The hair on the head of newborns is thin and delicate, and feels like fluff to the touch. With age, the color and structure of the rods change. They will become stronger in the future. Almost all children are born with a “hairstyle”. The amount of hair and color depend on the hereditary factor. When they begin to change their appearance, this indicates a change in hormonal levels.
Girl with red hair
What determines the amount of hair in a newborn?
A newborn's hair begins to change almost immediately after birth. About 50 rods fall out per day. New hairs quickly appear in their place. The baby's head constantly rubs the back of his head against the surface of the crib, so a bald patch forms in that area. When the baby begins to sit, new hairs grow there. The bulbs (the so-called lower ends of the hairs) form a new process after the hairs fall out.
If your child's baldness is causing you concern, you should consult a doctor. The science of histology will help determine the health of the hair. The amount of hair a newborn has depends on the genetics of the parents. This is a hereditary factor that is formed at the moment of conception.
Important! It is impossible to influence the color and structure of a baby's hair.
What is a newborn's hair like?
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Babies are born with a little fluff on their heads. It can be light, very sparse, curly, sometimes, on the contrary, black, long and thick. In fact, the first hairs do not play any role for the future hairstyle.
The rods and bulbs are formed in utero; at 2-3 months of life they completely change. Therefore, the baby may have a different hair color in the future. Such changes are associated with the amount of melanin and the hormonal background of the baby.
According to popular wisdom, it is believed that it is impossible to cut a child’s hair before one year of age - this will have a bad effect on the baby’s memory. In fact, this can be done. Therefore, many parents learn how to properly shave their baby's head.
The baby is smiling
Why can’t you cut a child’s hair under one year old?
According to our ancestors, it was impossible to cut the hair of a child under one year of age.
Prohibitions:
- This could cause the child's poverty and illness. It was believed that parents cut out the child's tongue in this way. Basically, there were beliefs in Belarus that a child would be too late to speak if his hair was cut before he was one year old.
- For many peoples, it was considered a bad omen to cut your hair, because it meant cutting off your energy. Although among Christians they preferred haircuts, because it was with hair removal that negative energy could be cut off.
- But in almost all countries there is a belief not to cut the hair of a child under 1 year of age. If you throw a child's hair somewhere on the street, a bird or rat may pick it up and build a nest. As a result, the child will have a headache. In fact, these are all beliefs, and therefore it is not necessary to believe in them. It all depends on how much of a believer you are.
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How to properly shave a newborn's head? This is a difficult procedure for a child - he may misunderstand the parents' intentions and become very capricious. There is no point in cutting a baby's hair until he is one year old. Permanent hair color and structure are formed only by the age of 5.
It is believed that shaving helps strengthen the bulbs and roots. Many grandmothers talk about good results after they performed this procedure with their babies. Don't worry about your baby's hairstyle. In the future, the hair may lighten and then darken again, this is normal.
When to shave a newborn's head Komarovsky – Healthy Fetus
Article last updated: March 30, 2018
If you ask grandmothers why they should cut their baby’s hair at 12 months old, the most common answers will be the following phrases: “To make the hair thicker,” “That’s what our great-grandmothers did,” and “This will help drive away evil spirits.”
Such signs and superstitions encourage many parents to adhere to a ritual, the meaning of which they still do not understand. It is necessary to separate myths from the real state of affairs and have an idea of how to properly care for children's hair.
Today, many parents implement rituals and ceremonies associated with a small child, without thinking about their meaning and purpose. And almost no one thinks about whether this or that procedure is necessary or whether it is just another superstition.
How fast does baby hair grow?
Hair growth in a newborn boy or girl depends on the genes of the parents. During the first year of a baby's life, the rods do not grow as actively. The top of the baby's head may be bald, but in the future it will become overgrown. As the child approaches two years of age, most of the bulbs open, and the bald spots become overgrown.
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Hair falls out more strongly at the back because the child is constantly in a horizontal position. When he begins to sit and walk, a new hairstyle will form. Mothers of girls whose hair growth is slowing down are especially worried. Don't worry about this. In some children, the follicles open later.
Important! There is no scientific evidence that shaving helps stimulate hair growth.
Child's first haircut - important rules for safe haircuts for children per year
Ideally, if you decide to get a haircut, it is better to carry out your plan at a children's hairdresser , whose specialists know how to cut a baby's hair safely. There are special “distracting” chairs in the form of toys, toys themselves, TVs with cartoons and, of course, professionals who will find an approach to even the most fidgety and timid baby.
Have you decided to cut your own hair? Then remember the basic recommendations for a safe haircut:
- It’s good if, during the haircut process, someone he trusts takes the baby on his lap
- Accompany your haircut with a game - for example, to the hairdresser. To prepare for a haircut, practice with your child on toys in advance. Let the baby remember and love this game.
- Turn on cartoons , give your child a new toy.
- Use scissors with rounded tips only .
- Lightly mist your hair with a spray bottle before cutting to make the process easier.
- Cut your curls carefully but quickly , pinching them between your fingers.
- Start cutting your child's hair from the most problematic areas, otherwise, when he gets tired, you simply won't get to them.
- Do not be nervous. Anxiety is transmitted to the child.
- You can cut a boy's hair using a trimmer - this is the least dangerous option.
- Do not cut your child's hair if he is sick or not in the mood.
And don't forget to praise your child and show him in the mirror how beautiful he looks now.
First hair problems
Some babies experience scalp and hair problems that are easily treated. Most often noted:
- Milk crusts. This is a collection of skin flakes that adhere to its surface. They disappear completely by one year. To speed up the process, they are lubricated with baby oil.
- Baldness. A baby loses 50 hairs a day. In their place, new rods quickly grow. It happens that bald patches appear on the head. If they do not begin to heal, then you need to consult a doctor.
- Split ends. The tips of the rods are damaged under the influence of environmental factors. In rare cases, this indicates skin dysbiosis.
Any problems that children have can be resolved. If they cause increased concern, you should consult a doctor.
Should a newborn's hair be shaved?
When to shave a newborn's head, and why is it given great importance? There is a superstition that along with the baby’s first hair, bad memories of colic pain and childhood illnesses disappear. This is how he rises to a new level of life. Only the parents decide whether this should be done. In any case, new hair will grow in 2-3 months, after which it will be at the same level.
Baby being combed
How to shave correctly
To shave a newborn's hair, you need to prepare all the tools in advance. It is better to carry out the procedure while swimming. You will need:
- razor;
- baby shampoo;
- toys.
It is worth rescheduling shaving to another day if the baby is in a bad mood. Parents must be sure that the procedure will not harm him. How to shave a baby's head, step-by-step algorithm:
- Draw a bath of water for the baby.
- They give him time to calm down and get carried away with toys.
- Use dry scissors to cut long strands, if any.
- Lather your hair with baby shampoo.
- The hair is removed from the head with a razor.
Be sure to follow some tips during the process:
- Shaving begins from the bottom at the back; if the baby starts to act up, the shaved area will not be visible.
- Use only baby shampoos to avoid drying out the scalp.
- There is no need to shave your baby if not all of his milk crusts have fallen off - you can damage the skin.
- Select razors with a soft roller so as not to scratch the baby’s head.
- The razor blades are directed against the growth of the rods.
- The procedure is stopped if the child is frightened and very capricious.
- If you have a hair clipper, it is better to use it on the smallest attachment.
Dr. Komarovsky advises shaving a one-year-old child once to ensure even growth of all the rods. However, he urges not to get carried away with the procedure. This will not make your hair thicker or thicker. The color and structure of the hairline are inherited; it is impossible to influence it by external factors.
Important! Dry indoor air damages the hair structure.
Baby in mother's arms
How to cut a one-year-old child's hair?
If you still decide in favor of cutting your one-year-old child’s hair, you need to understand how this procedure is performed correctly. Usually, excess hair is removed from a child’s head at home, and not in a hairdresser, following several important rules:
- no need to shave the baby. The machine is suitable for adults only. At the age of one, the clipper can injure the hair follicles due to clinging to the hair. In addition, the noise it makes can frighten a child;
- take the right scissors. This tool should have rounded tips. These scissors will not scratch your scalp. As a last resort, you can use a trimmer, the sound of which is not as strong as that of a machine;
- wet your hair first. It will be easier to cut a one-year-old child's hair if you wash his hair before the procedure. Wet hair is more convenient for trimming;
- wait until the child calms down. In order for the haircut to go without any problems, you need to choose the most suitable time for it. For example, wait until the child has had lunch or taken a nap. If the baby cries or is sick, the procedure is postponed.
- create a comfortable environment. It is important to make sure that the baby feels comfortable. To do this, you need to prepare new interesting cars or dolls or certain delicacies. You should also communicate with the child in a calm voice at all times;
- wash the child. As soon as the procedure is completed, you need to wash the baby in warm water to get rid of hairs. Be sure to carefully inspect all folds so as not to forget sharp stubble.
A mandatory item is to treat the child’s head with an antiseptic (chlorhexidine), if you did not use scissors, but a shaving machine. You should also lubricate the skin with baby moisturizer.
Hair care
A baby's hair is thin and fragile and requires proper care. It's okay if they fall out. Only by the age of 5 years does permanent hair form. Required care:
- Shampoos and other hair washing products are chosen with a neutral acidic environment. It is forbidden to use adult shampoos and soaps - they have a negative effect on the skin, dry it out, and some hairs may fall out.
- Try to wash the baby's head with plain water as often as possible. Shampoos are allowed to be used no more than once a week.
- It is allowed to use herbal decoctions for rinsing. They heal the scalp and add shine, especially to blond hair. A preliminary test is made to determine if there is an allergy to the plant.
- Wet hair is carefully blotted with a towel after bathing.
- Comb your head after it is completely dry so as not to damage the hair shafts.
- Bathing is carried out 1-1.5 hours before bedtime, so that the hair has time to dry completely.
- Use special baby combs with soft teeth so as not to scratch the baby. After each brushing, wash them with soap and water.
- It is forbidden to use hair dryers for drying - they seriously damage the hair shaft and skin. Baby hairs dry quickly and there is no need to use them.
- If your baby's hair is tangled into a knot, it needs to be carefully trimmed with scissors.
- You need to shave no more than once every 3 months.
Every parent wants their child to have beautiful and strong hair, especially mothers of girls. Don't worry if your baby was born bald or with thin hair. By 2-3 months they will completely change to new ones. By the age of 5, permanent hair will have formed.
To shave or not to shave? Why do parents still cut their babies hair?
Why they still shave children at the age of one and what tradition will replace this one - the journalist and mother Evgenia Artamonov looked into it.
Photo: depositphotos/Patryk_Kosmider
Not long ago, a friend of mine shaved her one-year-old son’s head. I don’t know why, for the sake of old traditions - “so that hair grows better” - or simply for the purpose of minimal care for the baby’s hair, but it really surprised me. I thought this approach was a thing of the past. It turns out not.
As a child, I, like many, could not avoid a similar fate. Little Zhenya looks out from old photographs in a beautiful dress and with a headscarf hiding her bald head. According to my mother, my grandmother insisted on this. Mom then, 28 years ago, was against it. But the pressure from relatives prevailed. What if she hadn’t given in to persuasion? Perhaps by 5 I would already have a waist-length braid.
What do they say on the Internet? Perhaps in five to ten years this “tradition” will become archaic. But now, judging by the experiences shared by mothers in Facebook communities, it has not yet become a thing of the past. Messages in thematic surveys from those who are in favor amount to 20–30%. Why is this today? Some cut their children's hair under the influence of relatives.
Some people think that curls disturb the baby or simply do not look aesthetically pleasing: baby fluff grows unevenly and often sticks out in different directions. Others shave just in case it gets better.
Where did it all come from? It turned out that the roots of this popular belief go back to the war and post-war years. Back then, children were shaved bald for hygiene purposes. In difficult living conditions, countries tried to prevent the development of pediculosis and lichen. Over time, it simply became familiar and fashionable.
Photo: depositphotos/BonNontawat
What do the experts say? Today, pediatricians and trichologists almost unanimously say that such a procedure will not make things worse or better. Hair basically changes as a child grows. Thick or sparse is entirely a matter of genetics. But psychologically it can really do harm. Not all kids calmly accept manipulations with their heads. Especially at such a young age. I didn't shave my son. The first haircut was about a year old. In a specialized children's hairdresser. They even put a small lock of hair in a bag and gave us a memorial paper. To do this, it is not necessary to get rid of all hair. In my opinion, an excellent alternative to the old tradition.
Also today, a new trend is relevant - a return to the roots: do not cut your hair at all until the child himself wants to do it. Both boys and girls. Many parents believe that hair contains inner strength. And, to be honest, this approach is also very close to me.
And indeed, previously in Rus' people did not touch their hair until adolescence. It was believed that they had strength. They cut off only a lock of hair per year (not completely bald), as a kind of ritual - few lived to this age. Then they were kept as a talisman and amulet.
Imagine, perhaps our children, when they become adults, will look at their photographs and be surprised at their thick hair.
I wonder what will be in fashion next?
