Baby hair loss though a lot of people don’t understand, but it happens. Many parents may not know about baby hair fall and get worried when it happens. Your baby might have born with a head full of hair, but he might lose them in a few months. This isn’t something to get worried about; hair loss can strike at any age and time.
Why Do Babies’ Hair Fall Out?
As per the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), hair loss is a condition that can happen at any age and date. They lose hair, and it’s totally normal, babies losing hair isn’t something parents or family should worry about. The medical name for hair loss is Alopecia, and there are a lot of reasons for babies to have Alopecia. Inadequate sleep, as well as hormonal changes, can cause Alopecia in babies. These are the most common reasons for Alopecia in babies. However, it’s very rare to link Alopecia in kids to a medical illness.
Since every baby is different, it’s had to say how fast or slow the baby’s hair will grow back, but on average, it takes 12 months to complete reverse baby alopecia. So if the baby hair loss on top of the head is worrying you and keeping you up at night, you need to read this article until the end to understand how you can cope better with this situation.
Toddler Hair Loss – Normal Symptoms
As all babies are different, we can categorize the hair fall into two different groups.
When the hair falls and grows at the same time, and the change isn’t noticeable.
When the hair falls rapidly, and the new hair takes time to grow back. This condition will leave your baby cue-ball bald.
The hair loss may start at 3 months, and it can progress until 6 months. This is according to the experts at Oregon Health and Science University. If you aren’t too sure about what to look for reading ahead.
What to Look For
Look for loose strands of hair when you run your fingers through your baby’s hair.
Look for loose strands in the bath while shampooing your baby and also on the towel when you rub him dry.
Look for loose hair in the cot, pram or baby’s car seat as these are the places he rests his head usually.
Baby Hair Loss – Most Common Causes
Here are the following causes of hair loss; most of the time, these causes are harmless and temporary.
1. Telogen Effluvium
Most parents aren’t aware, but the baby is born with all the follicles they will ever have in their lifetime. However, when the babies are born, most of the follicles are in their resting phase. This resting phase is called the telogen phase, while the others are in the anagen phase, which is the growing phase. In some babies, one or another hormonal issue can trigger the telogen phase to accelerate and shed hair more.
While the glamorous pregnancy period, the umbilical cord transfers hormones that make your hair luscious to your baby. Hence your baby is born with a head full of beautiful and soft hair. However, after the baby is delivered, the supply of these hormones stops. This is the reason why babies lose their hair. It’s not just the babies that loose hair after the delivery; the mother also experiences hair loss and hair damage after delivery.
If this is your first baby, be prepared as the stress of pregnancy and delivery can also accelerate the case of telogen effluvium and hair loss.
2. Friction and Hair Loss in Babies
While the infant rest in the cot, baby seat, or any hard surface, their head rubs against it and causes friction. This is a huge reason to lose hair from the back of the head. This situation is called neonatal occipital Alopecia or friction Alopecia, and as soon as the baby starts to roll over, the hair will start to grow back, and the gap will soon be filled with luscious, beautiful hair. Pretty soon, these thin patches will be a long lost dream.
According to a recent study, it’s determined that neonatal occipital Alopecia doesn’t start after delivery, but while the baby is in the womb. However, there are certain conditions that contribute to this reality. These reasons are:
- The baby loses hair mostly when the mother is 34 years of age or above.
- Babies lose hair post-delivery when they are delivered vaginally.
- Babies also lose hair when they are delivered full term.
Among all these reasons, the most popular and widely believed reason is that babies lose hair due to their head rubbing against hard surfaces.
3. Cradle Cap and Hair Loss
The crusty, scaly, and oil hair patches that babies experience is called cradle cap. Experts may have a name for this condition, but they do not know what causes this condition. However, many doctors guess that this condition is caused by the yeast or hormonal changes that occur post-delivery.
No matter what the cause of this condition is, but it’s perfectly normal and isn’t painful. It’s not even itchy, and it’s certainly not contagious like most people assume. However, do not attempt to scratch away the dry patches or the stubborn scales, or you may hurt the delicate skin on your baby’s head.
Good news, the cradle cap doesn’t last longer than a few weeks. In extreme cases, it may even last a few months, but it completely harms less and doesn’t have any lasting effects.
4. Ringworm and Baby Hair Loss
Ringworm isn’t something that is caused by worms but due to a variety of fungi. The ringworm condition produces a red, scaly, ring-like rash on the scalp, and its scientific name is tinea capitas. Many times this condition leads to hair loss in babies. The bad news is ringworm is contagious, so if you aren’t careful, the condition might spread to other members of the family. To keep it from spreading, use separate brushes as well as towels and hats. Anything that comes in contact with the head of the infected person should be kept separate.
Hair Care Tips
So now you know why do babies’ hair falls out, but do you know hair care tips that can help you when your baby starts experiencing hair loss? If you are looking for easy hair tips to follow, keep reading.
- Make mild shampoo, your best friend; use that to wash your baby’s hair.
- Bathe your baby daily, but do not lather the hair with shampoo daily. This dries out the scalp and causes hair loss.
- Avoid scrubbing your baby’s hair, instead, use a wet cloth to massage the hair and then wash it gently.
- Never use a hard bristled brush or comb on your baby’s head, always use a soft and gentle brush that way no weak strand gets pulled while combing.
Conclusion
Contrary to all myths, babies losing hair is a very normal phenomenon as well as temporary. This is a phrase that too shall pass. So now, if anyone asks you, why my baby’s hair is falling, you can quote them a few reasons from this article.
