Welcome to our first chapter of "The Taming of the Frizz!" The ins and outs of curly hair care for our toddlers! Although I have naturally curly hair myself, the first thing I've learned from our journey is that no two curly mops are alike. I would have thought that at this point in my life I would be expert level on curly hair since my own journey has put my hair through the ringer, or ringlet! I was surprised to give birth to a daughter with even more unruly hair than I ever had. What genetic kerfuffle could have caused this?

Her curl pattern and texture are much different than mine and after trying every product I could find, I saw myself on the same journey I had been on at a young age. But this is the age of the internet people! We have resources and there shall be no more fumbling in the dark! 

Being able to style and care for your curly hair is more than just vanity. And for a young girl it is more frustrating and disheartening than fun and exciting. While some girls experiment with washable hair dye, crimping, changing hairstyles on a whim or braiding each other's hair at sleepovers, etc.  Some other girls are struggling to even be able to put their own hair in a ponytail and get off to school without their mothers help. For example, my mother did my hair until about 10 years old or so because it took so long to be able to figure it out for myself. 

I don't want my own daughter to have to feel that type of unnecessary, daily anxiety. The constant fear of appearing unkempt. It might seem silly to some, but it's an incredibly important part of a young girls life. And more than just grooming, the confidence to wear your hair naturally and feel beautiful is empowering! I wanted to make sure we started off our journey on the right foot so we began with finding the right salon.  

Ambushed Salon is the only salon of its kind in Ohio. They provide salon services exclusively to those with curly hair. Owner Amy Bush ensures that her staff are experts on all types of curly hair and regardless of previous training, all employees go through an intensive internship to learn everything there is to know about those elusive curls. 

I should have prefaced this blog by saying that I am no expert. I too was fumbling for help and ideas, scouting the internet for advice. But nothing holds a candle to our experience at Ambushed for Charlie's first haircut. Amy was so informative, patient with my toddler, and gave us advice that has worked for us every day since we left. I now have a better understanding of my daughters hair as well.  

Before we even got to the cut, Charlie's hair was inspected for how well it bounced back once hydrated, her curl pattern, and her hair texture. It was all evaluated and then styled BEFORE the first snip. Once we came around to the cut, snips were made throughout the hair, blending the curls together while trimming only what was necessary. The days of a hairdresser stretching your curls straight to trim are long gone! Hallelujah! 

If you live in or around Columbus and have curly hair or have a child with curly hair (of any kind) it would behoove you to check out either of the two Ambushed Salon locations. We are partial to the new Gahanna location since nothing spells girls day like getting your hair done and laughing over macarons bubble tea at Koko's Tea Salon right down the street! 

If you want more opportunities to follow along on our hair adventures, please subscribe to our new Diaper Bag Diaries YouTube channel ! ​We'll have lots of product reviews and tutorials that can help you find ways to style and care for that curly hair.