Dads learn ins-and-outs of styling daughters' hair

Now fumble-fingered fathers have a place they can turn to for help.

The Truthful Healing Holistic Centre on Wyandotte Street East held a workshop for dads and their girls on Friday to teach the dads the finer points of ponytails, braids and other popular styles.

"I think it's a generational thing," said Matt Larmond, who came to the class with his daughter Kennedy.

"I think nowadays things are shared a lot," he said, explaining why it isn't just mom's job anymore. Kennedy, 4, is glad her dad took the class. She says when her dad does a ponytail it's too loose.

"It doesn't look too pretty and it falls out," she said when asked to describe the job he usually does when he fixes her hair. 

Larmond agrees with Kennedy's judgment of his previous work. 

"When I do it, I'm either pulling her hair, or like she said, it's too loose, it's just a bad scene all around," he said. "I'd like to at least get to a serviceable level so I can throw her hair up into a ponytail if I have to." 

Hairstylist Michelle Elyse put the class together. She says her father did her hair when she was a girl and now she wants dads today to share the same experience.

"I don't want there to be labels and titles that take away from somebody being able to do it for somebody," Elyse, said. She was inspired to start the class after being alarmed at some of the methods she has seen fathers employ.

"I started to see posts on Facebook and different social media outlets for dads to create ponytails," Elyse said

Besides learning how to be a more effective hairstylist, James McVeity says learning how to do his daughter Anne's hair also gives him an opportunity to spend more one on one time with her, "and sort of bond."

"They always ask for braids and ponytails and I just have no idea," said Kyle Shafer, father of three girls.

By the end of the class the fathers say they felt more confident in dealing with their daughter's hair. 

Elyse says she plans to hold more classes in the near future.