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Hair Brushing

Zoezlk

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum.. my daughter is 5 - she was diagnosed  at 3 ½ years old. She has sensory autism. 

I'm looking for any advice.. I've come to a brick wall! Hair brushing! She will not let me brush her hair.

 I can only just wash it in the bath but can't brush it or run my fingers through it - nothing. She hates the brushes and throws them. I have managed so far to just clip it back and put a bobble in it for nursery but it is starting to dreadlock..

Does anyone have any advice or tips? I am starting to think ill just have to leave it to dreadlock until she's abot older but I really don't want to if I can avoid it. 

I appreciate any help!

Thanks

Zoe

  • in reply to Isadora

    I have a hard time brushing my hair and I wish I can do it more often and so I can look better in life

  • I can kind of understand this. I don't have children but when I was a child my mum struggled with brushing my hair because I used to absolutely hate it. I found it so uncomfortable and would go in to meltdowns. It was horrible for both of us. 

    I would suggest you start small. Don't try to brush her whole head at once. Just start with a small section, like the front or back.

    Be very gentle. Don't yank or pull on her hair. Use a soft-bristled brush and be as gentle as possible, if she wants to have a break let her. It's important she feels in control of what's happening.

    Make it a game. Sing a song or tell a story while you're brushing her hair. This can help distract her from the discomfort.

    My mum did all of the above with me and it made a huge difference for me and suddenly brush I hair was a lot easier and a lot more fun. I hope some of it will be helpful for you and your daughter.

  • Can you make a game of it, treat her like a VIP customer in a salon, or go to a salon? I used to do quite a few children who kick off and hated having their hair cut or brushed. What sort of hair does she have, straight or curly, I ask because different sort of hair get on better with different types of brush and comb.

  • Shorter hair will make it more manageable for your daughter. But I can understand if she likes having longer hair I always have. When it comes to brushing could you play her favourite music on quietly or put on a DVD she likes to make her more comfortable? If she's feeling happy and distracted it might make her less anxious about the brushing. 

  • If you can’t even run your fingers through it you’ll probably end up with a matted lump rather than dreadlocks. I agree with Mariusz about cutting it, even shoulder length makes my daughter’s hair much more manageable but I appreciate that there may be other sensory issues with that process. How long is her hair?

  • What about short hair? no combing required

    dislike of combing - it can happen for many reasons, one of them is enough