moves.

Dry combing. Brushing curls. Daily tight ponytails. Elastics with metal fittings. Heat styling on young hair. Styles worn until they're grown out and pulling. Skipping conditioner because you're in a hurry.

Removing those does more for a child's hair than adding any product.

If a child has unexplained bald patches, sudden or heavy shedding, broken hairs confined to one area, scalp redness, flaking, sores, itching or pain, that deserves professional evaluation rather than another product. Start with the child's pediatrician or a dermatologist; a trichologist can look closely at the hair and scalp alongside that care.

A routine improves hair care. It does not treat hair loss, and it isn't a substitute for having a concerning scalp looked at.