Hair Brushing

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.

I use (for my own long, thick, tangle-prone hair - although these combs were not designed with my type of hair in mind - they work for me so that is my comb design preference) ...the widest-toothed sooth plastic comb like one of these:

https://www.superdrug.com/hair/hair-combs/superdrug-extra-wide-afro-comb/p/763088 

...holding a small section of hair off of the shoulders, grasp it well without tugging the scalp, comb-out all the bottom end sections first, and then gradually work your way up towards the scalp.

Some people say to comb through conditioner to detangle - but I do not like the fragrance and sensation of most conditioners.

Loved this article to try some other top tips:

https://www.neondaisy.org.uk/community-tips/hair-care 

When I was your Daughter's age, my Grandmother used to sit me down to comb-out my hair (so it was less of a tug of war as the Autistic young me would (vestibular issue) wobble around too much if stood up).  She also sometimes used to encourage me to sit there with me also brushing / combing / styling the long hair of one of my dolls (sort of a bit distracted as I was copying / learning by watching as my Grandma tackled my tangles of a morning!). 

Sometimes, although only 4 or 5 years of age, if I was super-grumpy for some reason, my Mother would try holding up a mirror for me (like at a salon when they show you the finished hairdo) and she would encourage me to have a go at combing my own hair for a bit.  Having (hopefully) chilled out towards a bit less grumpy about it ...my Mother would then take over to finish the combing and complete the style for going to school.

When I was in secondary / high school, sometimes I would put it into long plaits before it was fully dry and keep it like that (no tangles and looked acceptably tidy for school etc.).

Hope you find a few options to rotate through to suit you both before too long. 

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