Sometimes it can be pretty easy to help teach kids the importance of a healthy lifestyle through brushing their teeth, washing their hands, and how to take a proper bath or shower. But when it comes to proper care of hair, sometimes this is one of those subjects that can be easy to overlook! Here at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, a hair salon where every child matters, we understand how important healthy hair can be towards helping kids feel great about themselves each day. That's why we thought it might be a good idea to share some of our hair care tips on developing a routine that works for you and your child, and reinforces healthy hair habits from an early age on!

Different Kids, Different Hair! First off, every child is different and has a different type of hair (dry, oily, curly or straight). Age, activity level  and even weather conditions are also important considerations when trying to determine how often a child might need to wash and care for their hair! For example, some recommend that toddler hair should be washed around three times a week, while oily hair should be shampooed once a day or every other day. Some also recommend that hair should be rinsed out with water and properly conditioned after swimming or excessive sweating.  Meanwhile, be sure to monitor how your child responds to shampoo and conditioner, as well as the frequency it's being washed, and adjust as necessary. If you notice the hair or scalp responding poorly to the shampoo, conditioner (such as the hair becoming dull, oily or dry), you may want to try a different shampoo or not wash their hair as often. 

Picking the Right Hair Care Products: Different kids and different hairstyles require different kids shampoo and conditioners too! How the shampoos and conditioners smell and react with their skin are all things you'll want to think about when making a healthy and helpful purchase in this area. For example, if a child's hair is dry, try to look for a good moisturizing shampoo. Also, if a child has a scalp condition (such as dandruff, psoriasis or dermatitis), checking with a dermatologist might be helpful. And don't forget, Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids carries a huge variety of shampoos and swimmer's shampoos (in a variety of fun and fruity scents) conditioners, pre-swim conditioners, lice prevention and defense and colored hair chalks and gels (for guys and gals) too! Read all about them on our Shear Madness Products page! 

Washing that Hair! When washing your child's hair, be sure to get the hair completely wet and use about a quarter-sized amount of shampoo (thicker hair types might require a little more shampoo, while thinner hair types migth require a little less). Gently massage the shampoo into the hair and scalp using just your fingertips. Be careful not to scratch, as this may irritate the scalp. When finished, make sure all the shampoo is washed out of the hair. Any left-over shampoo may irritate the hair or scalp. 

But What About Kids Conditioner? Conditioners also depend on the type of hair your child has, and come in several varieties. Leave-in conditioners are not washed out of the child's hair, and are simply left in to help with such issues as detangling. However, a leave-in conditioner may give fine, thin hair a lot of extra weight - which could give a less than ideal appearance to the hair. There's also instant conditioners, which coat the hair and help with such factors as shine and softness. Unlike a leave-in conditioner, instant conditioners are rinsed out of the hair. Meanwhile, deep conditioners will stay in the hair for certain amount of time before being rinsed out. Depending on the condition of the hair, you'll want to look at the frequency of using a deep conditioner. Sometimes it might be with every hair washing - or simply just once a month.

Oh No! It's a Hair Emergency! Sometimes kids end up with stuff stuck in their hair like glue or gum. But don't worry! A lot of times these can be solved without needing to cut out the problem area. For example, glue can sometimes be removed with getting the area wet, using a little conditioner and then combing it out. Sometimes baby oil left in the hair for 15 or 20 minutes will help remove the glue. As for gum, peanut butter or vegetable oil can help with this. Just let it set for a few minutes, and then rinse! However, if a child takes their hair into their own hands and cuts it - you may need to see a professional stylist (like at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids) to help fix the problem. But hats, pins and hairbows can help conceal the problem area too, at least until the hair grows back.

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Interested in learning how YOU can join Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids and run your own successful small business that helps kids and their families? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salons in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, how to grow a small business, or how to become a successful owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

At Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, delivering a great experience for kids is our specialty. Whether it's helping them (and their parents) feel great by getting a fantastic haircut, hosting an awesome party, or providing the very best in hair products, hair related accessories, toys and more, we love being able to share a little happiness with the world through what we do best! Because to us, EVERY child matters!

Kids today have a lot of options available to them in regards to food choices, clothing, entertainment, toys, indoor and outdoor activities and much more. Sometimes it seems like it can be a tough job as a new parent trying to wade through all the noise and figure out what's best for your special little girl or guy. As Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids loves working with kids, and because we're parents too, we thought we'd share some of our thoughts on helping encourage healthy lifestyles in your children.

1. Eating Right is Important! Help your kids start the day out with a healthy breakfast for both mental and physical benefits. Each meal is important of course, but breakfast can sometimes be one of those overlooked meals where kids feel rushed in eating it (in order to get to wherever they need to go for the day). It's important to encourage children to slow down while eating, chewing each bite properly. Also, sometimes kids may eat something that isn't so healthy in order to be on their way more quickly too (like a piece of pizza from the previous night, a candy bar, or a can of pop - yikes!). Plus, breakfast can be a great time to talk with your kids and help them get in a good frame of mind for the day ahead.

2. Taking Care of Your Body: In addition to eating right, helping kids know how to properly care for themselves is a great skill that prepares them for a healthy lifestyle as an adult. For example, establishing a habit of brushing teeth in the morning and evening before bed, drinking plenty of water each day, getting plenty of sleep, keeping their environment clean and proper hand and face washing are all important considerations in helping kids build a good foundation of caring for their body. 

3. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise! The benefits of good exercise can never be underestimated for people of all ages in our world today. Biking, walking and running are all good ways for kids to get out and exercise. Don't let the idea of exercise be a boring one either! For example, bike rides, running and walks can be to a different destination every day. You can also play little games as you exercise too, such as trying to spot certain birds as you're out, or counting certain colors of cars. And best of all, a lot of these can be done with your kids. Not only are you both getting exercise, but you're also getting in some great family time too! 

4. Entertainment: With the prevelance of electronic toys, phones, portable games and a huge range of entertainment options through televesion, sometimes kids start thinking that the only way to be entertained is via staring at a screen. However, encourage your kids to get outside and have fun taking walks, building forts, playing with toys outside, making crafts, reading a book, playing a board game, writing a story, drawing a picture or helping mom or dad out with an important task around the house. Sure, it's fine to play with the electronic toys a little each day, but too much may keep kids (and you) from missing out on a lot of other fun experiences!

5. Taking Care of Your Appearance: This one is a fun one, as it's a way for kids to really look and feel great about themselves. Help them learn how to properly comb their hair or pick out an outfit to wear for the day. As they get older, they'll be able to do this on their own - although hopefully they'll still seek you out sometimes for those important questions! But in those younger years, it's a great way to spend a little one-on-one time with your child, and help them see you as a source of encouragement and trustworthy council on helping them feel good before they start their day. And don't forget - at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, we offer many great ways to help kids look and feel great about themselves too! We not only have cool haircuts and fantastic hair stylists that encourage and build kids up, but we have a carefully hand-picked selection of hairbows, jewelry, hair products, educational toys and much more designed to help kids feel great!

Would you like to sign up for our Monthly newsletter? If so, click HERE!

Are you interested in learning how YOU can join the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids family and run your own successful small business? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salon franchise systems in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, how to grow a small business, or how to become a successful owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!