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PUEBLO, Colorado — Life got a little hairy for a single Colorado dad when he realized he had no idea how to tackle his 3-year-old daughter’s locks. So he turned to the cosmetology department of the school where he works and quickly became a pro.
Greg Wickherst shares custody of his daughter Izzy with his ex-wife, but spends most days with his little girl, according to ABC News.
Though the transition to single parenthood wasn’t easy, Wickherst and Izzy found their groove. That is until one little hiccup threatened to throw the 39-year-old, bald dad for a loop: Izzy’s hair started to grow.
“I used to just part her hair,” he told ABC. “Then one day I started trying to put ponytails in and for some reason, I couldn’t figure it out.”
So he decided to enlist some help from the pros. Wickherst, who works as an admissions counselor at a Colorado trade school, turned to the college’s cosmetology department last fall for guidance.
“I didn’t want to be the dad that just didn’t know how to do my daughter’s hair,” he told BuzzFeed News.
The program supervisor set him up with a cosmetologist, who taught him how to twist, braid and ponytail like a true artist — all during his lunch break.
#poll
“I spent a couple hours just working on a mannequin, and she showed me how to do a bun, a French braid, all the different styles,” Wickherst told BuzzFeed. “I don’t think most guys know it’s so simple.”
He took his new craft home and kept practicing. It took about a month for the clueless student to become the skillful teacher. Wickherst posts pictures of Izzy’s daily hairstyles to his Facebook page, which has garnered nearly 3,000 followers. Friends and fans have offered tips and taken notes on the page, which features little Izzy sporting fishtail braids, waterfall braids, french braids and buns among other styles.
“It blew my mind how easy it was to do a bun," he said. "I thought it was something super special, like real intricate."
His story captured the attention of several major national news outlets and went viral on social media. Dove Men+Care even tweeted a shout out.
#RealStrength is learning to do a French braid so you'll always be tied together. Care Makes @greggywick Stronger: http://t.co/DRJn8wI60J — Dove Men+Care (@DoveMenCare) February 5, 2015
Wickherst, who’s been bald since his early 20s, told [Today Parents](http://www.today.com/parents/single-father-gets-tips-cosmetologist-learn-do-daughters-hair-2D80474149) he’s been blown away by the response his story has elicited. After all, he said, he’s just a dad showing interest in his daughter’s hair.
“But, on the other hand, I am tired of dads being portrayed as idiots on the commercials and on TV, where moms get all the credit. So if this shows that yes, dads can be a good parent, then I’m all for it,” he said.
The best part about the daily sessions at the Wickherst beauty parlor? The time it gives this dad with his little girl, he said.
“All I want is for Izzy to know that her daddy loves her, and will do anything to make sure she has the best childhood that I could provide,” he told Today. “Nobody is perfect, but I’ve learned as a parent that we all do what we can to make our kids happy.”
