Daddy Hair Do

When Vancouver digital marketing expert Erin Sousa captured her husband, Roberto, drying their daughter Lola’s hair before bed, she had no idea it would go video viral on TikTok, garnering 17.8 million views and attracting the attention of (doppelganger) celeb stylist Jonathan Van Ness. We caught up with Roberto, a pro stylist himself at Nadio Albano Style Inc., to chat social stardom and kid hair-taming tips. —Noa Nichol

Hi Roberto! You recently became TikTok famous; tell us how it went down, and how it felt/feels.

As I’m answering this question, TikTok has most likely moved on. The irony here is I’m not even ON TikTok!? So, it was a HUGE surprise! It honestly was such an everyday organic moment of me blow-drying my daughter’s hair after the bath before bedtime. It was my wife, who works in social media, and who documents EVERYTHING in our life, who happened to capture it and post it to her TikTok. Had I known I was going to be TikTok famous, I would have at least done my own hair?! Poor JVN!? They probably saw the vid and said “I don’t see it? Nope.”

As JVN’s unofficial stunt double, we’re curious: have you yet tried the new range of JVN Hair products?

Very VERY unofficial stunt double—however they did say if they “ever needed a stand-in while they go off to be an actress?”. So, you never know? JVN is such an icon in my industry that when I learned they were going to drop a hair health and beauty line, I knew I had to try it. JVN has so many fun and informative videos on their social media showing how to use and what to expect (which is so important!) with their products. I love the Air Dry Cream. It’s so good as a leave-in and perfect for an overnight wet set, if that’s your thing. However, after the TikTok video, JVN was so generous and sent all their products and a thoughtful note, so I’m very excited to try all of them!

Speaking of the now-infamous video, please set the scene/give us some context. Lola’s hair was wet before bedtime, and you were drying it. Do you think, when it comes to kids’ hair (and all hair, for that matter) that it’s important to dry before bed? Is sleeping with wet hair ever OK? (Guilty as charged!)

I personally don’t enjoy the feeling of going to bed with wet hair. I just can’t get a good night’s sleep. My pillow gets wet, I feel cold and, depending on how I toss and turn throughout the night, I can wake up with a pretty wild hairstyle that only has to be wet down again so I’m able to get a comb through it. Remember that old saying, “Don’t go to bed with wet hair, it’ll make you sick”? It’s not exactly wrong. While you won’t get a cold, you can get long-term damage to your hair and scalp, like fungal infections, which love a warm, wet environment to grow and multiply in. And if your pillow is always wet, you’re just inviting bacteria to set up camp for infections not just for your hair but your skin, too. I wouldn’t stress about it, but it’s something I think about.

You used a round brush dryer in the video; is this your fave drying tool? Are they suitable for all hair types and, specifically, for kids’ hair?

It’s a great tool for sure! And perfect for someone who doesn’t have the dexterity to handle a round brush and a blow dryer. But nothing beats a professional blowout. Things to look for in a blow-dry brush: make sure the brush/wand is stationary. If it oscillates, you run the danger of it getting tangled in your hair (emergency hair cut? No thanks!). Also make sure that it has multiple heat and airflow settings, so it can work for any member of the family, like your little one. I began using it because my daughter didn’t like the aggressive airflow of a traditional blow dryer. Avoid heat damage and distribute a heat safe spray or balm to the hair beforehand. JVN has a good one!

Turning to kids’ hair in general, what are your top tips for washing, drying and (relatively) painless brushing?

When washing kids’ (or any) hair, avoid vigorously scrubbing any which way—it roughs and stresses the hair’s cuticle resulting in tangles and breakage. This happens more on kid’s hair because it’s typically finer. Instead, gently massage shampoo into the scalp using your fingertips, not fingernails, then using a squeegee motion to move the shampoo foam down the remaining length of the hair. When drying the hair, depending on the length, using a towel pat the hair dry at the scalp and then vertically wrap the hair (if long enough) in the towel (like a burrito) and squeeze gently. As for brushing, I like to use Oribe’s Detangling Spray from mids to ends and, holding a wet brush vertically, start brushing out at the ends, and moving up toward the roots.

Kids are constantly on the move, which doesn’t fare well for a nice hair style. Any advice on getting things to stick/stay put?

Bribery! If you get them to sit still, you’ve probably already offered some extra screen time. But the secret is to divide the hair in manageable sections so as not to get overwhelmed. For a stay-put ponytail start by dividing the hair into two sections, like you’re doing a half-up, half-down hairstyle. Fasten the top with one elastic, and then vertically divide the bottom section down the middle of the nape of the neck into two sections and bring it up above the top pony, fastening it with a second elastic. It also gives the pony extra bounce and it will stay in place for the day, no matter what happens on the monkey bars.

First haircuts can sometimes be nerve-wracking, for both kiddies and their grownups! Any words of wisdom here?

Sometimes first haircuts are harder for the parents than it is for kids because it signifies your baby isn’t a baby anymore. I’m dreading it for my daughter because it means she’s growing. Up. Too. Fast. But in all honesty, this is all about trust and comfort. If it’s your favourite hairstylist doing the first chop, have your child visit the salon beforehand so they can meet your hairstylist. They’ll probably love them as much as you do. If that’s not an option, look for a children’s salon that specializes in kids cuts. Kids usually love these places. I have seen some places where the seat is basically a tugboat! How cool is that!?