Some babies are born with a luxuriant head of hair. Others still look like they are first birthday "on top" looks quite bald. Everything is completely normal and says nothing about how the adult's hair will look later on. So parents need not worry.
To get straight to the point: No, you cannot influence your children's hair growth. A radical cut will not help to achieve a thicker head of hair, as the structure and density of the hair is genetically predetermined. Furthermore, they grow according to their natural cycle, which also cannot be influenced by haircuts.
And yes: If you think it's necessary, you can also cut your child's hair before their first birthday. The old SuperstitionThe idea that this would cut off the child's happiness is, of course, nonsense.
Regardless of funny curls or straight strands, blonde fluff or black fullness, hair growth is basically the same for all children.
Hair growth of the foetus during pregnancy
By the 12th week of pregnancy, the hair follicles have already formed in the embryo. They are responsible for hair production and get started quite quickly. Between the 13th and 16th week of pregnancy, the foetus grows a delicate, colourless fuzz of hair all over its body: the so-called lanugo hair. Some also refer to it as woolly hair, as the name is derived from the Latin "lana" for wool. Together with the cheese gunk, this first coat of hair protects the unborn baby's sensitive skin from softening or drying out in the amniotic fluid. At the same time, the hair also serves as a heat reservoir. In the last trimester of pregnancy, the baby's lanugo hair falls out again around the 30th week of pregnancy. However, remnants may still be present at birth.
And when do the unborn child's hair, eyebrows and eyelashes start to grow? There are different answers to this question depending on the source. Sometimes the 14th week of pregnancy is mentioned, sometimes the 19th week. What is certain is that eyelashes and eyebrows are formed early in pregnancy and that scalp hair also grows during pregnancy. The newborn's hair splendour is influenced by the genetic make-up and hormones. Some children are born with a magnificent head of hair, while for some little "bald heads", clearly visible hair growth can even take until their second birthday. Nothing to worry about! It also depends on the hair colour how visible the hair on the head is. Delicate blonde hairs are naturally less visible than thick dark hair.
In general, the first "permanent" hair (the so-called vellus hair) is usually quite fine. It therefore curls faster than heavier hair, resulting in funny little curls on small heads. During puberty, the hormones of teenagers work at full speed and also ensure that the vellus hair gradually gives way to the so-called terminal hair, i.e. the final "adult hair".
The child's hair colour is genetically determined
The genetic make-up of both parents determines which hair colour the child will have. In heredity theory, hair colour is said to be inherited in a dominant-recessive manner. This means that if one parent is blonde and the other dark-haired, the child will receive one gene for blonde hair and one for dark hair. The gene for the dark hair colour is dominant and will prevail, so the child will probably grow dark hair. The gene for blonde hair, on the other hand, is recessive, so it does not appear. Nevertheless, there is a 1:4 chance that a dark-haired parent couple will also have a blonde child. This is because many people have the gene for blonde hair and the gene for dark hair in their genetic make-up. If two dark-haired parents each pass on the "blonde gene" to their child, the child will have blonde hair.
Many babies initially have lighter-coloured hair, but this darkens over time. This is due to the fact that the dark colour pigment melanin is not regularly produced until around the age of two. There are two different types of melanin (eumelanin and pheomelanin). Depending on how these two are distributed or mixed, this results in the individual colour tone of your child's hair. Only the terminal hair then shows the child's actual hair colour.
Does your baby have hair loss?
At around three months of age, the baby loses its "first hair". This hair loss is completely normal. One reason for this is the growing circumference of the head, which now increases by one to two centimetres every week. This also stretches the scalp. Secondly, the influence of the mother's hormones, which the child received at the end of the pregnancy, diminishes. The oestrogen kept the baby's hair in the growth phase for longer. Now, however, more hair often falls out than can grow back.
How bald or not bald your child's head will be varies from person to person. It depends on the natural growth cycle. This must first stabilise. How long it takes for the natural growth cycle of a baby's hair to stabilise varies from child to child. It can take up to a year for the growth phase, transition phase and resting phase of the hair to stabilise.
Some babies also have a bald patch at the back of their head. This so-called "recumbent baldness" occurs when the baby lies on its back a lot. Pressure and friction on the hair during the transition or resting phase promotes hair loss. But you don't need to worry about this either. As soon as your baby can move more independently and becomes more active, the hair at the back of the head can sprout again. And the bald patch will disappear in no time.
Gentle care for baby hair
Baby's hair hardly ever gets really dirty in the first few months. You can also gently brush out small particles with a soft baby brush. Otherwise, it is sufficient to gently clean baby's fine hair with clear, lukewarm water from time to time. The best way to do this is to use a damp, soft sponge or flannel to gently stroke your child's head. You do not yet need shampoo to wash your little one's hair. In the beginning, plain water is sufficient for cleaning your baby's hair. When you later use a Shampoo it is important that the shampoo is gentle on sensitive baby skin.
Many parents combine hair washing with a baby bath. However, most little ones don't like water running down their face. However, you can avoid this by holding your baby so that the water can run off at the back. To dry off, simply dab gently over the hair and scalp with a soft towel. In the Online infant care course you can learn from midwife Katharina how to bathe your baby and care for your baby's hair.
AttentionBe careful with the hairdryer - it could get too hot for baby's sensitive skin even on the lowest setting!
It is also important to be particularly careful when washing and drying the top of the head, as the fontanel is not yet closed. You can find out more about baby care here on my blog.
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