How to Care for Your Child Hair While Sheltering in Place During COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re all forced to stay inside our homes to minimize the risk of exposure to the coronavirus. But people are now beginning to embrace the new normal. How they work, seek education, or spend their leisure time—everything has changed. Parents have been working from home, kids have been taking their school classes online for ever since the outbreak, and it’s time parents buckle to establish a new routine to bring their lives back to normal. Although it’s a good time for families to spend quality time together, sheltering-in-place has also led to several hair problems, such as unusual hair fall, dry hair, hair thinning, and head lice among children. Kids are confined to their homes, isolated from their friends, leisure parks, and ice cream parlor trips, they’re struggling with stress-related hair loss. The lack of exposure to the morning sun results in Vitamin D deficiency, which is also known to exacerbate hair shedding. Furthermore, summers are notorious for affecting scalp in multiple ways, including excessive sebum production, sweat clogging the hair follicles, excessive dryness, dandruff, and others. And if this wasn’t enough, the number of lice infestation cases in the United States are also increasing during the pandemic. Families are spending more time together, resulting in more head lice, but the fear of contracting the coronavirus is keeping them from seeking professional lice treatment. Before the coronavirus outbreak, parents could easily manage their kids’ hair problems with professional help. But it isn’t that feasible now to visit a pediatric hair specialist, dermatologist, or lice salon in Glen Cove due to the prevalent risk of infection. In simpler words, there are many reasons why your child’s hair quality and health may be compromised due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But no more sleepless nights for you. In this blog, we have rounded up some tips to help parents maintain their kids’ hair quality at home.

Maintain Hair Hygiene: Shampooing and Hair Conditioning

One most common causes of poor hair health and hair loss is an excessively greasy and dirty scalp. Kids don’t rest. They’re always running around the house or in the yard, which makes their scalp more prone to getting dirty and sweaty. Here are some things you must keep in mind to ensure proper cleanliness and hygiene of kid’s hair.

Determine Shampooing Frequency

• Tailor your kid’s shampoo regimen as per their unique needs
• You need to consider your kids’ hair type (dry, straight, oily, or curly), daily activity level, age, and even the weather to determine the shampooing frequency for your kids.
• Toddlers — shampoo three times a week
• Straight hair and oily scalp — shampoo daily or on every alternate day
• Straight hair and non-oily scalp — shampoo no more than two times in a week.
• Tight curly and dry hair — shampoo every 7 to 10 days. Rinse hair with water and condition regularly, especially after they’re done playing or swimming.

Use a Mild Shampoo

Your kid’s scalp is sensitive to yours, and you can’t use your shampoo to wash their hair. Be mindful of the ingredients, perfume, and mildness while choosing a shampoo for your kid.

• If your kid has an excessively oily scalp, choose a shampoo formulated for oily hair. Similarly, for dry hair, pick a moisturizing shampoo.
• If your kid has psoriasis, dandruff, or dermatitis, we recommend consulting a dermatologist for the best shampoo suggestion.
• If your kid has thin hair, use a very mild shampoo that wouldn’t weigh their hair.

Determine If Your Kid’s Hair Require Conditioning

If your kid’s hair is already oily, you don’t want to apply any more conditioner because it’ll add to the moisture. However, textured natural hair, wavy hair, and dry hair must be conditioned more often than shampooing. Regular conditioning will add shine, softness, and moisture to your kid’s dry and dull hair. Our lice specialists in Glen Cove, we don’t recommend using a regular conditioner on children who have oily hair.

Pick a Conditioner According to Your Kid’s Hair Type

When shopping for a hair conditioner, you’ll come across three conditioner types: deep conditioners, leave-in conditioners, and instance conditioners. Every hair type has a different conditioning requirement. For instance,

• Deep conditioners are most suitable for excessively dry hair
• Leave-in conditioners aren’t recommended for fine hair
• Instance conditioners are suitable for normal dry hair

You can connect with a hair specialist to pick the right hair conditioner according to your kid’s hair type.

Styling Your Kid’s Hair

Detangling After a Shower

Detangling before styling is imperative. Part your kid’s mane in equal sections and use a clip to secure them. Apply a detangler or a leave-in conditioner to one section and gently comb it, starting at the hair end and working all the way up to the to the roots. Repeat this with each section.

• Let your kid watch a movie or read a book while you detangle the hair.
• Use a boar bristle brush to comb the hair. If they have curly tresses, use a wide-toothed comb.
• If you are planning to do some heat styling on your kid’s hair, make sure you apply thermal protectant while detangling and combing.

Don’t Go For Hairstyles That Are Too Tight

Barrettes, braids, and ponytails that tug on the roots can contribute to hair fall. For tight curly locks, be mindful about the hairline. If you’re making cornrows or fish braids, don’t pull the hair too tightly to avoid a receding hairline. If you see bumpy hair along the hairline, it’s a sign that the hairstyle is excessively tight.

Avoid Heat Styling Or Use A Protectant

We don’t recommend heat styling your kid’s hair because the roots and scalp are more sensitive. But if you must use a heat blower or flattener to tame curly tresses, make sure you apply a heat protectant first. Heat styling without a protectant can cause hair shedding, split-ends, and dry hair. Also, if your kid has African-American hair, we advise not to use heat more than once in 7 to 10 days.

Don’t Use Hair Products With Harsh Chemicals

It’s imperative that you know about the ingredients before you buy a hair product for your kid. If a product consists traces of silica, paraben, and sulfates, stay away from them. These ingredients are known to cause severe harm to adults’ hair—think of all they can do to your kid’s sensitive hair and scalp. Even if your kid has the tightest curls, don’t use a relaxer for easier straightening at least until your kid is 12 years. Also, go to a professional hair stylist for hair relaxation.

Improve What Your Kids Eat

Ensure Good Intake of Vitamins

No matter what you put on your kids’ hair, what goes into their tummy will matter the most to their hair health. The three essential vitamins critical for healthy hair growth are vitamins A, C, D, and E. Instead of hooking your kids to artificial supplements for vitamins, we recommend including those foods in their diet plan that are rich in these vitamins. For Vitamin A Vitamin A helps moisturize your hair and promotes hair growth. Cod liver oil, milk, yogurt, and yellow vegetables and fruits such as squash, sweet carrots, melons, pumpkin, papaya, mangoes, oranges, etc. are excellent sources of Vitamin A. For Vitamin E Add green vegetables to your kids’ regular meals no matter how much they protest. Spinach, celery, kale, broccoli, avocado, and almonds are rich in Vitamin E and silica that prevents oxidation and adds bounce, strength, and shine to hair. For Vitamin C Vitamin C increases collagen production that improves hair texture and strength. Guavas, strawberries, peppers, grapefruits, and citrus fruits are all rich in Vitamin C.

Increase in Protein Consumption

Protein intake is critical for your kid’s hair growth and overall development. Studies have shown that a lack of protein can cause slow hair growth and hair shedding. Eggs, yogurt, lean chicken, almonds, tuna, and brown eggs are rich in L-Cysteine, an amino acid that promotes hair growth and luster.

Ensure Zinc Intake

Zinc plays a vital role in repairing damaged hair and improving the growth of hair tissue. It manages the sebum production and keeps the oil glands from clogging the follicles, which leads to the growth of thin and weak hair. However, our lice specialists in Glen Cove don’t recommend artificial zinc supplements for kids. Whole foods such as beef, wheat germ, oysters, pumpkin seeds, spinach, and lentils are excellent natural sources of zinc, and you can add them to your kid’s diet.

Make Sure Your Kid’s Hair is Free of Lice

No matter how healthy your kid’s hair is, if it’s infested with head lice, their hair quality and overall health will deteriorate. Lice feast on blood from the scalp. The blood they consume must circulate in your child’s scalp for healthy hair growth. Furthermore, the constant itching and crawling sensation on the scalp can make your kids cranky and annoyed. We usually recommend seeking professional lice removal if you suspect any signs of lice infestation. However, if you don’t feel secure in visiting a lice treatment center in Glen Cove with your kid during the pandemic, here are some at-home tips you can follow to keep the lice at bay.

Identify If Your Kid Has Lice

As a parent, you need to be on the lookout for lice infestation to help contain the spread as soon as possible. Your kid may have a lice problem if:

• You notice them scratching their head now and then.
• They feel like something’s crawling on the scalp.
• They can’t sleep at night because of an itchy head.

Though these little monsters don’t cause much harm, your kid might develop a scalp infection because of all the scratching.

Use a Lice Treatment Shampoo

What if you can’t visit our lice salon in Glen Cove for a lice removal? You can always treat your kid’s hair at home with our lice treatment shampoo. Our shampoos are incredibly mild and friendly for your kid’s scalp because they are non-toxic and hypoallergenic. Using a lice treatment shampoo is one of the most effective ways of getting rid of nits and lice. For the best results, divide your kid’s hair into sections and apply shampoo on each section. While the lice treatment shampoo is still in your kid’s hair, comb it using our lice extraction comb. Comb each section thoroughly until you stop seeing any lice and nits in the extraction comb. Then rinse the hair and scalp using cold or room-temperature water. You just freed your kid’s hair from lice!

Use Lice Extraction Comb Regularly

If you’re looking for long-lasting results, you need to comb your kid’s hair with the lice extraction comb every day for 4–5 days after treating the infestation. This will help ensure the lice doesn’t return. It’s better to go with a stainless steel lice extraction comb that’s more durable and can easily sterilize and re-use multiple times for lice removal. If you pick a plastic extraction comb, you’ll have to rush to your nearby grocery store every time your kid’s head itches—and you don’t want that. Not during the pandemic.

Remove Lice From Home to Prevent Your Kid From Lice Recurrence

Thought you were done after treating the lice on your kid’s head? We hate to break it to you, but there are some other things you must do a well. You need to clean the lice from your furniture upholstery, leather sofas, and leather car seats for maximum protection against the reoccurrence of head lice. Lice and nits love to lurk on your upholstery, car seats, and other furniture where your kids play and rest their heads. Lice from their head can stick to those surfaces and transfer to other household members’ hair when they use those surfaces. Our lice specialists in Glen Cove recommend using a good quality and non-toxic Leather Lice Cleaner and  Upholstery Cleaner to treat your home on the same day you treat your kids hair for lice. If you suspect your kid has a lice problem, consider immediate professional lice treatment or treat their lice yourself using our lice removal products—just don’t delay. Browse through our online shop to avail special summer discounts on our lice treatment products. If you think you can abide by the safety guidelines and bring your kid safely to our lice salon in Glen Cove for a professional lice removal, get in touch with us to book an appointment. We believe that COVID-19 shouldn’t be a reason for your kid’s poor hair health. Our lice specialist in Glen Cove will arrive at your location to offer the lice treatment. Our team is well-trained and strictly required to follow all the Safe Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure maximum protection of our clients—whether it’s at our lice salon in Glen Cove or in their home. We have made lives easier for over 500,000 parents with our high-end and affordable lice treatment service in Glen Cove, Port Washington, Lawrence, Merrick, Midwood, Upper West Side, and Park Slope in New York. We also extend our lice removal services across New Jersey, Florida, Georgia, and Texas. Our treatment results are 100% guaranteed, and our clients testify for our service quality.