I’m Going to Brush That Man Right Out of My Hair

Remember that song from South Pacific, I’m going to wash that man right out of my hair? Well, Ying hasn’t conquered washing her own hair yet. But if it comes to it, she can now brush that man right out of her hair and send him on his way.

Our OT made this for us. It’s this brush (the long, 14.5”) with an elastic cuff.

 

She can comb the right and most of the left side of her hair and her bangs. She can’t yet reach the back of her head. But hopefully with practice and as she grows a bit, she’ll get there.

Like the aids she uses for eating and writing, she can take this off but needs help putting it on.

Our OT added sticky foam to the handle of the brush and the one side. Ying kept brushing across her face, so now the padding protects her face. The foam on the handle is so the cuff won’t slip (the loop was also sewn closed) and gives Ying additional padding for her arm.

The lavender brush on the left sort of happened by accident. It’s a Dollar Store brush taped to a ruler. Initially our OT thought she could lengthen the handle, but the brush was too heavy. When she got out a ruler to see how long the handle needed to be, the wheels of creativity started spinning. After experimenting  a bit, the brush was taped to the ruler and put in a U-cuff. Ying used it for a bit while we waited for the new brush to arrive. It’s heavier and harder for her to use because she can only brush the right side of her head, but it’s a great example of how sometimes it doesn’t take much.

Some day we’ll probably also mount a hairbrush to the wall, like you can see Nick Vujcic using in this video at 00:40.

Brushing your hair is a small thing and something typically taken for granted. But for one little girl, it’s a giant step of much-coveted independence.

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I consider this a PSA of magnitude proportions. Have a child with tangled, knotty hair? Buy this wet brush. Ying’s hair was always really knotted in the back. We tried every conditioner (spray on, leave-in, etc…). Out of desperation, I even made my own. The conditioner wasn’t the problem,the brush was. This brush works.