When to cut a child's hair for the first time: signs, traditions and recommendations

What did our ancestors believe?

Official science and medicine have long recognized that a person needs hair only to protect the brain from hypothermia. Our distant ancestors attached much more meaning to hair. They believed that hair is some kind of sacred antenna that helps a person keep in touch with the cosmos. In Ancient Rus', long curls were considered an indicator of wisdom. It is interesting to note that even the name of the God of Wisdom, Veles, confirmed these beliefs.

Our great-grandmothers believed that hair contained the physical and moral strength of a person. Let us remember the legend of Samson, who lost his strength by losing his hair. By the way, have you noticed that many sorcerers and sorcerers are depicted in films and literature with long hair? They also believed in the legend and tried not to cut their hair so as not to lose touch with the cosmos.

In ancient times, slaves were deprived of hair, believing that a bald person was more submissive and obedient. Today, young people get their hair cut before serving in the army, as well as in prison. Our ancestors believed that it was quite difficult to impose obedience and submission on people with long hair. Women were prohibited from entering church with their hair exposed, as this was a sign of disobedience.

According to another belief, women wore a long braid hanging along the spinal column. It was believed that it protects all the chakras located along the back. In addition, braiding has always been considered a powerful protection against evil spirits. Our great-grandmothers also believed that loose curls could absorb negative energy. That is why all women in those days were tightly braided. It was forbidden to appear in public with loose hair.

Ancient signs about a child's first haircut

In addition to signs about long hair, people also have superstitions about a child’s first haircut.

Superstitions in Ancient Rus'

In Ancient Rus', as in many other countries of the world, babies were not previously given haircuts until they were 12 months old.

People believed that cutting hair would inevitably cause children to get sick, and there was also a legend that cutting hair would shorten a child's mind.

Signs of the Poles

The Polish people believed that if you cut your hair in childhood, such a person would be poor and disadvantaged all his life. This was explained by the fact that the child lost his mind along with his hair.

Legends in Belarus

The Belarusian people firmly believed that cutting children's hair leads to impaired speech development. In some sources you can find information that this has indeed been confirmed in practice.

What do people believe today?

Today, fewer and fewer people believe in some signs and superstitions, but still these traditions have been preserved in modern society. If we think about it from the point of view of everyday life, then cutting a haircut for a baby under one year old is dangerous primarily because the baby can easily be injured, because at this age children are restless.

Some moms and dads try at all costs to cut their babies' hair at 12 months. Where did this tradition come from? The fact is that our ancestors tried not to cut the hair of babies due to the fact that the mortality rate of babies under one year old was quite high. If the child turned 12 months old, people believed that he decided to stay in this world. It is interesting to note that the ritual of cutting was considered something like taking a baby under one’s care, that is, he was no longer under God’s protection, but under the protection of his parents.

Problems in the first year of life

Haircut problems with a child under one year old

A controversial issue arises in connection with the desire of parents and relatives to cut their child’s hair before one year old and concerns the quality of the scalp. There is an interesting fact related to baby’s hair - the central core (medula) is normally responsible for the hair’s ability to retain heat, but in children under 1 year of age, the medula property is not yet developed, and the hair is not able to warm the head. But unlike adults, in whom a quarter of the blood flow goes to the circulation of the brain and heating the head, children are characterized by even more active processes in this part. It is difficult for a child's head to freeze. Against this background, most other problems arise:

• poor growth;
• hair loss;
• thinness and fragility.

Hair problems can be caused by external or internal factors.

Why was the strand cut?

In Ancient Rus' and other countries, children after one year were not completely cut. There was a tradition of only cutting off a few strands. Children were not shaved bald. Cutting hair was considered a kind of rite and a symbol of the fact that the youngest member of the family was ready to obey and honor their elder ancestors. In Ancient Egypt, there was a tradition of cutting a child's hair completely, but leaving only a long strand. People believed that this allowed the baby to preserve his soul.

In modern society, after one year of age, it is customary for children to have their hair cut very short or even shaved bald. This is done to make your hair healthier and fuller.

Does hair thickness and health depend on cutting?

Despite the fact that many parents still believe that if they shave their baby bald, his hair will be thicker and stronger, this misconception has long been refuted by scientists. The fact is that the thickness of the hair depends only on the hereditary factor.

If the strands are sparse, trimming and shaving will not help. Practice shows that most moms and dads still perform this procedure under some pressure from the older generation, namely grandmothers.

Signs

There are many signs regarding the most appropriate time to cut a child's haircut. In ancient times, there was a sign about when to cut a child’s hair for the first time, and what time of day is most suitable for the procedure. It was believed that the best time to update a child's hairstyle would be the full moon or the waxing moon. There is an opinion that if you cut a child's hair during one of these periods, the baby's new hair will be thicker. The sign has survived to this day.

This theory has no scientific basis. Trichologist scientists say that the quality of hair does not change after a haircut. In fact, short-cut hair creates a visual illusion. That is why it seems that the baby’s hair has become thicker. The genetic density and number of hair follicles do not change after the birth of a child. The main characteristics of hair, namely its structure and shade, are formed in the third month of intrauterine development.

Experts' opinion

Many doctors are against cutting a child's hair or shaving his head at an early age. They have their own arguments about this. Let's look at them:

• Shaving and cutting your hair does not affect the thickness and health of your hair. The quantity and quality of hair follicles depends on genetic characteristics.
• A misleading opinion about the thickness of strands after cutting them appears due to the fact that all cut hair grows at the same length. Hence the optical illusion.
• There is a risk of injury to the baby. The sharp ends of scissors or a razor can damage not only delicate skin, but also developing hair follicles. In the future, this will greatly slow down the growth of strands.
• In addition to all this, cutting off the curls of a little fidget is very inconvenient, because the baby cannot be told to sit quietly and not move.
• If we are talking about the cold season, a bald head will give a child unpleasant sensations, because he will simply be cold.

All this suggests that cutting strands not only does not affect their thickness, but can also be dangerous for the baby.

It is enough to trim the ends a little so that the hair does not get into the child’s eyes.

Hair care

1. You need to comb the baby's hair carefully; it is better to use special soft brushes to care for the baby, which will not damage the surface of the delicate skin.
2. To avoid drying out your child’s skin, you should wash your hair no more than once a week.
3. Thin fluff tends to get tangled easily, so you need to comb your hair every day in different directions, and especially carefully after washing your hair. A soft brush will massage the scalp and stimulate hair growth in the child.
4. If your child's thin hair has become matted from lying down, carefully cut it.
5. Even if your daughter has long and thick hair, do not immediately try to weave it into tight braids or make ponytails. Of course, with such hairstyles, the baby’s head will look neater, but pulling the hair tightly can lead to the death of the follicles.

In what situations is a haircut appropriate?

Understanding the fact that shaving or cutting a haircut will not give the baby any thickness, fullness, or shine, many mothers still decide to undergo this procedure when the child reaches one year of age. What is this connected with? Here are a few arguments:

• Many boys at this age are so cute that they are mistaken for girls. That is why some parents strive to give their toddler a short haircut.
• Mothers often cut their son or daughter’s hair if their one-year anniversary coincides with the hot summer months. So the little fidget doesn't get so hot.
• Overgrown strands stick heavily into the eyes, which causes the risk of developing strabismus and other problems.
• Many parents simply don’t like the fact that their son or daughter looks unkempt. A neat hairstyle, without any doubt, suits everyone.
• Sometimes infant crusts persist for up to 12 months. To make them easier to remove, it is better to shave the strands with a clipper or cut them short with scissors.

As we can see, there are quite a lot of arguments about cutting hair. Of course, only the parents should decide whether to do their baby’s hair.

Haircut without consequences

A mother who does not have hairdressing skills hardly knows how to cut her child’s hair for the first time. It is important, after all, not to scare the baby, to do everything quickly and carefully, and most importantly, not to injure him. In this case, it is worth contacting a specialist who has experience communicating with children.

Let's go to the hairdresser

To ensure that your child’s first haircut at the hairdresser goes well, you can first take the baby with you so that he can look around, make sure that the place is not dangerous, and watch how mom or dad are cutting their hair. The child will be happy to follow the example of his parents.

To make your baby feel at home, you can take your favorite toys with you. And it’s better to go to a children’s hairdresser, where all the conditions are created for little clients: a fabulous toy design of the salon, entertainment in the form of dolls, bears, cars. Some hairdressing salons even have a living corner with furry and not so furry inhabitants - rabbits, guinea pigs and turtles. A child will be happy to come to such an establishment more than once.

Trimming process

One-year-old babies are very restless and capricious. Of course, it will be better if the first trimming is done at home, where the baby is in a familiar environment. If you decide to take your little fashionista to the salon, be prepared for whims and hysterics, because strangers and unusual surroundings will definitely play a role.

When creating a new image for a child at home, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

• We select the right moment. During the procedure, the baby should be cheerful and cheerful. You should not do this immediately after sleep or just before it. This will most likely cause you to experience whims.
• During the entire procedure, it is important to monitor your child’s mood. If for some reason it has deteriorated, postpone the haircut. If you force a baby to sit, this procedure can cause protest for life, which will lead to a lot of trouble in the future.
• For cutting, it is best to take scissors with rounded tips, but sharp enough so that they do not “chew” the curls. It is better to avoid using a machine at this age. In addition, its sound can greatly frighten your son or daughter.
• If you don't have scissors on hand, you can take a trimmer. Unlike a machine, it is not so noisy and the rice will injure the little one much less.
• Small strands should be cut each time. In this case, you need to use a thin comb.
• Any instruments you will use should be treated with an antiseptic before the procedure.
• Try to do everything carefully, but as quickly as possible. Small children do not like to sit in one place for a long time. You can distract the fidget and turn on cartoons. This will allow you to gain a few extra minutes.
• Before cutting the strands, wet them a little.
• Start the procedure from hard-to-reach places. This applies to the area above the ears. If the child starts to act up, you will have time to do the main work.
• After finishing the haircut, be sure to give your baby a bath. If hairs get on delicate skin, it will cause severe discomfort, itching and redness of the delicate skin.
• Well, the most important advice: stay calm, good mood and don’t fuss. This attitude can easily be passed on to the child, which will significantly complicate the transformation process.

After cutting your hair, don’t forget to take care of your hair.

Apply oil, comb your hair properly, and bathe your baby daily. This will help maintain health and good mood for you and your child.

How to cut your hair correctly for the first time

Baby feeding pillow

If, when discussing how to cut a child’s hair for one year, parents decided to do it themselves, you need to start with preparation. The first step is to come up with a cape that will protect the delicate skin of the body from prickly, cropped hairs. You should also take care of distracting entertainment: turn on a cartoon or sit your grandmother next to her with a fairy tale. Depending on which tool you decide to work with, you should take into account some features.

Scissors

It would be better if these were special children's scissors. The ends of such a tool are blunt or round in shape, reliably protecting against possible accidental injuries. It is advisable not to show the tool to the child - he may be afraid of it, and the haircut will have to be postponed.

To start the procedure, the baby's hair needs to be well moistened. At one year old, children can actively react to a spray bottle. In order not to attract undue attention to your hair and haircut, you can moisten your hair by stroking it with a wet hand or a sponge soaked in warm water.

It is convenient to start forming a new hairstyle for a girl from the back of the head in order to delay the moment of shortening the bangs, which may encounter protest. If there is no goal to cut your hair as short as possible, it is enough to remove extra centimeters from long curls.

Bangs cut

Interesting. If the length of the bangs allows, they can be cut without placing them on the baby’s forehead. Having measured the approximate length, lift the strand up and hold it between your index and middle fingers at the required level. After which you can remove the excess with scissors.

Hair clipper

When using a machine cut, there is no need to wet the hair, otherwise it will begin to get tangled between the knives and get stuck, causing pain to the child. To style a hairstyle, you can use not only children's, but also adult men's equipment, however, if you use a hair clipper for adults, inconveniences may arise due to the width of the strip being cut.

The areas behind the ears and the edge of the hairline on the neck will most likely need to be trimmed with scissors, as the clipper may leave uneven pieces in these areas. Machine haircuts are generally used for boys. Girls are often cut with scissors, leaving short strands.

What to do with cut strands?

The question of where to put the cut strands and whether they should be kept as a souvenir sooner or later arises for all parents. In some families, it is customary to store curls in boxes or bags. Some mothers place a strand of hair next to the icons, thus trying to protect their child. After the child grows up, the strand is given to him as a talisman and amulet.

There is also a tradition of hanging a bag with a strand of it around the neck of a person who is seriously ill with something. It is believed that such a talisman helps to cope with the disease. Some people use the strand in situations where they need to make some difficult decisions. If a person is faced with some important choice, the bag of hair is placed under the pillow at night. According to legend, a person should wake up in the morning with a decision made in his head. Some wear a pouch with a lock of hair around their neck as protection against the evil eye.

Of course, these days all these beliefs are losing their relevance, and many parents keep their first cut locks only as a memory. But according to other signs, storing strands is strictly not recommended. They may be taken away by evil spirits or a bird will make a nest from them. This will lead to big troubles and headaches. Some of our ancestors believed that the first cut strands should be burned.

About children's hair

Some babies have very sparse and soft hair, while others are born with a thick head of hair. Accordingly, we cannot “cut everyone with the same brush.” Therefore, if long locks of hair bother the baby, they need to be cut. But Old Believers advise you to be patient with cutting your baby’s curls until he is 40 days old.

Trimmed baby hairs up to one year old are considered “magical” (they can restore health to their little owner), so many mothers do not throw away the trimmed strands.

What else is done with a child’s cut hair:

1. The cut hair is rolled into a bundle and stored in a medallion - this is how it turns out to be a talisman for the baby and mother.
2. In some countries (for example, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia), strands cut from a child are placed between the pages of a thick book (secular or religious). It is believed that this will make the offspring smart, since the curls have feedback from the person.
3. To prevent the use of children's hair by magicians (who can cause damage) or birds (who use any material to make nests), cut strands are burned or buried.
4. In order to attract wealth and success to a child, hair clippings are buried in an anthill, in a garden bed or in the forest.
5. Some experts on omens recommend burying baby hairs at a crossroads.

Many modern mothers do not know the old rituals, so they cut their hair and keep the “baby fluff” as a family heirloom. For this purpose, there are special envelopes and bags that are attached to a children's album with photographs and other artifacts.

Let's sum it up

Whether to do a one-year-old baby's hair or leave the hair long should be decided solely by the parents, based on their beliefs and common sense. Be that as it may, it is important to understand that cutting your hair does not in any way affect the thickness and health of your hair. On the contrary, during the procedure there is a risk of injuring the child. If you decide to change your image, it is important to take all precautions so as not to harm the baby. Take care of yourself and your kids and be happy.

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