I often get all kinds of emergency calls from friends and family pertaining to hair. More than often it’s my friends that are new Moms who need help with keeping their new babies and toddlers hair healthy and moisturized. The other day I got a text that read “my baby’s hair is breaking off in the back…help!” I’m so used to dealing with adult’s hair that it took me a minute to figure out how to handle the situation. Dealing with a child’s hair is so different from taking care of an adult’s hair. Being new to the journey of mommy hood myself (I am 6 months preggo!) it was a real concern for me. Taking care of our little precious babies hair is so crucial for their journey to healthy hair and I even had to ask myself… Do we really know how to care for our newborn babies hair naturally? After coming up with some suggestions for my friends and family, I have a few tips to share with all you Mama’s.
Be GENTLE
An infants scalp is very sensitive and still in the early phases of development. Their scalps are definitely too sensitive for tension and pulling. Also keep in mind that you don’t want to use the same products that you use on your hair. Many of those products can cause damage by weighing down the hair and compacting undeveloped follicles. Even if all the ingredients are natural or organic, you want to stick to products that are very mild and specially formulated for babies.
Styling
Although it’s tempting, you may want to stay away from styling your babies hair as much as you can. Stay away from tight ponytails that can put a lot of stress on the hairline. If you must style your babies hair for pictures or for a special occasion, stay away from barrettes, beads and rubber bands. These accessories can cause breakage in older children and even an adult head of hair so you can imagine what it can do to an infant’s hair. Try and stick to silk or satin-lined headbands.
Cradle Cap and Dryness
Cradle cap is a scalp condition that is very common amongst African American babies. It appears as scabby, dry areas on the scalp. It usually occurs with in the first six months of life. It usually goes away by itself but you may want to check with your health care provider to ensure that all it is. You can use a little coconut oil (which is anti-inflammatory) and or gently clean the area with a warm washcloth. Coconut oils along with other natural oils such as extra virgin olive oil can also be used on the hair in small amounts to prevent dryness.
This is just the beginning of your little angel’s journey. There will be more than enough time to try each and every single style you have in mind (as long as they’re healthy) in the future. But the beginning, much like anything else with a new baby is an important time to nurture and love those new follicles and hair strands.
[optin-monster-shortcode id=”iwxj2cb8ai-post”]