As your kid turns into a teen, you will likely find that the child who was once content to run about with her hair in shambles will suddenly want each strand in place before she heads to school each day. As your teen develops this new interest, you can play a part in helping her select and maintain her look by exploring the world of teen hairstyles, and considering which ‘do might be best for your image-conscious teenager.

Consider Hair Type

While your curly-headed teen can adopt a straight style, and your child with sleek hair can get the curls she desires, doing so is often more complicated than simply selecting a style that fits with her hair type. If your teen expresses interest in adopting a style that differs greatly from her natural hair’s type, she must put effort into keeping up the style, as it will require some extra time in the morning to maintain.

Ease of Upkeep

Teen styles are generally easy to keep up, as many teens are not willing to crawl out of bed early to tend to their ‘do. Sleek and straight styles tend to be easy to maintain, your teen can simply use a large-barreled curling iron to create the straight locks she desires. Shorter hairstyles also tend to present less upkeep challenge.

Your Teen’s Lifestyle

Your teen’s choice of hairstyle should be dependent, at least in part, on her lifestyle. If your teen is active, she might not want a style that is hard to maintain or won’t stand up to the sweat that she produces while playing a round of soccer. As you select styles with your teen, remind her that selecting a style that she can maintain while engaging in her favorite activities is advantageous.

Star Style

When it comes time to pick a hairstyle, many teens turn to their favorite stars for guidance. If your teen expresses interest in imitating her favorite celeb, encourage her to locate a picture of the star wearing the style she desires and, before she commits it, speak to her beautician about the degree to which she can carry it off. Depending upon your teen’s hair type, an exact replica may be next to impossible, but in all likelihood she can at least somewhat imitate the style she desires.

Permanent Hair Treatments

Some teens, eager to rock the hair boat, want to make permanent changes to their hair. While permanent hair dye and a curl-creating perm or a relaxer treatment to take away natural curl will change your teen’s hair, they are often not the best choice. These treatments require the use of strong chemicals, potentially leading to hair damage. To ensure that your teen’s locks don’t suffer from her desire to experiment, encourage her to stick to temporary treatments instead of permanent options.