Seven-fifteen, the beach bag is packed, and there’s still hair to deal with. Yesterday, your child spent the day in salt water and sand. This morning, their hair is dry, matted, and impossible to gather.
In summer, a child’s hairstyle isn’t chosen just for how it looks. It’s chosen for what it can withstand: salt, chlorine, sun, play, and the desire not to start over every morning. Here are ten hairstyles that hold, with one rule above all others: none of them should hurt. A hairstyle holds better on prepared hair, and our step-by-step tutorial details the six steps of the Rituel Texture®, which are suitable from the very earliest age.
When I style a child’s hair, I start with their day before thinking about how it will look: school, middle school, the after-school center, the pool. A hairstyle that needs to be checked or readjusted all day long isn’t one.
Ghana Elin, founderWhat summer does to a child’s hair
Seawater and pool water dry out the hair fiber, and dry fiber catches. Strands no longer glide over one another; they cling together. This is how hair that was perfectly detangled in the morning ends up matted by evening, even if nothing more than a day of swimming has happened.
The sun works more slowly, but it does have an effect. Solar radiation changes the hair’s color, protein content, and resistance (Dario, Baby and Velasco, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 2015). In fine children’s hair, this means ends that become damaged over the summer and a scalp that pulls along the parts where the skin is exposed.
Add to this full days spent outdoors: sand, wind, pillows, and playing on the ground. The practical conclusion can be summed up in one sentence. In summer, it is better to have a hairstyle that gathers and separates the strands in advance than loose hair that will need detangling every evening. Anything that is stretched and tied tangles much less.
Detangle before styling
No hairstyle holds properly on knotted hair, and none can be styled without pain if detangling has been rushed. The order is always the same: fingers first, on dry hair—that is step 01 of the Rituel Texture®; the comb later, at step 04, on hair coated with the Masque Réparateur.
What causes breakage is using a comb on dry hair without product. The complete technique, how to hold the strand, and the number of sections are detailed in our article on detangling a child’s hair without pain. If you are discovering your child’s hair texture, our article on styling my mixed-race child’s hair provides the starting points.
Hairstyles that last for weeks
These are the ones that truly free up vacation mornings. They are styled once, worn for a long time, and only require scalp and length maintenance.
Box braids
These are the most practical for a full summer of swimming. For a child, keep them light: few or no extensions, a reasonable length, and fairly wide sections. Weight is what pulls on the roots, far more than the number of braids.
Cornrows
They are particularly suitable for very active children because nothing sticks out. The patterns are fun, but they involve many changes in direction and therefore more tension points: use a simple design and avoid very fine braids at the temples, the most fragile area of the hairline.
Mini-twists and finger coils
Gentler on the scalp than braids, they are easy to undo and quick to redo. Larger finger coils are the fastest to style on a child who cannot sit still, and they can be gathered into a ponytail or bun depending on the mood of the day.
How long should they be worn? This depends less on the calendar than on three conditions: the presence of extensions, the tension during styling, and the condition of the scalp. Without extensions or tension, a hairstyle can be worn longer; with extensions, it needs to be taken down sooner. In any case, take it down as soon as it pulls, as soon as bumps appear at the roots, or as soon as the lengths begin to mat together.
Morning hairstyles
They do not last for three weeks, but they can be done in two minutes on hair that has already been detangled, and they keep the neck cool when it is hot.
The double bun, two small buns on each side, is the fastest and most secure: it will not move on the slide. The top knot, a high bun held by a silk scrunchie, can be styled on hair that is still slightly damp and will look just as good the next day. A headband or turban holds the hair in place, protects the part from the sun, and covers a hairstyle that has seen better days. Barrettes and clips, finally, keep the face clear on an afro or finger coils; choose ones without metal prongs, which catch the fiber and break fine strands.
Afros and short hair
The afro remains the simplest hairstyle, and often the one the child asks for themselves. It tangles quickly in the sun and in water, so keep it for days without swimming and gather it into a few finger coils in the evening. It is not a chore; it will save you the next day’s detangling session.
Short hair, when the child wants it, is by far the easiest to manage in summer: a quick rinse, a little La Crème Coiffante, and you are done. See how to maintain a short haircut. The decision belongs to the child, never to the holiday calendar.
Before and after swimming
The most effective step is before getting into the water, not after. Wet the hair with fresh water and apply a little Masque Réparateur to the lengths: the fiber, saturated with fresh water and coated with treatment, will absorb much less salt or chlorinated water. At the pool, add a swim cap on top.
When you get out of the water, a rinse with fresh water is enough, followed by a little La Crème Coiffante on the lengths if the hairstyle is loose. There is no need to wash every day: washing should follow the usual routine of the full Rituel Texture®, every seven to ten days. See all our tips for protecting curly hair at the beach.
During the hottest hours, a hat or silk scarf protects the part and the scalp, which are more exposed than we think on a child with braided hair.
Maintenance during the holidays
A hairstyle styled for three weeks requires little, but it does require something. The scalp first: between the braids, it should be cleaned with shampoo diluted and applied with the fingertips, then rinsed thoroughly. If your child is scratching, it is a sign that they need cleaning, not more oil.
Then, at night, which undoes in a few hours what the day has left intact. Rubbing against cotton opens the cuticles and frays the braids. A loosely knotted silk scarf is enough, and for the youngest, who lose everything during the night, a silk pillowcase does the job on its own. Our comparison of scarf or pillowcase details what is suitable for each age.
Finally, flexibility. There is no need to spray water every morning: wetting the hair every day makes the fiber more porous over the weeks without hydrating it any further. A small amount of La Crème Coiffante on the lengths and ends when restyling keeps the hair manageable from one routine to the next.
Rules that come before style
- If your child is in pain, grimaces during styling, or complains the next day, the hairstyle is too tight: take it down.
- No heavy extensions, no very fine braids at the temples and along the hairline.
- For toddlers, no beads or small accessories that can come loose.
- Bumps, scabs, hairless areas, or breakage at the scalp require the advice of a doctor or dermatologist, not another hairstyle.
On hairlines that are already sparse, it is better to leave the hairline free during the summer and entrust the rest to a stylist trained in this texture. See also the signs that a protective hairstyle is damaging the hair.
Not sure which hairstyle is right for their hair?
Our experts will work with you online to create a simple routine suited to their texture, their age, and your daily life.
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Sources
- Dario M. F., Baby A. R., Velasco M. V. R., « Effects of solar radiation on hair and photoprotection », Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, vol. 153, 2015, p. 240-246.
