Regardless of sex, a child may be born with thick black hair on his head, hairy and light fluff or, like my children - completely bald :) No matter if and how much hair a baby has it should be taken good care of from the very beginning.
Before washing the baby's hair you should get a proper shampoo. It must be a special shampoo designed only for kids, as the adult shampoos can irritate sensitive skin on the baby's head.
Newborn's hair is the best washed with odourless, delicate soap of pH 5.5. Only when the baby is one month old you can change the soap for a shampoo.
Useful advice: When my children were small, in the first months of their life I used a 2in1 bath liquid, which could also be used for washing hair. This made the whole procedure of washing the body and hair much easier.
According to doctors, babies should have their hair washed not more often than 1-2 times a week, because during washing we remove from the scalp and hair a secretion of the sebaceous glands called sebum, which serves a protective function.
Of course, there are some exceptions. In the summer kids sweat much faster, and their hair is exposed to various types of dirt such as sand or food, therefore in such situations you should wash your baby's hair more often than before.
If your child has a cradle cap, you should also wash his hair more often.
Useful advice: If it is very hot, you can just wet the baby's hair with water instead of washing it. He will be definitely cooler and the hair will look a bit better. While bathing an infant you can wet his hair with a wet washcloth.
Wet the little head with warm water. If your child has long hair, it must be combed before washing so as not to get tangled. Rub the shampoo in your hands or dilute it with water and then apply evenly to the hair and wash it gently massaging baby's head with the fingertips for a few minutes. Do not forget the area behind the ears, because some milk from feeding can accumulate there. Then rinse the hair thoroughly with warm water, as shampoo residue can cause skin irritation and faster greasing of the scalp and hair.
Useful advice: If your baby does not like hair washing or is afraid of water, which sometimes gets into his eye, you can buy a special hairwash hoop. It worked very well with us. If the child does not like rinsing the shampoo with a shower jet, use a mug or a jug for it.
The best choice for brushing the hair of the youngest children is a brush with soft natural bristle. For older babies with longer hair you can choose a comb with rounded teeth or a special children brush. Regardless of whether the baby was born with a mop or soft fluff, use a brush regularly. Remember that hair brushing is a perfect head massage which stimulates blood circulation and thereby strengthens hair. All these treatments facilitate good hair growth.
Useful advice: Remember to brush hair from root to tip, in the direction of their growth.
After washing dry the hair gently with a bath towel so as not to tangle it if it is longer and not to irritate sensitive scalp.
There is no need to dry the hair with a dryer, as the baby's hair dries very quickly. You can use a hair-dryer for older kids with long hair, but select either cool and lukewarm airflow. Let however the hair to dry naturally. Use a hair-dryer rather in winter or in emergency situations e.g. at the swimming-pool.
Hair trimming does not affect hair thickness or growth rate, because the information on our hair colour and thickness in the future is written in our genetic code. If one of your ancestors had red or black hair, and you and your partner are blond, it does not mean that your child must have your hair, he can be born with red head after his great-grandmother:)
Useful advice: Hair should be trimmed regularly to look healthy.
If your baby gets a cradle cap, it is a good idea to rub his head with heated, warm (but not hot) olive and put a cap on his head for 20 minutes. Then brush everything off with a soft brush and wash his head. Sometimes, the cradle cap is so large that the procedure must be repeated.