Dear Cozy: My baby has curly hair—around 3b/c—and every time I braid her hair. it gets frizzy around day 3 and I want to start doing protective braids and leave in for 2 weeks but by the end of week 1, her hair looks like a disaster. Should I use braid sheen or what? I need help.

A: Braid sheen is a great idea. Try spraying in a small amount the second day of the braids and then approximately every other day after that. Be careful just to use a little sheen, otherwise it will make hair greasy. Now, here’s a secret tip—put a bandanna on your daughter’s head before bed, as this will help keep hair from getting ruffled and frizzy.

Dear Cozy: I’m a mostly straight-haired mom with a 2 1/2-year-old daughter. She has very fine strawberry blond hair. It was straight until she was about a year old but started to become curly. Now it is about a 3a, and seems to be getting curlier by the day. There is still some hair underneath at the back that is straight: I expect that it will eventually get taken off by haircuts. At the front where her hair is a bit shorter, especially in this warm weather, it is very much tight corkscrews. It is still quite thin but getting thicker and I have very thick (but fine”> hair so it is possible she is heading in that direction. I’m at a loss as I’ve never dealt with hair like this. Initially we were washing it every night: I’ve just started a 2x a week regimen to see if that helps. We are using the Johnson’s curly hair no-tear shampoo/ conditioner. It gets VERY tangled though on account of being so fine, so we rinse it and then I spray some Johnson’s detangler in it and comb it through and let it dry. The tangles are tiny little knots so I don’t think detangling with fingers is an option. In the morning it is a huge, tangled frizzy mess, so I spray it with water and get it quite wet, then detangler and then I comb it. Sometimes I need to do it again after her nap. It still gets frizzy regardless. I’m open to any suggestions as far as conditioners etc, and any other help!

A: Your daughter’s hair is definitely “maturing,” just like the rest of her! It’s great that you recognize this & are changing your care regimen. Washing less often is definitely the right start. So many people over-wash their children’s hair. As for products, I think that the best thing to do is to experiment with different products and find what works best for you. If you aren’t happy with what you are currently using, try something else! I recommend the So Cozy line, which was created by the staff at Cozy’s Cuts For Kids in NYC. It was formulated specifically for children and is quite gentle and nourishing. The Fruity Delight Detangler is especially amazing!

As for the tangles, try putting in a loose braid or pony for her to sleep with at night to help prevent tangles, and try to keep her hair up during active times like sports or playground. Good luck!

Dear Cozy: My entire family are curly heads… One of the problems is that my youngest, who is 9 years old, pretty much has always had her hair either put into just a ponytail on top of back of her head or also braided. Now that we are trying to let our curls be free, her top part of her head and top layers are not really curling, they are just frizzy. I have been just conditioning her hair, have tried the lavender mist that Lorraine Massey suggests, but nothing is working. She is loving not having her hair up and braided. She is a very carefree spirit. Just do not know how to get her curls to start back in at this problem area. Any help or suggestions are welcome!

A: You may want to consult a hairstylist to see if a different haircut would help bring out the natural curl in her hair. Often times, when hair is too heavy, it weighs down the curls. A few long layers may solve that problem. As for the frizz, try a light styling cream to smooth the hair cuticle, but not weigh down the hair. Try So Cozy Kooky Kiwi Styling Cream, it’s light weight so it’s perfect for your daughter’s hair.

Dear Cozy: My 2-year-old has curly hair . . . it spirals mostly, although the sides of her hair nearest her face are mostly straight. I was told that might be lingering baby hair. Her hair continues to grow in more and more curly. When wet, it is half way down her back. When dry, it barely covers her shoulders.

I am having a difficult time keeping tangles away. Have been washing it only when I must, and using a baby conditioner on her hair every time I bathe her.

The biggest problem right now is that it becomes severely knotted every time she rides in her car seat—and has recently started breaking off in back. TONS of tiny little knots. Sometimes I am forced to cut them out, as I cannot remove them even after oiling her hair. Any advice on how to prevent the car seat problem?

A: Tangles are a huge problem for curly-haired kids! You need to know 2 things. First, you need to know how to deal with them when she has them and secondly, how to prevent them from happening in the first place!

For starters, try using a thick and creamy children’s conditioner like So Cozy Sweet Strawberry Conditioner. Apply a generous amount and then with the conditioner in her hair, comb through her hair with a wide tooth comb. The trick to doing that painlessly is to take small sections, one at a time and comb them, working one inch at a time from the bottom up. The real trick to keeping it painless is to hold the hair strand you are working on with one hand, while combing the bottom with the other. This will prevent tugging.

In between bathing, use So Cozy Fruity Delight Detangler to keep hair knot-free. Use the same combing method.

As for tangle prevention, wearing a loose braid or pony to bed at night will help a lot. Also, keeping her hair up during active times like during sports and playground time will help a lot, too.

One last piece of advice, the best way to deal with tangles is to constantly stay on top of them. Once you get too far gone, it’s nearly impossible to deal with without cutting the hair out.