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Your baby’s crowning glory is studded with crusty, scaly, sometimes oily patches of what looks like hardened dandruff? Doctors aren’t exactly sure what causes it, but many suspect yeast or hormonal changes that make the scalp produce more oil. Babies typically lose hair in the first months of life due to various reasons, including friction from laying on a crib mattress. Losing your hair can be a distressing experience, but you’re not alone. If your baby’s hair keeps falling after 6 months, check with your doctor for possible other problems like nutritional deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, or fungus.
Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School
Once the new hair comes in, you may notice it’s a different shade than the original color, most often lighter. Texture will likely be different as well, since newborn baby hair is usually very fine and fragile. As excited as you are about their new locks, refrain from styling your baby’s hair or using any hair elastics until they’re a bit older. Because infant bald patches most often occur at the back of the head, experts initially thought the balding was due to friction on the back of the head from the baby’s sleeping position.
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Sometimes the doctor will scrape off a tiny piece of the infected skin and send it to a lab to confirm the diagnosis. Make sure your baby spends some time on their tummy every day. In addition to giving the back of their head a break, tummy time is essential for your baby's overall physical development.
How (And When) to Give Gripe Water to a Newborn Baby
Some babies are born with long luscious locks or style-worthy curls. It doesn’t necessarily mean those tresses are there to stay. It may gradually or suddenly change — it may even begin to shed. It traps vernix (that white, cakey substance which protects a baby’s delicate skin) in place, helps with temperature regulation, and even helps to regulate hormones in utero. Don’t worry, though; your baby won’t be this hairy forever! Over the course of the first few weeks, the hair will begin shedding on its own and will be gone before you know it.
Why am I losing my hair?
If you regularly put your baby’s hair in a ponytail (of any size or at any location on their head), the tightness of the ponytail may result in hair loss. Even excessive twirling or hair pulling (by your baby) can cause irregular patches to fall out. Because a newborn's hormone levels fluctuate significantly right after birth, it may cause them to lose the hair they were born with. Their body is processing out their mother’s hormones and replacing them with something more suitable for their new environment outside the womb. Cradle cap, also known as seborrheic dermatitis, can occur in babies between 2 weeks and 12 months of age.
Is Baby Hair Loss Preventable?
Excess heat from blow-drying or straightening can also damage hair and cause it to fall out. Products used to bleach, dye, perm, or straighten the hair can contain harsh chemicals that damage the hair shaft. Try to avoid using these products for young children or ask your hairstylist for recommendations on nontoxic versions made for kids. When kids don’t get enough vitamins, minerals, and protein, their hair can fall out.
What It Means If Your Baby Is Losing Hair
She has published multiple research papers on pediatrics and is interested in topics like Neonatal care, skincare, baby growth, vaccination, growth, and development. Sufficient tummy time is enough to bring back their lush hair but remember to put them to sleep on their backs to prevent SIDS. They may roll themselves onto their stomach but it’s okay as long as they roll over to their back. If your baby is showing other symptoms like redness, inflammation, and crusting, please set up an appointment with your baby’s doctor.
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Are there any ways I can support my newborn's hair growth?
So your dark-haired newborn might start showing lighter locks, or those sweet curls might eventually straighten. Find out what causes hair loss in babies, what to do about your baby's hair loss, and how to support hair growth in your newborn. Understand that even if you do everything on this list, your baby may still lose some or all of the hair they were born with.
Is it normal for my baby to lose their hair?
Getting enough protein in your diet is essential as it provides the building blocks for proper hair growth; meat, tofu, eggs, beans, grains, nuts, and fish are all good protein sources. Some studies suggest that telogen effluvium can also be connected to low levels of iron, so include iron-rich foods like leafy vegetables, lentils and liver where you can. If you like the idea of adding supplements to your routine, there are some which are specifically formulated to contain ingredients that increase hair thickness and health. Some babies are born with a full head of hair, only to go bald within the first few months of life.
It’s not unusual for babies to lose some hair at this stage of development, and within a few months, it should grow back somewhat thicker and coarser than before. Other babies may be born with a full head of hair thanks to terminal hairs already present, which is also considered normal. Some babies arrive completely bare on top, but many newborns are born with fine, silky hair with poor pigmentation.
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However, if you see patchy, bald spots with red, flaky scales; smooth bald patches or other skin rashes on baby’s scalp, let your pediatrician know. Alopecia areata is a chronic autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks healthy hair. The patches are smooth and typically round or oval but can take on many shapes. Most children grow their hair back within a year, but some go on to develop alopecia areata over their entire scalp.
It’s not uncommon, for example, for light hair to come in darker, straight hair to come in curly, or thick hair to come in thin — and vice versa. Genetics and your baby’s own hormones help determine which it will be. Some babies respond well to using oil (olive oil for example) to gently massage and loosen up the flaky skin. If the cradle cap expands past the scalp, your doctor may recommend a medicate shampoo.
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