Written by Editorial Team
Some babies are born with thick hair while others are born with barely any noticeable hair. When it comes to baby’s hair growth the normal range can be quite wide. Why my baby seems bald is a question that worries many mothers. Don’t get too attached to your baby’s thick hair nor worry about his baldness. Both are not going to remain the same. Hair fall is quite common in newborns.
During the first six months, infants often lose all the hair they are born with (baby hair) and their mane is replaced with new hair (mature hair). The new hair that grows often differs in color and texture. The rate of this replacement procedure varies from baby to baby. Anyhow, normally, mature hair starts to grow around the sixth month. So, even if your baby looks bald for a while, there is no need to bother too much. Your child will regain normal hair growth normally before his first birthday.
In This Article
The hair growth of a baby starts way before he or she is born. Apart from lanugo, the first soft and smooth layer of hair that covers the body of a baby to regulate the body temperature, which appears around the 14th week of pregnancy, the hair starts to grow on the head of the baby around the 30th week of pregnancy. (Most of the lanugo are shed prior to delivery).
There are two crops of hair during the first year of the baby- baby hair and mature hair. When baby hair falls off completely before the mature hair appears and hence the baby will look bald for some period of time till the mature hair grows back. If this happens just before birth which is not much common, the baby can be born bald.
When the mature hair fills in simultaneously while the baby hair falls off, the changes are hardly noticed. The mature hair is stronger, less soft, and sometimes differs in color from the baby’s hair. The color of the hair changes several times during the life of a person as it is subjected to several external factors like water, climate, etc.
Quantity, quality, and color of the baby’s hair are highly influenced by genetic factors. But that is not the only reason that some babies are born with a thick head of hair. Hormones too have a role in this. Inside the womb, the baby is exposed to a high level of hormones from the mother. These hormones accelerate the thickness and growth of the hair. Hence, the baby is born with thick hair.
Hormonal fluctuations are the main reason. The pregnancy hormones that influenced the hair growth when the baby is inside the womb will drop when the baby is born. Thus, the growth of the hair also stops. The hair will enter into a phase of rest called telogen, resulting in hair loss (please refer hair growth cycle explained under ‘premature balding’ here).
There is no need to be concerned about your baby’s hair loss when his scalp looks healthy. A healthy scalp looks soft without any scaling, redness, or oozing.
However, your baby’s hair loss will need attention, and seeking medical advice is essential when:
It is a myth with no scientific proof. There is no evidence for shaving (or hair tonsuring) the child’s head helps hair to grow faster and thicker. New and more follicles are not formed when the head is shaved. If new follicles are not formed, neither will new hair come.
The hair appears to be thicker when it grows back is merely an illusion. This is because all the hair grown back is more or less of the same length and the hair ends are at the same level. This will make the hair look thicker.
All the hair follicles are developed around the sixth month of the baby inside the mother’s womb. A baby is born with a specific number of hair follicles. The number of hair follicles is influenced by genetic factors. It is these follicles that mainly determine the growth, thickness, texture, and appearance (straight or curly) of the baby’s hair throughout his life.
Applying oil can dry up the scalp and clog the pores. However, using extra virgin coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil on the scalp before the bath help moisturizes the scalp and hair. This also helps in brushing off the cradle cap easily before the bath. So if not promoting hair growth, properly applying oil will help to maintain a healthy scalp. Remember to wash the oil with shampoo during the bath. Keeping the oil in hair for a long time can cause cold among infants.
Handle a newborn’s hair with extreme gentle care as the scalp is very soft and the follicles can be easily damaged. Here are a few tips:
Washing the baby’s hair should be done with extreme care.
Conditioning the baby’s hair is recommended if the infant has thick tangled hair. This will help to remove tangles easily during brushing without causing any discomfort to the baby. Thick band-tangled hair should be washed often to avoid matting.
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
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