All mothers imagine how their baby is going to look when born. From the face to the eyes, from the hair to the feet and hands – mothers actually picture their newborns. A lot of mother’s picture their baby with a full head of hair. However, this is not the case always.
And then when a baby is born without the hair they imagined them to have, they start looking for remedies for baby hair growth.
Babies are born with all sorts of hair. Thick or thin, black or brown, curly or straight. Some babies are born bald. Even if a baby is born with thick hair, he/she will lose most of it in the first few months of life.
Also, many times the new hair that comes will differ in texture, thickness, and even color.
Why Does Baby’s Hair Fall After Birth?
Even when a baby is born with lustrous and thick hair, most of it will be fall out in the initial two months. There is nothing to worry about this phenomenon as it is entirely hormonal.
When the baby is inside the womb, the pregnancy hormones that circulate to the mother and baby contribute to the hair growth. That is why many babies are born with thick hair locks.
There is no need to worry, and no need to try out remedies for baby hair growth.
However, once born, they will not get the benefits of these pregnancy hormones. Once born the level of these hormones decreases and disappears eventually. Also their own hair growth cycle sets in.
Both of these contribute to hair fall in the initial months. Many babies born with thick and long hair sometimes have scarce hair later on.
However, re-growth of hair will be established soon enough. The newly grown hair might even differ in texture and color.
What Are The Hair Growth Stages Of The Baby?
Knowing baby hair growth stages will help you to understand more about baby hair growth. Like adults babies also have the four phases of hair growth.
This includes anagen (Growing phase), catagen (transition phase), telogen (resting phase), and exogen (shedding phase).
However, the Anagen phase happens during 18 to 20th week of gestation, followed by a short catagen phase around the 24th to 28th week of gestation. A baby’s hair will be in the resting phase when he is born.
The shedding phase usually kicks in from 8 to 12 weeks after birth. It may last for months.
After that, the growth stage starts that lasts about three years. So there is nothing to worry about when your little one loses his hair during the initial months.
Why My Baby’s Head Bald At The Back?
Bald patches at the back of the head younger babies under 6 months is not an issue to worry about. This more often happens because the baby mostly lies on its back. As a result, the head of the baby rests on the same spot for a long time.
This friction adversely affects hair growth in that area. These bald spots start to disappear as the baby starts to roll on and crawl.
11 Home Remedies For Baby Hair To Grow Fast
Do you have a baby girl and want her to have long, luscious hair? “How to make my daughter’s hair grow faster?” is a question asked by many mothers at least once. Well, even though genetics plays an important role in determining the thickness of the baby’s hair, there are some practices and home remedies that aids in increasing the strength of hair follicles and hair. This will reduce hair fall and enhance hair growth.
However, when it comes to home remedies for hair growth, there is an important fact to keep in mind. Every child is unique and so is their hair. It requires different needs and reacts differently to various remedies and practices.
If you are in search of ways to make baby hair grow thicker, here are some simple home remedies for baby hair to grow fast.
1. Coconut oil – the No. 1 home remedy for baby hair to grow fast
Coconut oil is rich in natural vitamin E. Vitamin E is a key component that potentially nourishes the baby’s scalp.
Coconut oil has antioxidant properties. It promotes hair growth by improving blood circulation to the scalp.
Applying coconut oil for baby hair growth is a traditional practice. Coconut oil also helps to get rid of cradle cap and prevent hair fall. Pick organic or extra virgin coconut oil for optimum result.
Studies show coconut oil helps to enhance hair growth and hair texture. This is so because coconut can penetrate the hair shaft when compared to other oils.
Applying coconut oil to the baby’s scalp on alternate days stimulates hair growth.
You can also combine it with sunflower and mineral oil. According to researches coconut oil can potentially reduce protein loss remarkably.
It can be used both in healthy and damaged hair. It can be applied as both pre-wash and post-wash oil.
Gently massage coconut oil to your baby’s scalp. Let it remain on the scalp for 20 minutes. Then, rinse their scalp with warm water.
2. Aloe Vera for baby hair growth
This evergreen perennial has a lot of medicinal qualities and can be easily grown in all homes. Aloe vera greatly helps with hair growth in babies.
It is an excellent moisturizer and thereby prevents dryness and hair damage.
You can apply Aloe Vera juice directly to the baby’s scalp. Gently massage and leave for 15-20 minutes. Wash well with plenty of water. Aloe vera greatly enhances the health of the scalp.
3. Gelatin for thicker baby hair
Gelatin is loaded with amino acids such as glycine and proline. These amino acids stimulate hair growth. It will also fight the condition of baby’s dry or flaky scalp.
To incorporate gelatin into a baby’s hair care regime, mix one teaspoon each of gelatin powder, cold water, and hot water. To this, add one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon of honey.
While the antioxidant property of honey helps to restores nutrients to the hair and scalp, apple cider vinegar to balances the pH level of hair. Applying both, thus, promotes hair growth.
Mix all the ingredients well and gently massage to the scalp. Allow to dry out for a few minutes. After that, wash it off using mild baby shampoo.
4. Castor oil
Castor oil is is traditionally used to massage the scalp of the baby. Besides, vital enzymes and minerals, castor oil is an excellent source of vitamin E, nine oleic acids, and nine essential fatty acids.
The antimicrobial property of castor oil helps to prevent fungal/bacterial scalp infections.
It promotes hair growth by strengthening the root of the hair and stimulating blood circulation in the scalp. It also helps to lock the moisture in the hair thereby preventing breaking.
Another method to use castor oil for baby hair growth is to mix it with cumin paste. Cumin seeds are rich in antioxidants and vitamins that are beneficial for hair growth.
To make paste soak some cumin seed in water for some time and grind it into a paste.
Gently massage baby’s scalp with this mixture and wash off after 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Shea butter for baby’s hair
You can massage your baby’s hair and scalp with rich unrefined additive-free shea butter. Shea butter is loaded with fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. These elements of shea butter contribute to making baby’s hair soft and silky.
6. Argan oil
Argan oil is one of the best baby hair growth oils. The oil is enriched with vitamin E, omega 9, 6 fatty acids, and proteins.
Argan oil combat scalp dryness by deeply moisturizing the scalp and promotes hair growth.
It not only reduces cradle cap, but it also conditions the baby’s hair. Massage scalp and hair with few drops of Argan oil. Wash off after 20 minutes. It is said you will see the result within weeks.
7. Neem water
Giving the baby a neem bath is very advantageous. Neem is well- known for its antibiotic property.
It is equally beneficial for the skin and hair of the baby. Neem water helps to prevent itchiness and dryness in the scalp and enhances the overall health of the scalp.
8. Olive oil
Olive oil is enriched with antioxidants and essential vitamins for hair growth like vitamin E and A.
It helps to maintain the keratin level in the baby’s hair. The great hydrating quality of olive oil not only promotes hair growth but also improves hair texture.
Antioxidants in olive oil keep the scalp healthy and protect it from external factors such as weather and pollution that could potentially damage the health of the scalp and hair. The strong antibacterial properties of olive oil help to protect the scalp from common fungal infections
9. Fenugreek
Fenugreek is a key element in many hair care regime for generations. It is beneficial in promoting hair growth in babies as well.
Fenugreek is a good source of iron, protein, and nicotinic acid. It can potentially enrich the baby’s scalp and strengthen the hair shafts.
The natural oil in fenugreek helps to moisturize the hair. It can strengthen the roots and reduce hair fall noticeably. Fenugreek also helps to prevent all sorts of infections in the scalp.
You can use it as a natural shampoo. Soak some fenugreek over-night. Grind it and make a smooth paste. Apply it over the scalp and hair and after 15 minutes wash off with plenty of water.
You can even use it in oil applied hair and this wash of oils just like baby shampoo.
10. Amla
Studies prove amla can potentially stimulate hair growth. You can make amla water by boiling amla. Once it is cooled to room temperature, you can use it to wash the baby’s hair.
You can also make amla paste and use it to massage the baby’s scalp and wash it thoroughly with plenty of water.
11. Some practices that promote hair growth in babies
Along with the above home remedies for baby hair, it is important to follow some child hair care tips. This will help you get fuller and thicker baby hair.
Once a day brush baby’s hair
Gently brushing or running a gentle comb through the baby’s hair and scalp every day helps to improve hair growth. Combing hair enhances blood circulation that is beneficial for hair growth.
Also, tangled hair can be easily broken and result in hair loss. Therefore, detangling hair every day is important. Use wide-toothed or soft-bristled baby combs.
Wash baby’s hair regularly
It is important to wash the baby’s hair once every two to three days. Accumulation of dirt can adversely affect the scalp and hair growth.
Use a mild preferably no-tears baby shampoo to wash the baby’s hair. Use tepid water to wash the baby’s hair.
It is important to use the conditioner after shampooing to prevent dryness. You can make homemade conditioner for this. Mixing jojoba oil and honey in a 1:1 ratio makes an excellent natural conditioner that boosts hair growth. Apply this paste on hair after shampooing after 10 minutes wash thoroughly with water.
Use a soft towel for drying baby’s hair
After hair wash, use a soft towel and gently pat dry baby’s hair. Be as gentle as possible when you dry the baby’s hair.
Using a hard or rough towel or drying with vigorous strokes can potentially damage hair follicles. Plus, babies are delicate beings and deserve to be treated very delicately.
Avoid tight ponies and hair accessories
Avoid tight hair bands or hair clips while tying baby’s hair. Tie or braid it loosely. Tight ponies and braids can damage the hair roots and cause hair fall
Conclusion
Oiling and massaging a baby’s scalp is very beneficial when it comes to baby hair growth. It stimulates the nerves and improves blood circulation. But never overdo it.
Anything in excess is harmful. Too much oil massage can clog the scalp pores and lead to infections and aggravate scalp issues.
Does Shaving Head Enhance Hair Growth In Babies?
It is a common belief that shaving the baby’s head promotes healthy, thick, and luscious hair growth. The fact is, the texture and quality of hair have nothing to do with shaving the head.
Shaving only removes the visible hair above the scalp. The thickness of the hair is determined by hair follicles. Follicles ate situated deep within the skin.
Shaving has no effect on the follicle. The hair that grows back will be the same color and texture as the one shaved. The thickness will also be the same.
But as all the hair grows back at the same pace, it gives an impression it is thicker and darker. The quality of a person’s hair is based on different factors like genetics, care given, and nourishment rather than how many times you shaved hair.