Pediatrics

Baby hair - the right way to cut it!

introduction

Another challenge that the new parents are faced is dealing with a baby's hairstyle. Hardly any other feature is as distinctive as a toddler's hair. While some children are born with a head of hair and hair growing rapidly, other children seem to take a long time growing their scalp hair. When it comes to hair, it depends a lot more on genetics than previously thought. Unfortunately, our influence on hair growth is very limited.

The topic could be of interest to you: Hair growth in the baby

When to cut a baby's hair

When a baby is born, it already has a certain amount of body hair. This mostly Wool hair or Intermediate hair is colorless and must not be cut. Head hair, eyebrows and eyelashes are made up of Terminal hairwhich then continues to grow after birth and can be cut at some point.

When to cut a baby's hair depends mainly on the child's individual growth and practical or aesthetic considerations. If a baby already has long hair at 10 months, which, for example, obstructs his view, it is advisable to cut his hair at that time. But it can also be that a toddler still has short hair at the age of two and only later does the scalp hair grow slowly.

As different as the children themselves and their hairstyles are, the speed of hair growth is also different. So there is no right or wrong time to cut your baby's hair.

What is to be considered?

Before cutting a baby's hair, there are a few important things to keep in mind. First of all, consider the function of the hair - the social aspect of the look of the hairstyle is obvious. Much more important for a baby, however, is protection from temperatures or direct sunlight.

Baby hair grows unsteadily in the first year of life and the cycles of the individual hairs are different. Hair loss can also occur in babies, but don't let that scare you. The hair grows back and regular growth sets in after a certain time.

Read more about this under: Hair loss in children

If a baby suffers from cradle cap, you can speak to the pediatrician about any questions about whether you can cut your hair.

Before shaving a baby's hair, you should consider whether the child is big enough and whether the shave can be done without causing serious injury. It is worth purchasing a children's hair clipper for this.

Instructions - 7 steps to properly trimming baby hair

Correct tool: good preparation for cutting hair on a baby is very important. If you want to cut your baby's hair at home, it pays to buy scissors with rounded tips.
Cozy atmosphere: it is also important that the child is in a good mood and that the person who cuts the hair is not stressed.
Teamwork: Two people work best when one person can distract the child while the second person cuts the baby's hair.
Entertainment for the baby: it is practical to put the baby in the bathtub and have bath toys ready.
Moistening the hair: it also helps to wet the hair or at least to spray it with water. Then you can start the actual cutting.
Injury protection: it is important that you always grasp small sections of hair between your index finger and middle finger and that your own fingers are always between the scissors and the baby's head. This is how you prevent injuries.
Last step: now you work your way from top to bottom around the baby's head. Finally, you can wash your hair as usual and get the baby out of the bathtub.

Can you cut a baby's hair to make it thicker?

Some myths regarding cutting a toddler's hair remain rife. Many parents think that their children's hair will increase in thickness and volume as soon as the hair is cut more often. However, this is not the case.

The thickness of the hair is determined solely by the genes (carriers of a genetic make-up). Even by shaving a baby's hair, you cannot influence whether the hair will grow back thicker than before.

Can you cut a baby's hair to make it grow faster?

It is also widely believed that a baby's hair grows faster if it is cut or trimmed often. Unfortunately, this is another misconception, and genetics are also the deciding factor in the speed of hair growth.

With slowly growing hair of a child, you have to be patient until the hair has reached a certain length. Shampoos and a healthy diet can keep hair looking beautiful, but they also do not affect hair growth faster.

Our new topic could help you again: Proper nutrition for your baby

Cost at the hairdresser?

There are a large number of hairdressers experienced in cutting babies' hair. To get used to the cutting itself, you can take the child to the hairdresser in advance if one of the parents' hair is cut.

The prices for a baby haircut at the hairdresser's vary from a free first haircut for toddlers to an average of 5-7 euros. Here, too, you should make sure that the child is fed and in a good mood.