Has your baby been born with a lot of hair and is losing it? Do you find hairs in his crib and see a bald spot on his head? Don’t worry, it is normal for the baby’s hair to fall out in the first months of life .
The amount and color of hair the baby is born with is not final. This means that their appearance may vary in the following months, and this is what happens in many cases.
Hair loss in the newborn
Most babies are born with very soft and fine hair that will begin to fall out irregularly within a few weeks of life, leaving bald spots on some parts of the head .
It is a transitory hair loss as a consequence of the hair growth cycle that began in pregnancy, and after which, there comes a period of rest that lasts three months, in which the hair is shed to give way to new hair. This is known as telogen effluvium of the newborn .
By having little amount of hair, in the baby this absence of hair until it grows new is more noticeable. The posture in which you sleep also influences, since we will see that you lose hair in a particular area, mostly on the back (known as neonatal occipital alopecia), which is the one that has been supported the longest, or to a lesser extent on the sides . We can also notice a bald spot in the front, which is usually the one that loses hair first.
Likewise, it is believed that the hormones transferred by the mother could have some responsibility in the loss of hair of the newborn in the months following the delivery, as it happens with the loss of the mother’s hair in the postpartum period.
But quiet. As the weeks go by, new hair will appear , which may be different from the previous one both in texture and color.
Do you need to cut your hair?
Many parents choose to cut the baby’s hair by shaving completely to hide the bald spot, however this will not make the hair grow stronger. Yes, when it grows back, it may start to grow more evenly.
Bald babies
Just as some babies are born with a lot of hair, there are others who come into the world completely bald, but don’t think that if they are born bald or bald they will have less hair when they grow up.
In fact they have very fine hair, and sometimes very light, which makes it almost imperceptible, that it looks like a “fluff”. This shortage of hair can last for several months, even up to the first year of life.
You don’t have to shave it to grow strong as some people often believe. Sooner or later your hair will start to appear and grow strong and healthy with proper care.
Should I be worried?
As we discussed, hair loss in the newborn is a completely normal process. However, if the bald spots remain after the first year of life, or you notice any abnormality such as red crusts on the scalp, flaking or that the lost hair does not recover, consult your pediatrician.
Photos | Lisa from Pexels and bottlein from Pixabay
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