Baby Hair


Figure 1.--This orthadox Jewish boy is getting his first hair cut.

Most children are not born with long hair. Many hildren have litle hair during their first year. Thus the fashion of boys wearing longer styles did not generally begin until boys were one or two years of age. This section provides details on the various hair experiences of younger children, including children from various countries.

"My baby now is already 1 year old. But why is it that his hair is still thin and rare? About his hieght,we've notice that his growing too slow. Is there anything we can do with it?" -- Laine

"I rubbed my baby's scalp daily."

"My baby was born with lots of hair, but because of cradle cap she lost all of it. She has a big head so it took some getting used to. Even after special shampoo was used the hair still fell out. we can hardly wait for it to grow back in. When does the hair come back?" -- Quan Lee

"Shaving a baby's head at six months for a thicker head of hair sounds a little hokey and definitely a GREAT old wives' tale." -- PAC

"I've noticed that our baby has a bald spot in the back of his head. Repositioning him during sleep is difficult as our pediatrician has advised back or side lying for sleeping. So, I guess we'll just have to wait until he's a bit older for hair but that's no problem as who cares about the hair when you have the cutest baby face to look at!" -- Renee

"My son lost all his hair. He looks really cute in a ball cap." -- Lara

"My baby was born with lots of hair, she is two months now, she lost some her hair,why?" -- XU YUHONG

"My baby was born with lots of hair. When he was four months, he started pulling his hair on his left side. Now, at five months he has a bald spot on the left side of his head. Before, I was worried because his hair might grow very long and have to be tied and we cannot have it cut because traditionally we have it cut on the baby's first birthday. I am not worried anymore because his hair has begun to fall but he still looks cute." -- Eda

"My baby is still losing her hair. (Like me she was born with a full head of it). She is 2 months old now. It is a real pretty light ash brown, but underneath it looks like it may be blonde. Hopefully she doesnt lose too much because the color it is now, is so beautiful." -- Mary

"My baby is 21 months old now. She was born 24 weeks early. I'm worried about her hair because its thinner. When she was born, she have a lots of hair. Is that true when you shave a baby's head; his or her hair is becoming thicker than before? Is there any solutions than shaving the head of my baby?" -- Luisa

"My baby is losing her hair. She's five months old. We're not real worried about it. She sometimes has cradle cap underneath her hair and other times it seems gone. When there was a lot of cradle cap I put baby oil on it to soften it, combed it with a baby comb, then gave her a bath." -- JMS

"Yes, some cultures do believe in shaving their baby's head so that the hair can grow back quicker and thicker. I am Filipino and my parents shaved my head or cut it really, really short when I was about 12 mos. old. They did not shave my younger sister's head and her hair is baby, fine and long but my hair is very thick, coarse and long. We both get complimented about our hair (good genes, I guess). So you could say that I am "living proof" that this is true.

She was so beautiful and her hair was so curly and dark and everyone thought she was a princess and she was. Then it seemed as though it was over night all the curls vanished and she looked totally different. She was now a red head with hardly any hair. What a surprise! A totally different baby. Of course still a princess!!!

Our daughter was born with a head full of dark hair, she's 4 mos old now and in the past couple of week she has rubbed a circular shaped spot on the back of her head completely bald. Our solution has been to tell little kids that want to constantly give kisses to the baby that this is a special kissing spot. This has worked great because I don't have to worry about the baby getting a cold or other infections from them trying to kiss her in the mouth. -- Kim

My son was born with lots of dark hair, my husband and I were very surprised since we both have blond hair. He had cradle cap and after scrubbing the top of his head he lost most of his hair and their was blond hair underneath. So he was blond on top and dark on the sides and back. Since I'm a cosmetologist I thought I would give him his first haircut. I used a #4 clipper. He looks so cute! His first haircut at 4 months. -- Karen

My 4 month old baby girl started to lose her hair in the back. After she started to rub her head against the bed, now she has a beret formed. She looks kind of cool. -- Patrick Rosario

Both my baby boys were born with lots of dark hair. The first one fell out by six months and was replaced with blond. The second is five months now and seems to be following the same pattern. I think it's kinda cute.

My daughter is 15 months ... she pulls her hair when she is sleepy. Now she has these little hair bumps and looks like she has lost some hair in the back. The doctor says not to worry..but to try to stop her from pulling her hair? Any suggestions... -- Linda

Our 5 months old baby girl started losing her hair about a month ago. After we use other brand of Baby Shampoo besides Johnson, she started losing her hair. Now, we would stick to Johnson and apply baby oil to her hair after her bath. Condition seems to be improving. -- Mimi

My baby had tons of dark hair at birth lost all by a year old, still bald at 18 mnths. He has blonde fuzz. We have had him tested for nutritional and medical and we still have no answers, does anyone have any ideas? Any medical advice ? Dermatologists out there? -- Susan

Is there anyone out there who's baby didn't lose their hair? -- Jeanette

My daughter didn't have much hair at birth, but it was blonde. Since, she has lost some of it, and has a bald spot across the back of her head. She's 4.5 months now and still has hair, but it's been gradually becoming more strawberry blonde. I'm still hoping maybe she'll become a redhead like her daddy was as a child. -- Allacher

Shaving or cutting a baby's hair at the age of one month is common in Chinese culture. The belief is that the hair grows back nicer and thicker. Some of my family members had their hair cut off when they were a month old. For my son, I didn't do it. His scalp was so tender and I knew it would eventually fall off anyways. I decided to let nature take its course.

When I was about 1 or 2ish, my mom and dad completely shaved off my hair. How awful, you think...but in the long run, I did benefit by having very thick hair. To this day, my hair stylist complains how long it takes to blow dry my hair!! -- Chris

My daughter also had severe cradle cap and lost a lot of her hair due to vigorous shampoos. We have it under control now and it looks like she's going to have beautiful strawberry blonde hair (it was much darker before). -- Barbara

My baby is 6 months old. When she was born, she has thick, black, silky hair (we're Asians). When she was 4 months, she's almost bald!! We shaved her, massage her scalp with liquor (2 drops only, or else it's quite corrosive!!). It works beautifully. -- Sally.

I've heard also that yes in some cultures parents tend to shave off their baby's hair, like men when they shave their face then the mustache will come back again thick and strong,like babies hair, it will grow thick and fuller...as my mom has done for me... i have a loong black thick hair...coincidence? Maybe not!:-)

Our baby was born with alot of dark hair then when he was around 3 months old it began to came out in patches. I used our clippers and gave him a little buzz cut, his new hair came in fast and thick and is a dark blonde now. -- Cathy

When my son was born he did not have a lot of hair on top, but it was long on the back of his head and neck. He had this ring around his head that was bald, like he had been wearing a cap and it rubbed him bald. He is almost 5 months now and he has gold "peach fuzz" all over his head. The back is still dark and long and the ring is still there but it is filling in. My husband and I both have dark hair so we are wondering if he is going to have dark or light hair! -- Becky

My baby didn't loose all his hair, and never rubbed his head so he didn't have a bald spot either. But the hair that is growing in is a wheat color. I can't wait till it all gets that color.

My nephew has been pulling out his own hair at 22 months. He seems to do this when he is overly tired. The doctor suggested giving him a buzz cut so that he can't get his fingers around the locks of hair. He had quite a serious bald spot on the top of his head. There's not much information out there about hair pulling--Anyone have any similar problems? -- Laura

Yeah, In Indian culture, we shave off the baby's first hair for many reasons. Some do it for religious reasons while most of us feel the first hair is better shaved off as the baby is born with it after spending time inside the mother's womb. And, I have seen in most cases that the hair grows out thicker and quicker. -- SK

My baby girl has a bald spot on the back of her head from back sleeping. When we go out somewhere special she wears a cute headband or bow, and "wala"--a hidden bald spot and a well dressed baby! -- JK

I learned in cosmetology school that the blood circulation in the head is what feeds hair and makes it grow. The more you get the blood to circulate, the faster hair grows, so I wash my son's hair every day and make sure that his scalp is moving and his once dark hair that all fell out is now being replaced by beautiful blonde hair at a pretty fast rate!! -- Roxi

A traditional Chinese practice, ask the baby's aunt (ie the sister of the baby's daddy) to buy baby a pair of shoes. It really work! The Chinese believe the bald patch is actually the path for aunt. Do give the suggested method a try and see the miracles! -- Lay Cheng LIM

When my twins were born, one had no hair and the other had a lot of black hair. They are 5 months now and my "baldie" is finding the hair that my "hairy" one is losing! Every baby is different so just be patient. I suppose once they're able to sit up, the backs of their heads will have hair. -- HML

Yes, its been worring me to death. The doctor said it was normal when I called. They had not seem him. -- Hille

My daughter has puffs of hair all over her head. Lots of thin or balding spots and I am wondering if it will all fall out or just partially??? She is part African-American and the hair that is growing back in is straight as opposed to the beautiful curls she has now. -- Penny

I shaved my baby's hair at one month. In Taiwan people do believe that shaving baby's hair can help the hair to grow quickly and thicker. Usually they do that before 4 months. Some companies will send out the flyers to parents about making a brush pen with baby's own hair as a special gift. My baby had some bald spots when she was born, my mom suggested to shave her hair so the hair will grow out evenly and thicker. I have thick and coarse hair but she had her dad's fine hair. Actually, her hair does look thicker now after 3 months and I can even tell she got some of my coarse hair. Those coarse pieces just grow much faster. -- Claudia

Our baby was born with a head full of unruly hair! (We often teased her about having "Bed Head"!) At about 3 1/2 months, it began falling out on top - not on the sides or in the back. We began to put baby oil on Madison's head every night before her bath. Finally, more hair, finer and lighter, has begun to fill in the bald spots! -- MKF

My son was born with straight brown hair and had green eyes. When he was about four months, his hair fell out, his eyes turned brown, and his hair returned blonde and curly! More strange is the fact that I'm black! -- Debra

Not only was my 4 month old losing her hair, but she also likes tugging on the little bit of hair she has left. She does this as she is dosing off to sleep, thus creating a near bald spot on one side of her head. Advice from my pediatrician on removing cradle cap.... massage a little baby oil on the craddle cap to loosen it and shampoo baby's hair immediately afterwards. It really worked. -- KS

I'm so interested in seeing what my son's hair color is going to be once he's a toddler. When I was a baby and up until I was about two or three years old I had blonde hair. Now it's black! His hair is also blonde right now and my husband has dark brown hair. Hmmm, didn't our mailman have blonde hair.... :-) -- Enike

Anyone else have babies that have blonde hair NOW while you have dark hair? I've seen all sorts of comments from people who have babies with dark hair falling out and turning blonde. If you see above my experience is totally the opposite! Plus, Iain's hair is getting thicker and not falling out. He's 4mo. His hair is such a great color now I hope it stays that way but I know it probably won't since mine didn't. -- Enike

My son was born with a head full of beautiful auburn hair. My husband and are both blondes so we thought this was a lttle strange. However, over the last couple of months Chase (our son) has been losing his hair. He's practically bald on top!!! We can now see very fine blonde hair growing in. KDD

I keep saying to my hubby - "Rub away sweet baby girl, there's got to be some blonde locks there somewhere!" My husband's dark brown & I'm blonde. Blondes do have more fun & that's what I want for my baby girl! -- Christine

My baby is almost 11 months old and she too has loss her hair. My question is how long will it take for her to regain hair again? -- Leaverson

My daughter was born with a full head of dark brown hair. It is slowly but surely falling out and being replaced by lighter blond hair making the loss of the dark hair that much more obvious. Right now she has two round bald patches on the top of her head - I just tell insensitive people that is where he horns will start growing! -- Jennifer

Reading this article made me feel much better. My son had cradle cap and I used mineral oil ad a soft toothbrush to remove it. That only worked temporarily. It seemed to start spreading to his forhead and neck. I finally talked to the doctor. She prescribed a cortisone 1 percent solution. In two weeks the cradle cap was gone. -- Annette

When my daughter was 2 months old she began to rub her head back and forth in her car seat causing her beautiful long black hair to fall out. I was happy to hear from other mothers that one trick they use to help restimulate the hair growth is to take a pea size about of lotion and massage it in to the scalp gently and then brush the hair. I am not to sure how much it medically helped to stimulate her growth but it made her hair look healthy, shiny and fuller. It also helps those stands of hair left in the back of her head from breaking off so easily! -- Nicole

After reading these comments above, I'm upset at the way these parents are suggesting that black hair is less desirable than blonde. To quote MH "one of the downsides of getting rid of cradle cap was getting rid of my baby's hair! The vigourous washing and massaging caused the fine, black newborn hair to fall out. Lo and behold, there was fine blonde hair underneath" I find this comment and others like it above very discirminating and racial. My baby was born with beautiful black hair (race is not an issue). These comments need some editorial work to say the least!! -- GG

My son's hair is so long that when he lost his hair in the back of his head, the hair from the top of his head just covered the bald spot. -- Jamie

What if it doesn't fall out? My baby was born with a ton of hair and is now 4 months old and it is down past her shoulders. I hope it doesnt fall out now. Get back to me! Thanks -- Mota

My 4 1/2 month old son is losing his hair due to the care I'm giving his cradle cap! It is pulling out his hair and he has bald spots! He's the youngest man I know with a comb-over already! What is everybody else doing for cradle cap? -- SLJ

About Cradle Cap (Crap), we found that not vigorously washing his hair was more beneficial than over washing it. In fact, if you rub a little baby oil on the scalp, instead of overdrying it, it may get better. It seems gross, but actually helps!!!!!

My first baby lost her hair by the time she was 4 months old. My heart broke every time I looked in her crib and strands of black hair were littered all over. It took a long time before it grew back but she has a head full now. Our second baby was born with twice as much hair and so far, at 5 months old, the only hair loss has been a tiny patch on the back of her head. Fortunately, the rest of her hair is so long that it covers most of it up. One thing I did change, and who knows if it made any real difference, was at night during her long sleep, I placed her on her back, but during the day, I let her nap on her stomach or side -- switching each time. I kept an eagle eye on her because of the fear of SIDS, but at least she was kept from sleeping on the same spot time after time. -- Nancy






Christopher Wagner

histclo@lycosmail.com


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Created: March 5, 1998
Last updated: January 8, 2000