Tragic Sandwich

Tag: comb

  • An Interesting Monster Needs an Interesting Hairdo

    No More Tears and No More Tangles–that’s what my mom used on me. And it’s what we used on Baguette, once her hair got long enough to tangle.

    But it turns out that’s not enough any more. Baguette’s hair is what I like to call “frothy.” It’s very fine, and sleep whips it up into what could be a fashion-forward concoction that stars would pay good money for before heading out to the red carpet–except that it’s not a style, and it needs to be combed out.

    Combing, however, hurt her. And the soft brush we started out with turned out to be too soft to do more than glide over the surface of her hair.

    We bought a brush that I found via Babble.com (Update: It’s the Knot Genie.) that was purported to be easier on tangles, with less pulling. And it worked, but her hair was still dry.

    So we added my leave-in conditioner to the regimen, combing it through after her bath. But while that might solve the problem immediately post-bath, it didn’t help at all the next morning.

    Mind you, I don’t much care if Baguette has glossy locks. She’s three, and we’re not seeking fame and fortune via reality TV.

    I do care, though, if her hair gets so dry and brittle that it’s in danger of breaking, which is where we found ourselves this winter.

    I started using other products, notably my Very Expensive argan oil and macadamia nut oil. Which I now need to replace. And they helped, some, but not enough to keep up with winter dryness.

    Add to this that Baguette’s hair comes in two distinct layers: corkscrew curls underneath, and straight on top. It’s the straight hair that’s fragile; the curls actually seem quite lush.

    Bestie’s mom suggested Suave products for kids, which were working well in their house. They were definitely better than Johnson & Johnson, but her hair still seemed very breakable. We kept using that, and added rinse-out conditioner as a second step. Still breakable.

    We ordered another detangling brush that we saw advertised on Sprout TV.

    And then I came across a blog post that talked about the wonders of Hot Tot products. I wish I could remember which blogger wrote about it, because I would definitely link to that post and express my thanks.

    Because these products are working.

    Hot Tot brand shampoo and conditioner

    We still need to add a little leave-in conditioner, but her hair seems much healthier since we started using Hot Tot shampoo and conditioner. And that infomercial detangling brush helps a lot, too.

    The only catch? Hot Tot products are expensive–they cost much more than the shampoo and conditioner I use for myself. I’m talking dog shampoo expensive here.

    But they work. So we’ll keep buying them. And while we know that Baguette isn’t ready for a full haircut yet (we have to trim her bangs when she’s asleep, to keep her from freaking out at the sight of scissors), we are considering taking her to the salon to get some advice about how to keep her hair strong and healthy.

    Because an interesting monster needs an interesting hairdo. But no one needs split ends.

  • Oral Hygiene, the Toddler Way

    Don't forget to brush

    After her bath, Baguette loves to brush her teeth. I should probably say that she loves to “brush” her teeth, because mostly what she does is swish the toothbrush around her mouth, alternating with waving it under the running water. And what I really should say is that she loves to stand on a stepladder in front of the sink with the water running. “Brushing” is really just an activity that gives her the excuse to do that.

    She also enjoys eating a lot of toothpaste, one pea-sized dollop at a time. I’m really glad that I got her the fluoride-free kind–but it still says to supervise her in order to minimize swallowing. To which I say: Yeah, right. Like I can control that.

    What’s really gross is that even though she has three–THREE–toothbrushes of her own, in various sizes, she keeps using mine. I love her beyond measure. But yuck.

    Another way to pass time in front of running water is to comb her hair. This is accomplished by passing the comb under the water and then using it to comb her hair forward across her face. Naturally, this is best done after I have dried her hair, so that it is soaking again.

    Which brings me to something I really can’t believe: I use leave-in conditioner on Baguette’s hair. And I blow it dry. Both of these seem ridiculous to me. But the first makes it easier to comb her hair (better than the Johnson’s No More Tangles I remembered from my own childhood and started using on her once her hair was long enough to comb), and the second means that she’s not going to bed with wet hair and sleeping on a soggy pillow as a result.

    But mostly I want her to understand that she can be just like Mommy without using Mommy’s toothbrush. I really, really want her to understand that.

    Photo by JMaz Photo, via Flickr.

  • It’s Not Easy Being Rapunzel

    Tangled (2 of 2)

    Baguette has long been obsessed with my hair. She plays with it, pulls on it, hangs from it. At the salon, I have to ask my hairstylist to rinse out as much of the color as humanly possible–because Baguette chews on my hair.

    I thought, “Maybe if I buy her a doll, she can use its hair instead.” So I went to Toys R Us (which gives me the same sensory-overload migraine that I get at IKEA) and bought her the doll with the longest hair I could find.

    She barely acknowledges that doll.

    She loves Elmo, so her grandpa bought her an Elmo doll. She didn’t care. I bought her Ernie and Bert, and she didn’t care. She’ll point at them, name them, and move them out of her way.

    She has a slight affection for her blanket, which she likes to take in the car on the way to day care.

    But what she really wants is my hair. Apparently that’s her lovey, and there is no substitute.

    Recently she discovered the comb. We’ve been using it on her hair, of course, but she learned to say the word. When we get home at the end of the day, she wants me to sit down so that she can stand behind me and comb my hair. She takes the comb to bed. Her first utterance this morning was “Comb.”

    I want to cut my hair short, but I’m going to wait. Right now it would be too traumatic. But not for me. For Baguette.

    Photo by Brett Jordan, via Flickr.