Why are some babies born with a lot of hair?

You may have noticed that some babies are born completely bald, while others have hair on their heads. Experts don't know exactly why this happens, but they believe genes and DNA may play a role.

What can you expect

There are a few general steps for your baby's hair:

14 weeks pregnant. They begin to develop hair follicles.
20 weeks pregnant. Hair begins to grow on the eyebrows, upper lip and chin.
22 weeks pregnant. Hair, called lanugo, begins to grow on the head and body, especially on the shoulders, back, ears, and forehead.
23 weeks pregnant. A pigment called melanin begins to give color to their hair.

Your baby's hair usually falls out between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy. This means it disappeared before birth, although some premature babies are still covered in lanugo hair.

The hair on your child's head is a different story. The follicles that grow while they are in the womb form the hair pattern they will have for the rest of their lives. New follicles don't form after birth, so the follicles you have are the only ones you'll ever have.

Hair is visible on your baby's head and may grow quickly or slowly in the weeks leading up to birth.

Babies’ hair changes after birth

Most of the hair a baby is born with falls out in the first 6 months of life. Even babies born with thick hair can go bald within a few weeks. But don't worry, it will grow back.

Your child's hair is falling out due to hormonal changes in his body. As they grow in your belly, they receive a lot of hormones from you. After birth, the levels of these hormones drop, causing their hair to stop growing.

As your child begins a new hair growth cycle, the old hair falls out, causing temporary patches or bald patches. The new hair will most likely have a different texture or color than the one it was born with.

It's hard to predict what your baby's hair will look like. Genes can interact in unexpected ways. The color or texture of your child's hair could be from any member of your family tree. Couples with blond hair may have children with dark or red hair, and a child born with straight hair may later have curls. It's always a surprise!

How to take care of your baby's hair

Some babies' hair grows back immediately, while others take years to grow hair back. Try not to compare your child with others; every baby is unique.

Here are some tips to help you take care of your child's hair:

Wait to cut it. Shaving or cutting your child's hair will not make it thicker or faster. Let nature and genetics take their course and don't cut your baby's hair until his first birthday.
Wash gently. A good rule of thumb is to wash your baby's hair 2-3 times a week. Wash carefully. If you rub too hard or for too long, your hair will be stripped of its natural oils and become dry and frizzy. Stick to a baby-safe shampoo that won't harm them if it gets in their eyes.
Avoid oils and lotions. It is normal for newborns to have a dry scalp as old skin cells shed off. Avoid using oils, petroleum jelly, or scalp lotions. Such products only stick to dry skin flakes and worsen the situation. In some cases, babies develop hard or oily scaly patches on their scalp. This is called a cradle cap. It is not painful or irritating, but can result in thick white or yellow scales that are not easy to remove. These scales are removed on their own with gentle washing and a baby comb. If they persist or get worse, contact your child's doctor.