Your Son Needs A Haircut, But Take Care With Your Comb

Isn't it funny how quickly a child's hair grows? I don't know about you, but my Son Joe seems to always be sporting a blond shaggy mop on top of his head. He is notorious for not liking having his hair cut, so much so that he refuses to go to the hairdressers, and the only way I can keep his mane somewhat under control is to chase him around the house with a pair of hair scissors!

Mind you, I can't talk. I haven't seen the inside of a salon in over 3 years! I was given a set of split end trimmers as a gift a few years ago, and when I remember, or spot a stray split end, I have a session with the trimmer. Seems to work OK for me, and when I think of the money I saved not visiting the salon, it always makes me smile.

I don't use a hairdryer either. I gave up buying them a few years ago too when my pet dogs constantly used them as chew toys. Can't say I miss owning one of those either.
I am just glad I have a son who is so far not image conscious at all, whereas I'm sure if I had a girl I would be constantly spending out on visits to the hairdressers, new hairdryers, hair accessories etc etc…. yawn!

Anyway, I decided to do a bit of research for you about looking after your hair…..

Take care with your comb!

Many different varieties of hair combs are available on the market. The best comb for you should be selected by considering the nature of your own hair. Is it short or long, straight or curly, dry or greasy? Using comb with fine, tight teeth may actually result in damaging your hair if it's very curly or thick. Having a comb with very short teeth will be ineffective on thick hair as it would have trouble reaching through to the scalp.

Combing should be done with some care. It should be done gently as vigorous combing can damage hair shafts, and can pull out some hairs from your head.

I am guilty of this one, but apparently you should not comb wet hair. You should first dry it with a towel and then apply some leave in hair conditioner and gently massage it in. Doing this will make combing more easy and less harmful to your hair.

Backcombing was all the rage a few years ago, but this is also damaging to the hair. If you have watched those TV adverts for hair conditioners you often see close up shots of hairs being smoothed down. Its almost like each hair has microscopic scales, so brushing against the grain would certainly do some damage in the long run.

This one I like as I probably only comb my hair twice a day at most: Frequent combing can damage the scalp and the hair follicles. Those who carry combs with them and use them frequently could be damaging their hair. Combing two or three times in a day is sufficient. (You can picture me punching the air and saying Yay!)

Make sure you examine the comb thoroughly. The teeth of the comb should not be sharp and it should not be pressed too tightly on the scalp, as this can cause damage and irritation, and can cause dandruff or make it worse.

Remember to clean the comb regularly as dirt and oil can build up between the teeth. You can always put it in the washing machine with a load of washing.

Try to keep your comb to yourself, and don't use someone else's comb. This helps to prevent fungal and bacterial infections spreading through the family. Live head lice can also spread from one person to other by sharing a comb.

In the spirit of healthy advice, we have some from our readers:

Sarah P emailed in and said "Although Cleopatra was rumoured to bathe in asses milk, we can use powdered milk instead. I pour about five tablespoons of powdered milk into a warm bath. The results? Really smooth skin".

Don't forget that we are collecting your favourite family recipes to include in our new cook-book, so email us your favourite recipes for inclusion and we will credit your for the recipe and give you a free copy of the completed book as a thank you!

Stuck for something to do? Don't forget you can download your free copy of our Mini-Messy Tots Craft Book, full of our favourite crafts that you can do at home with the little ones!

Missed your copy of our latest magazine? Visit our website at Visit Cotswold Family Life to download our current issue today.

We also have a new Squidoo lens: Visit Squidoo Happy Families and Health

Wishing you the best of Family Life.

Michelle, Joint Editor, Cotswold Family Life