‘I spend 2 hours a day working on my daughter’s hair’

Anouk’s daughter has long straight hair. As a result, her hair is always in a knot. Anouk says that she spends almost two hours a day on her daughter’s haircut.

“I’ve tried everything, but nothing seems to help.”

Blessed with long hair

“Long hair runs in our family. My mother also had very straight long hair until she died. Both my sisters have long hair, and my hair grows fast too. I myself go to the hairdresser every month, because I find long hair clumsy.

So it was no surprise that my daughter was born with a big head of hair. She soon received many compliments on her hair and she was even asked for photo shoots.

For the outside world it may be great fun, but for us it is one big drama. The hair is constantly tangled, which means that I spend almost two hours every day trying to get the knots out.

Almost two hours working on my daughter’s hair

These days my alarm goes off at 4 am to tidy up her hair. I let my daughter sleep, and spray all kinds of things in it, and then comb it through very gently and carefully.

My daughters share a bedroom, and are not deep sleepers. So I have to be very gentle and careful not to wake them up. It’s really crazy.

Last year my partner and I went on holiday together. My parents-in-law were willing to look after the children and slept in our house. My mother-in-law lovingly tried to get the knots out of my daughter’s hair, but it was an impossible task for her. We came back from vacation and had to cut the hair.

Cutting it off is not an option

My daughter hated it because she couldn’t participate in a planned photo shoot for a local barber shop. Fortunately, her hair grew back quickly, and it is now almost up to her buttocks again. Unfortunately, the long hair brings even more knots,

Nothing seems to help. I have tried expensive shampoos and have all kinds of brushes and combs at home. I even used a horse shampoo to get the tangles out. That works very well during washing, but I can hardly wash my daughter’s hair every morning. I have also bought all kinds of expensive silk pillowcases, but she moves so much in her sleep that it is no use.

In the meantime it makes me despondent, and see no other option to have it cut anyway. However, when I bring it up, the house is too small and she starts protesting.”

This is how you survive the first time with your child to the hairdresser