Hair Care Guide For Your Baby

Some children are born with tufts of baby hair, while others may be nearly bald. One way or another, baby hair is fine and soft, and requires extra care. Babies usually experience a period of hair fall in the first few months, and then again towards their first birthday, it begins to grow again. Parents usually have tons of questions about caring for a baby’s hair. Should you comb it? How should you wash it? Do you need to oil it? Find out all about hair care for your baby in this blog.

Infant Hair Care 101

Love running your fingers through your baby’s hair? Here are some tips to help you care for your little one’s locks:

Washing:

Since your infant is mostly at home and doesn’t venture out too much, you can wash his hair a couple of times a week at the most

• Babies can find having water running over their heads and faces scary. So you need to find what works the best for your little one – a visor, or some form of distraction like a bath toy or some music playing in the background
• Make sure you use a gentle shampoo that is formulated specifically for babies, and is free of harmful chemicals and fragrances

Conditioning:

Your baby’s hair can get tangled and knotted. Using a conditioner (or a two-in-one shampoo conditioner) will help get rid of the tangles

Oiling:

Applying oil on your baby’s hair and giving him a gentle massage is a great way to get the blood circulation going and relax him at the same time. There are some things to keep in mind while oiling your baby’s hair

• Make sure you select oil based on the season as well as your baby’s hair texture
• Cooling oils such as coconut oil are great for the summer, while almond oil is a good option in the winter
• Coconut oil is also a good conditioner and contains Vit.E and Lauric acid
• Don’t apply too much oil, and wash it off with a good shampoo in a short while

Combing your baby’s hair:

Since baby hair is so fine, combing it is a whole other ball game. Make sure you use a wide-toothed comb that doesn’t have sharp teeth or bristles. Before you run the comb through your baby’s hair, first use your fingers to gently detangle any knots. This way you can avoid painful detangling with the comb

Styling:

Since baby hair is so fine and can easily break, avoid tightly braiding or styling in a way that pulls your baby’s hair too much

What Is Cradle Cap?

Dry flakes resembling dandruff, or brownish yellow scaly patches on your baby’s scalp – if you see any of these, it could be ‘cradle-cap.’ While the original cause isn’t clear, it is believed to be due to the excess oil produced from the baby’s seborrheic glands. Here are some tips to deal with cradle cap:

1. Massage:

   A gentle massage of your baby’s scalp can possibly loosen the flakes. Thoroughly shampoo and rinse your baby’s hair frequently. If you are oiling your baby’s hair, make sure you wash out the oil thoroughly since any remaining oil could again cause the pores to become clogged

2. Shampoo:

   Consult a pediatrician and use a shampoo formulated specifically to tackle cradle cap

If you find that the cradle cap is severe, spreads to any other part of the body, or notice any bleeding, consult a doctor immediately.

Did you find this blog on hair care for your baby, useful? Share your own tips with us in the comments section!