Click here to visit the most complete Maltese site on the WWW

Please bear in mind when reading topics pertaining to health issues, that most of these questions were answered by helpful Maltese owners with no formal education in veterinary medicine. When in doubt seek a professionals advise.

Archived Message

Curly Hair
by Lisa R.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
My maltese, Dexter's hair seems curlier than it should be. We live in South Florida - maybe the humidity has something to do with it. I use a blue shampoo and then baby shampoo (for the smell!!) to bathe him. Any suggestions???

DISCUSSION:

Some Maltese have kinkier hair than others; just like some have silkier, softer hair. I ran accross a discussion a month or two ago where someone said that cutting the hair short may also play a role in bringing out the kink. Unfortunately there is not much you can do. You might want to try and blow dry the hair straight after bathing as well as using a pet hair conditioner that you wash off to keep the frizz down.
A.Stiffel

Herald's hair is a little curly, too. I also use the blue shampoo and then a ton of conditioner, which I think probably helps relax the curl. I was blow drying it straight but have found that leaving it air dry works just as well, maybe better. So I let it air dry and then spray Johnson's no more tangles on in and brush it out. I think the key is to keep the hair as long as possible to make it look straighter. Herald is one year old and his hair is about five inches long now, very beautiful. I took him to Petsmart and had him bathed a few months ago and when I picked him up they had shaved some hair from his backside and I have noticed that as it grows back in, where it is shorter, it is curlier until it gets longer again. Hope this helps.
Ruth