Fighting with Fine Hair

My 2 year old, Lola, has super wispy, baby-fine hair, a complete shock to her thick, curly-haired mama. It is so different from my own hair that I am completely struggling with it. I have tried a number of hair barrettes to keep her long hair out of her eyes and to give it a little control, but none of them would stay in her hair. The worst ones are the metal kind that simply slide into the hair, and slide right back out again. The best, so far, had been the plastic clips. I even invested $10-12 in these special no slip hair bows. The clip part is lined with velvet, but since they don't clip in place, the hair just slides out of the other side. I had almost given up on finding anything that would keep the hair of a very active toddler in place through a full day of play. Until yesterday. We are visiting my husband's family in Illinois, and we went to Shopko to pick up diapers and wipes. He spotted these barrettes, and since he shares my frustration with Lola's current hair accessories, he pointed out that they said they have a no-slip grip. They're made by Scunci, and they're called the Angel (name of the style) with No Slip Grip. On their website, they had a variety of these grippy barrettes. I was skeptical, especially since they were so cheap, but we decided to give them a try. And THEY WORKED!!! They were unbelievable! They literally did not budge from her hair the entire day, through a 2 hour nap, running around in the backyard with her cousins, etc. The secret is that they actually clip and lock into place, rather than simply sliding in, and that they are lined with a rubbery material that doesn't allow the hair to slide out. And they're gentle - they won't damage or tear hair. Too bad they're a little plain, with just a simple strip of pearly color. I've decided to take Lola's cute barrettes, the ones decorated with curlicues and felt flowers and bows, and attach them to these simple Scunci barrettes and create these little hair accessories for her. They're perfect, and they're cheap!

Another thing I've found that works: Goody makes these tiny clear hair elastics that are ouchless. They come in a pack of, like, 100 for $1, so they're pretty much disposable, and they really work to keep ponytails and pigtails in place!

My next quest? To find a children's hair styling product that is natural, safe and effective for keeping all those little wispy hairs of hers in place.